Any referals for best case prep device?

docjsh · July 29, 2014, 04:12 PM

I'm new to reloading which as you know is quite expensive up front anyway. I wondered if any of those more experienced had a preference for the best case prep device? I looked at the smaller hand cranked ones and also see the more elaborate devices such as Lyman Case Prep Xpress Case Prep Center, RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center, RCBS Universal Case Prep Center 110 Volt, Hornady Lock-N-Load Case Prep Center 110 Volt. Any advice?

jwrowland77 · July 29, 2014, 04:47 PM

I personally use hand tools. It helps me relax when I prep my brass. Lol. When I first started out, I bought the Lyman hand tools. Added a trimmer and was set.

What are you loading?

mannyCA · July 29, 2014, 04:50 PM

May sound weird, but I also prefer hand tools, only I use attachments with a hand drill clamped in a vice. You can spend the money saved on more loading components.

Marco Califo · July 29, 2014, 05:05 PM

Case Prep tools vary from on caliber to the next. One key question is will you need to remove military primer crimps? If so a countersink bit from Home Depot is fast easy and effective.
For trimming I like the Forster tool.
A hand chamfer tool from any major maker is fine.
Primer pocket cleaning is something for the OC people, You do not need to do it ever.
Cleaning in a tumbler works fine.
I don't think you need anything else. Powered multi-station tools are faster . . . at draining your wallet to pay for something the you can do just fine without.

Bart B. · July 29, 2014, 05:15 PM

It's my opinion that until the worst groups (3-shot, 5-shot, 10-shot, whatever) you shoot are no bigger than 1/4 MOA at 100 yards, 1/3 MOA at 200 or 1/2 MOA at 300 yards, case prep's not worth the expense nor time.

Once you've got your groups that small, then total case prep will take, at most, 1/16th MOA off your groups; if you're lucky.

Commercial .308 Win. match ammo such as Federal Gold Medal Match, Black Hills, Hornady and probably a few others make ammo without any case prep. 3/10ths spread in charge weight, 3 to 4 grain spread in case weight, bullet runout up to .003" and it'll all shoot 1/4 MOA in a proper rifle shot by a good marksman. So does Sierra Bullets' products loaded into unprepped cases resized with over the counter commercial dies and presses used in their test barrels.

Top ranked military rifle teams as well as USA international teams have hand loaded new cases (unprepped) to the same detail and won matches, set records and never looked back.

Case prep is pretty much a waste of time for use at ranges 300 yards and less. Except for deburring the case mouth so it won't scrape off bullet jacket material unbalancing them before they're even loaded in the rifle. For targets from 300 to 600 yards, it helps a tiny bit if cases are sorted into 1 grain spreads, charges weighed to a 2/10ths grain spread and cases with uneven pressure ring swelling are set aside. That'll take 1/8 MOA off the groups that far away and further.

Spend your time and money getting good reloading tools, learning how to use them correctly to make good ammo, a good rifle and developing good marksmanship skills and knowledge. The quality of commercial cases is pretty good as they are. If what you get isn't up to your snuff, get a refund then try something else.

Magnum Wheel Man · July 29, 2014, 05:44 PM

ya know... I'd be a fool to even try to disagree with BART...

But... I find the smaller the case / cartridge, the more case prep, uniforming flash holes & such matter... maybe not so much on .308... but definitely on 17 / 22 Hornet

I use a RCBS case prep tool, for camforing case mouths after trimming, & a universal decapping tool, to deprime, then wet tumble with stainless pins, so my primer pockets & insides are fully clean, on pretty much all my cases... & I have a Lyman flash hole uniforming tool, that fits into one of the stations of the RCBS station, that I use on smaller more sensitive cases... I used to clean my primer pockets with the case prep center, but love what wet tumbling does, so I don't use the primer pocket brushes any more...

HJ857 · July 29, 2014, 05:51 PM

If you haven't invested in a trimmer system yet, I'd say put your money there and completely ignore a case prep center.

The RCBS Trim Pro with a three way cutter head and chucked in to a 1/2" drill is about the cheapest and most efficient way to trim, chamfer and deburr your cases all in one shot.

