Best case-trimming setup

[Little Dalton]

I also need to invest in a good, fast case-trimming setup. I have close to 60 pounds of New Starline .44-40 brass, and 52 pounds of it I bought in a lot. Someone had gotten a little over-zealous in shining it up a little, and the mouths are pretty banged up from tumbling. I wouldn't worry too much about case length otherwise, but I think it would be nice to just trim them all once to clean up the mouths and make them all uniform.

Looking for recommendations for a trimming setup that is fast and accurate. Best bang for my buck. Thanks in advance!

[major]

I just pruchased and received an RCBS combination power trimmer and case prep station on ebay for $310 with free shipping.  I got it to trim 44-40 cases and discovered that all my (several times fired) cases are already the correct length.  I feel I waisted my money by buying this unit.  Also they do not make a pilot for 44-40.  There is one just a little too small and one just a littl too large.  I think it would be possible to trim down the large one to make a custom pilot but I haven't built up the energy to do it yet.  It looks like a great unit for someone that need to trim cases, I just don't need to trim my 44-40's

[Coal Creek Griff]

Honestly, I have trimmed a LOT of 44-40 cases with an older Lee trimmer chucked in a hand drill. I bought a Wilson trimmer for my higher precision modern cases and I can/do trim 44-40 cases, but there's no significant advantage over the much cheaper Lee setup. I'm thinking that I might like to trim my 56-50 cases someday and I'm kind of looking at the Lyman Universal trimmer, but I'm not sure.  The fact is that if I only had to trim 44-40, I'd probably stick with the simple Lee hand trimmer.  They just don't need trimming often enough to make much expense worth it.

This is kind of a Chevy/Ford kind of question...

CC Griff

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[Yeso Bill]

In my quest to find the perfect case trimmer, I now own an old Lyman, a Redding, a RCBS, a Lee and a Wilson.  I found that my trimmers that have a Collet that locks up and "sucks back" the case aren't going to be too accurate because lock up from case to case will be different.  That would be the first two on the list.

The RCBS doesn't cut square at all.    

I once used a Lee in a drill press with a v vice to trim 1000 454 Casull cases to 45 Colt length.  I set the depth gauge on the drill press and the cutter cut square and I highly recommend it.  

I have a Lee for the 44-40 but have never used it.  A few months ago I used my Wilson (with micrometer) to even up some 44-40s.  It cuts square within .001" and I was hoping for better than that, considering its construction and cost.

A few months ago I ordered 1000 head of 44-40 from Starline.  They vary in length from 1.295" through 1.298" and I presume they will "shorten up" more after fire-forming.  I decided to just sort them into four lots.

In my limited experience with 44s and 45s, I have never seen a case that was actually too long.  

Billy

[Baltimore Ed]

The lee case trimmers are pretty foolproof. The pin goes through the primer hole a bottoms against the shell holder so you can't take off too much. If you use a power screwdriver to turn the shell in the holder it's pretty fast. To trim .45-70 down to .45-60 I use my drill press. I clamp the pilot trimmer in a vice which is clamped to the table. I put the shell holder in the chuck. Turn on the drill and go, also chamfer the inside and outside of the case mouth while in the drill.

[Coffinmaker]

I like to keep it simple and as cheap a possible.  Mine is a Lyman Universal kit with Power Adaptor ($121 Amazon).  Mounted it to a chunk of wood I can clamp to my work bench.  Attach the cordless DewWalt I already owned and trim away. 

I suggest you sort out your cases with dented case mouth(s) and run em thru your resize and expander (without case belling).  With 60 pounds of cases, your gonna get really really bored.

PS:  The Lyman Universal has a very positive and precise depth stop.  Get the Carbide Cutter.

[greenjoytj]

I use the Wilson trimmer its very accurate but its not fast.  Installing and removing the cartridge case with the Q type case holder required for straight wall cases is slow to tedious for large quanta of cases.

Considering the large quantity of cases you have to trim you might want to invest in a Gracey Power trimmer.  See the link below.

  http://www.matchprep.com

[Fingers McGee]

Interesting reading.  I've never seen the need for a case trimmer for CAS pistol caliber cartridges though.

[Baltimore Ed]

I agree with you Fingers, I've never seen a straight walled pistol caliber case stretch. They do split though, nickle before brass, some of my .45 acp are so old that I occasionally find ones that have failed. But this past year I've purchased several dash cartridge guns so I'm curious about how those pieces of bottleneck brass will hold up.

[Little Dalton]

I like to keep it simple and as cheap a possible.  Mine is a Lyman Universal kit with Power Adaptor ($121 Amazon).  Mounted it to a chunk of wood I can clamp to my work bench.  Attach the cordless DewWalt I already owned and trim away. 

I suggest you sort out your cases with dented case mouth(s) and run em thru your resize and expander (without case belling).  With 60 pounds of cases, your gonna get really really bored.

PS:  The Lyman Universal has a very positive and precise depth stop.  Get the Carbide Cutter.

Thanks for the input, everyone. Actually CM, some of the case mouths are too dented to size/expand. I throw these aside as I sort, and then push a steel 7.62x39mm case into them. The tapered steel case straightens them out nicely. Not too boring if I have something to watch or listen to.

[Little Dalton]

Interesting reading.  I've never seen the need for a case trimmer for CAS pistol caliber cartridges though.

In the OP, I stated I wasn't concerned so much about length, as the fact that the brass I bought has heavily dinged mouths. Maybe inside/outside chamfering is enough- I already have to do that.

[Coffinmaker]

Awright youz guyz.  Just for the record ...... Just to be clear ..... Just to be absolutely CLEAR youz understand ....... 

I have also NEVER found the need to TRIM straight walled pistol cases.  EVER.  I've actually found rather than "stretch" under use, most straight walled cases actually get a touch shorter with age ("seasoning").  Even if they get a thou or so shorter, so long as the crimp is still in the crimp groove, there is no reason to "trim."

The OP, on the other hand, was primarily (in his own other words) concerned with salvaging damaged dash caliber cases, of which, he obviously has a ruddy great bucket full thereof.  Never hurts to be prepared.  However, in the case of even bottle neck dash calibers, so song - long as the cases resize without crush/wrinkles and crimp in the crimp groove, trimming is ...... wasting time and energy better spent consuming Ale.  Yes Nes Pax??

PS:  I ever mention I hate Auto-Correct?? 

[Baltimore Ed]

You might have mentioned it once or twice there C.

[ira scott]

The case mouths being "dinged" will be taken care of by resizing unless they are so far out of round they won't  go into the die. If I have one in that condition, I shove the bullet of a loaded round to reshape it. (really easy on the thin neck of a 44WCF case) As far as chamfering the inside and outside of the case mouth, that is time that would be better spent drinking ale also! Case mouths are normally only chamfered on rifle cases to aid in bullet insertion whereas pistola cases are belled/flared in a separate operation after resizing. Sounds like you have a boatload of brass to process, make it as easy on yourself as possible!