What Do You Use to Trim Your Spencer Brass?

[Two Flints]

Hello SSS,

When reloading for your Spencer, if you need to trim your brass, which commercially available trimmer do you use, pros and cons, please.  Does it work for both the Starline 56-50 brass AND the Bell 50-70 brass?

Thanks in advance for your replies

Two Flints

[Perry Owens]

I make my 56-50 brass from Starline 50-70 cases. For the initial coarse trim I use a mini chop saw from Harbor Fright

http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-top-cut-off-saw-42307.html

For final trim I use a Forster Classic 50 case trimmer with a number 5 collet and a 0.513 mandrel. For other makes of brass you might need a different size mandrel.

Cut down 50-70 brass has quite thick walls and for one of my original Spencers I have to inside ream the brass to 0.515 or loaded rounds will not chamber.

My video shows case trimming in action.

P.O.

[Two Flints]

Hi Perry,

How about a link to that video   Also, please explain the "inside reaming" procedure you follow

I received an Email from someone (not an SSS posse member) wanting to know if the RCBS High Capacity Case Trimmer and #1 Trimmer Collet would trim 56-50 and 50-70 cases for the Spencer.  I'm passing on the question to SSS members who reload on a regular basis, who may know the answer to this question..

According to the link he provided, the #1 Trimmer Collet will trim the following cases:
.470 Nitro Express 3 1/4", 50-70 Government, 50-90 2 1/2" Sharps Straight, 56-50 Spencer, 500 Jeffery, and the 500 Nitro Express 3".

Is the 50-70 Government the same as the Bell 50-70?  Anyone know?

Thanks in advance for your comments, please.

Two Flints

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[Perry Owens]

Hi Two Flints,
To inside ream a case you need to have some means of holding the case securely while you run a hand reamer down inside at least as far as the bullet seats. I have a small lathe so it is convenient to hold the brass in the chuck and the reamer in the tailstock, turning the chuck by hand while advancing the reamer. A 33/64 reamer cuts at 0.5156 in. If you inside ream brass you need to make sure your expander plug is large enough to expand the case mouth to seat the bullet. Heeled bullets are another way but I don't have that type of mould.
My video is here:
Sorry but I have no experience of the RCBS case trimmer. It sounds like it would work but trimming a 50-70 case would be a tedious business if you didn't cut off the major part by some other means.

[Two Flints]

Hi Perry,

I watched your video.  In your previous post you stated, "I have to inside ream the brass to 0.515 or loaded rounds will not chamber."  How will reaming the inside of the brass help in getting the case to chamber fully?  If the brass won't chamber isn't this because the outside dimension/diameter is excessive?  How does reaming the inside of the brass help to chamber a cartridge?  Or did I misunderstand something, which I probably did

Two Flints

[Perry Owens]

Hi Two Flints,
The inside diameter of a trimmed Starline 50-70 case is around 0.512 in. If I were to expand that enough to seat a 0.515 in bullet the outside of the case would bulge by an amount up to 0.003 in. That might chamber in some Spencers but not in others - quality control in those days was not what it is today. One solution is to run the loaded round back into a sizing die but I don't care to do that becuase it might distort the bullet. My 1865 Spencer needs a 0.518 bullet but will happily chamber rounds where I have not inside reamed, but my 1867 has much tighter tolerances and I need to ream to 0.515 and use a 0.515 sized bullet.
Here is a picture of my case trimming jig for the Harbor Freight chop saw, athough it is so crude I am embarrassed to put it up:

It is made from a piece of scap aluminium 1.6 in long,1 in high and 0.65 in wide. A 0.6 in hole is drilled at 0.7 in from the base and the top half cut away. The step on the buttom is to allow clamping in the saw base. The saw cut is positioned according to the length of case required - I cut to 1.2 in for trimming in the Forster.
Here it is ready to go

[wildman1]

Hi Perry,

I watched your video.  In your previous post you stated, "I have to inside ream the brass to 0.515 or loaded rounds will not chamber."  How will reaming the inside of the brass help in getting the case to chamber fully?  If the brass won't chamber isn't this because the outside dimension/diameter is excessive?  How does reaming the inside of the brass help to chamber a cartridge?  Or did I misunderstand something, which I probably did

Two Flints

The brass is or should be sized. Total outside diameter of the cartridge would be equal to dia. of bullet and double the thickness of the brass. If you ream the brass inside or outside you decrease the case thickness thereby decreasing the outside dimension of the finished cartridge. WM

[JimBob]

Some cases when cut down to form another cartridge have to be inside neck reamed to chamber when the bullet is seated.Otherwise you get that bulge in the case and they won't chamber.Ran into that problem before.CH-4D Die has inside neck ream dies that you set up in a reloading press with an appropiate reamer with a stop on it that reams the inside to the correct depth and diameter to duplicate factory dimensions.As for trimming I like the file-trim dies as opposed to the other type but the file-trim dies are single purpose and aren't all that cheap.The only way I could afford them was I have a C&R and could get a discount from Graffs or Huntington's.

As an aside I notice nobody has any Starline Spencer brass as yet.Many other old calibers either,wonder what gives?

[Two Flints]

Jim Bob,

KA3420 50/70 Cases $45.00
  
Dixie finally has 50/70 brass cases in stock once again!. Made from the same drawings as those previously offered by Dixie, these drawn brass cases are produced in the US Basic length is 1.75” and can be trimmed and fire formed to fit many .50 caliber fire arms, specifically Spencers.56/50, trim to 1.156” and fire form using a .512 bullet. For the .56/56, trim to .875” and fire form with a .550 bullet to meet the neck expansion for the .56/56 Spencer caliber. This brass may also be used in some .50 caliber Remington Army and Navy rolling Block Pistols, but will require delicate length and rim trimming.

Also - not sure if in stock - KA3405 BRASS CASES .56/.50 PKG OF 50 $105.00 These .56/50 turned brass cases are 1 5/32” tall and are centerfire. Available in boxes of 50.

Two Flints

 

[JimBob]

Thanks for the info Two Flints,I don't check Dixie often.LOL I hate to use .50-70 brass for other things,I got two trapdoors in that chambering.

[Two Flints]

Winter time - Lots of free time - Time on our hands - This is Loading time 

[PvtGreg]

I just picked this up at Harbor Freight Tools:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-mighty-mite-table-saw-93211.html

Its wood blade doesn't do all that well, but the diamond blade does OK on brass if you move slow.  You have to rig a jig to do this right.  Excuse my jig - its a patch job, but it works.  It cuts the cartridge down to 1.16 " and cuts better more consistently than the pipe cutter.



This is working for me better than the little chop saw - that blades wear out too fast.

PvtGreg

[Two Flints]

Pvt Greg,

Do you have any more photos that show your setup "better".  The duct tape blocks out a lot of your jib from view.

Two Flints