Note, that this is not actually cheap at all, but if you consider that you're not buying a case prep center then it's pretty much a wash, and without going all the way to a Giraud trimmer. The RCBS trimmer really can't be beat for speed by anything but the Giraud.

The only other tool you may need is something to remove a military crimp, which can be done for 20 bucks or less.

I have a RCBS case prep center and I wasted my money on it. It's not a bad unit at all - but it's redundant and slow and so therefore I never use it.

Magnum Wheel Man · July 29, 2014, 05:56 PM

I inherited an old RCBS case trimmer on a hand drill, & could never get that to trim cases within better that a .005" - .010" variance... I'm sure the newly designed systems are better, but...

I may be old fashioned, but I actually prefer file trim dies on cases I'm picky with, I can get those to within .001 - .002" if I'm not too heavy handed on the camphor tool

Brian Pfleuger · July 29, 2014, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bart B.

Case prep is pretty much a waste of time for use at ranges 300 yards and less.

Except they need to be trimmed at some point... and then need to be deburred/chamfered after trimming and you might as well clean the primer pocket while you're doing the rest anyway.

docjsh · July 29, 2014, 06:13 PM

Thanks for the great advice from experienced reloaders!

Bart B. · July 29, 2014, 07:25 PM

Brian, I agree about trimming, but that's sizing to me; it makes the case shorter and sizing dies makes 'em smaller. Prolly shoulda mentioned it, so thanks for saying something about trimming.

Magnum Wheel Man, there are those who have disagreed with me and that has sometimes made me go over things again. I've been proved in error, weak in being right, a bit off the mark, not quite kosher, but never ever wrong

!!! I've always thanked those who've corrected me.

Savage99 · July 29, 2014, 11:18 PM

I wondered what it was so here is a picture of one and a link.

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...&route=C11J037

While I really prefer RCBS products I would not use such a device. I can use hand tools and the lathe. What noise does it make?

Just start out with hand tools.

leroy1957 · July 29, 2014, 11:28 PM

Starting out doing it all by hand, but that got tiresome with the quantities I was expecting to prep, so I invested serious bucks to purchase a Giraud case trimmer; it trims and chamfers all in one step, and does so dependably for hundreds and hundreds cases without fail (various calibers). I still have the hand tools in case of some outage, but the Giraud gives me a perfect inside edge and case length to a consistency of .002" every time. I had to wait nearly 3 months to receive the item (backlogged), but well worth it IMHO.

Jim243 · July 30, 2014, 12:36 AM

Quote:

it makes the case shorter and sizing dies makes 'em smaller

LOL, and where do you think all that squeezed brass goes?? That's why you trim the brass AFTER re-sizing.

I like Brian's recent purchase the "Frankfort Arsenal Case trim & prep system"

http://www.opticsplanet.com/frankfor...im-system.html

I purchased the Lyman case prep center, and wish I had waited.

Jim

Mr.RevolverGuy · July 30, 2014, 04:41 AM

Case prep is one of those things that I hated doing until I got powered tools. I went with the CTS brand and absolutely love their products and they are industrial strength.

http://www.ctstrimmer.com/power-trim...r-trimmer.html
http://www.ctstrimmer.com/8-case-prep-centers

My review of the products can be found here
http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3219
http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3264
http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3271

I am in no way affiliated with CTS just love the products.

Reloader2 · July 30, 2014, 06:26 AM

I am old school. I have a Lyman trimmer but haven't used it in years.
I chuck the case in a Lee trimmer case holder on a drill.
Trim with a Lee trimmer. Chamfer inside and out. Remove lube and polish case all the while still using the drill to spin the case.
Takes about 30 seconds a case without rushing things. Also when I remove the lube with a paper towel as the case is spinning it was a pleasant discovery how easy it is to feel any imperfections such as lube dents or neck cracks.

Bart B. · July 30, 2014, 07:46 AM

Jim243, sizing dies make fired bottleneck cases a bit longer in length and smaller in diameter. After firing them, they're shorter and larger in diameter. They grow in length about .001" every cycle. That's as normal as sunrise; you may not see it but it happens.

July 29, 2014, 04:12 PM	#1
docjsh Junior Member Join Date: July 17, 2014 Posts: 4	Any referals for best case prep device? I'm new to reloading which as you know is quite expensive up front anyway. I wondered if any of those more experienced had a preference for the best case prep device? I looked at the smaller hand cranked ones and also see the more elaborate devices such as Lyman Case Prep Xpress Case Prep Center, RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center, RCBS Universal Case Prep Center 110 Volt, Hornady Lock-N-Load Case Prep Center 110 Volt. Any advice?

July 29, 2014, 05:05 PM	#4
Marco Califo Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Location: LA (Greater Los Angeles Area) Posts: 2,722	Case Prep tools vary from on caliber to the next. One key question is will you need to remove military primer crimps? If so a countersink bit from Home Depot is fast easy and effective. For trimming I like the Forster tool. A hand chamfer tool from any major maker is fine. Primer pocket cleaning is something for the OC people, You do not need to do it ever. Cleaning in a tumbler works fine. I don't think you need anything else. Powered multi-station tools are faster . . . at draining your wallet to pay for something the you can do just fine without. __________________ ............

July 29, 2014, 05:15 PM	#5
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	It's my opinion that until the worst groups (3-shot, 5-shot, 10-shot, whatever) you shoot are no bigger than 1/4 MOA at 100 yards, 1/3 MOA at 200 or 1/2 MOA at 300 yards, case prep's not worth the expense nor time. Once you've got your groups that small, then total case prep will take, at most, 1/16th MOA off your groups; if you're lucky. Commercial .308 Win. match ammo such as Federal Gold Medal Match, Black Hills, Hornady and probably a few others make ammo without any case prep. 3/10ths spread in charge weight, 3 to 4 grain spread in case weight, bullet runout up to .003" and it'll all shoot 1/4 MOA in a proper rifle shot by a good marksman. So does Sierra Bullets' products loaded into unprepped cases resized with over the counter commercial dies and presses used in their test barrels. Top ranked military rifle teams as well as USA international teams have hand loaded new cases (unprepped) to the same detail and won matches, set records and never looked back. Case prep is pretty much a waste of time for use at ranges 300 yards and less. Except for deburring the case mouth so it won't scrape off bullet jacket material unbalancing them before they're even loaded in the rifle. For targets from 300 to 600 yards, it helps a tiny bit if cases are sorted into 1 grain spreads, charges weighed to a 2/10ths grain spread and cases with uneven pressure ring swelling are set aside. That'll take 1/8 MOA off the groups that far away and further. Spend your time and money getting good reloading tools, learning how to use them correctly to make good ammo, a good rifle and developing good marksmanship skills and knowledge. The quality of commercial cases is pretty good as they are. If what you get isn't up to your snuff, get a refund then try something else. Last edited by Bart B.; July 29, 2014 at 05:28 PM.

July 29, 2014, 05:44 PM	#6
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	ya know... I'd be a fool to even try to disagree with BART... But... I find the smaller the case / cartridge, the more case prep, uniforming flash holes & such matter... maybe not so much on .308... but definitely on 17 / 22 Hornet I use a RCBS case prep tool, for camforing case mouths after trimming, & a universal decapping tool, to deprime, then wet tumble with stainless pins, so my primer pockets & insides are fully clean, on pretty much all my cases... & I have a Lyman flash hole uniforming tool, that fits into one of the stations of the RCBS station, that I use on smaller more sensitive cases... I used to clean my primer pockets with the case prep center, but love what wet tumbling does, so I don't use the primer pocket brushes any more... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; July 29, 2014 at 05:59 PM.

July 29, 2014, 07:25 PM	#11
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Brian, I agree about trimming, but that's sizing to me; it makes the case shorter and sizing dies makes 'em smaller. Prolly shoulda mentioned it, so thanks for saying something about trimming. Magnum Wheel Man, there are those who have disagreed with me and that has sometimes made me go over things again. I've been proved in error, weak in being right, a bit off the mark, not quite kosher, but never ever wrong !!! I've always thanked those who've corrected me. Last edited by Bart B.; July 30, 2014 at 07:32 AM.

July 29, 2014, 04:47 PM	#2
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	I personally use hand tools. It helps me relax when I prep my brass. Lol. When I first started out, I bought the Lyman hand tools. Added a trimmer and was set. What are you loading?

July 29, 2014, 04:50 PM	#3
mannyCA Senior Member Join Date: May 7, 2009 Location: the world Posts: 182	May sound weird, but I also prefer hand tools, only I use attachments with a hand drill clamped in a vice. You can spend the money saved on more loading components.

July 29, 2014, 05:51 PM	#7
HJ857 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 448	If you haven't invested in a trimmer system yet, I'd say put your money there and completely ignore a case prep center. The RCBS Trim Pro with a three way cutter head and chucked in to a 1/2" drill is about the cheapest and most efficient way to trim, chamfer and deburr your cases all in one shot. Note, that this is not actually cheap at all, but if you consider that you're not buying a case prep center then it's pretty much a wash, and without going all the way to a Giraud trimmer. The RCBS trimmer really can't be beat for speed by anything but the Giraud. The only other tool you may need is something to remove a military crimp, which can be done for 20 bucks or less. I have a RCBS case prep center and I wasted my money on it. It's not a bad unit at all - but it's redundant and slow and so therefore I never use it.

July 29, 2014, 05:56 PM	#8
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I inherited an old RCBS case trimmer on a hand drill, & could never get that to trim cases within better that a .005" - .010" variance... I'm sure the newly designed systems are better, but... I may be old fashioned, but I actually prefer file trim dies on cases I'm picky with, I can get those to within .001 - .002" if I'm not too heavy handed on the camphor tool

July 29, 2014, 06:13 PM	#10
docjsh Junior Member Join Date: July 17, 2014 Posts: 4	Thanks for the great advice from experienced reloaders!

July 29, 2014, 11:18 PM	#12
Savage99 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Posts: 567	I wondered what it was so here is a picture of one and a link. https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Mai...&route=C11J037 While I really prefer RCBS products I would not use such a device. I can use hand tools and the lathe. What noise does it make? Just start out with hand tools.

July 29, 2014, 11:28 PM	#13
leroy1957 Junior Member Join Date: March 26, 2013 Posts: 3	case prep help Starting out doing it all by hand, but that got tiresome with the quantities I was expecting to prep, so I invested serious bucks to purchase a Giraud case trimmer; it trims and chamfers all in one step, and does so dependably for hundreds and hundreds cases without fail (various calibers). I still have the hand tools in case of some outage, but the Giraud gives me a perfect inside edge and case length to a consistency of .002" every time. I had to wait nearly 3 months to receive the item (backlogged), but well worth it IMHO.

July 30, 2014, 04:41 AM	#15
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 997	Case prep is one of those things that I hated doing until I got powered tools. I went with the CTS brand and absolutely love their products and they are industrial strength. http://www.ctstrimmer.com/power-trim...r-trimmer.html http://www.ctstrimmer.com/8-case-prep-centers My review of the products can be found here http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3219 http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3264 http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=3271 I am in no way affiliated with CTS just love the products. __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

July 30, 2014, 06:26 AM	#16
Reloader2 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2013 Posts: 263	I am old school. I have a Lyman trimmer but haven't used it in years. I chuck the case in a Lee trimmer case holder on a drill. Trim with a Lee trimmer. Chamfer inside and out. Remove lube and polish case all the while still using the drill to spin the case. Takes about 30 seconds a case without rushing things. Also when I remove the lube with a paper towel as the case is spinning it was a pleasant discovery how easy it is to feel any imperfections such as lube dents or neck cracks.

July 30, 2014, 07:46 AM	#17
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Jim243, sizing dies make fired bottleneck cases a bit longer in length and smaller in diameter. After firing them, they're shorter and larger in diameter. They grow in length about .001" every cycle. That's as normal as sunrise; you may not see it but it happens. Last edited by Bart B.; July 30, 2014 at 08:17 AM.