Case Trimmer's - need a recommendation

[FALer]

So I'm reloading on a RCBS rock chucker in small batches 9mm, 45 acp, 38/357 and .45 colt.
I want to start reloading for my 7.5x55 swiss rifle (K31) and .223. I know I'll need to trim cases for the rifle brass but I do need to trim up a couple hundred cases for the 45 Colt, as they are unevenly cut from, guess who?
Winchester.

I know I can get the drill chuck mounted  trimmers from Lee, they are caliber specific though and might get expensive if I decide to do some other calibers, I might be better served by a lathe style trimmer.

Is there a lathe style that is better than another?

Nate

[M1A4ME]

I have an old hand crank rotary trimmer (I can never remember the brand, it has a gold base with all the turning/locking parts being black or chrome.)

It still requires different sized collets to hold the bases of some cartridge cases and different sized pilots to keep the case centered/square against the cutter.  It worked great for many years.  You have to do some set up when changing calibers (adjusting/measuring/adjusting/measuring till you get the case length you want/need and changing out pilots and maybe the collet.)

The Lee stuff is cheap, but it works.  I end up buying more cutter heads.  Partly because I leave a pilot screwed into a cutter head and put it away as a "unit" ready to pull out of the tube and use with a battery operated drill and partly because the cutter heads just don't last as well as the Forstner (hah!, remembered the name of the old classic trimmer I've had for almost 40 years.) case trimmer cutter.  I've only had to replace one cutter head on it in all these years.  I had some trouble finding that replacement cutter at the time and that's what got me into the Lee case trimmer tools.

You'll want a chamfer/deburring tool, too.  It cleans up the inside and outside of the case mouth after trimming is complete.

As you may know, you don't have to trim every time.  I've never trimmed straight wall pistol cases, just bottle necked rifle cases.  But, since Winchester gave you that special present, you need to "fix" them so future use works out for you.

Good luck.  Those are the only two I've ever used.

[Grendel]

I have a Lyman case trimmer (the lathe type), it's not expensive, and it can be adapted to use a power drill - although I don't. It comes with pilot heads from .17 to .458. I've only found it necessary to trim a couple of straight walled cases, I haven't loaded any bottle neck rounds yet, although I will eventually.

Lyman Trimmer

[Wobbly]

When it was just the 7.5 and the 45 cases I was going to say buy a good hand trimmer, but when I caught 223 on re-reading, now I'm thinking motorized. Maintaining 223 brass can get to be very repetitive, and thus boring.

• So, my first question is.... do you have a spare electric motor hanging around ? You can buy motors from Tractor Supply ($99) and other places, but it's not worth it. But if you happen to have a motor out of a furnace blower or old hot tub pump, then you're in business. If so, then you can look at the Giraud cutter head rigidly mounted to your motor shaft. https://giraudtool.com/giraud-tri-way-trimmer.html  These cutters trim to length and chamfer the inside and outside edges in one quick move, thus the "3-way" name.

Unfortunately Girud only makes 24 and 30 cal trimmer heads. So considering your total needs, this is only a partial.

• Lyman makes something very similar in their Brass Smith Case Trimmer. https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/case-trimmers-accessories/brass-smith-case-trim-xpresstm

But again, they don't go up to 45cal or rifles sized at 7.5mm.

• I use an old standard Lyman case trimmer. Lyman does 2 really neat things: first they offer a "motorizing adapter", which is really a 1/4" hex shaft that you can turn with your cordless drill motor. The best way is to get one of those 1/4" hex screw driver bits and mount the bit in your drill.

My Lyman Setup

Close Up

The second thing they offer is a carbide cutter. If you get the carbide, then you'll never need to worry about dulling up the cutter ! Look here:  https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/case-trimmers-accessories/trimmer-accessories

[Wobbly]

I have a Lyman case trimmer (the lathe type), it's not expensive, and it can be adapted to use a power drill - although I don't.

There are 2 of the older gray units on Ebay right now for under $25

[painter]

I did one batch of 500 30 Carbine cases with the Lee drill mounted trimmer and immediately looked for something else. My hands were raw. I'd avoid that if your .223 is a semi auto.

I bought the Lee Quick trim press mounted unit and the power adapter for the drill. Haven't used it yet.

[jameslovesjammie]

A few years ago, I upgraded my trimming setup to the World's Finest Trimmer 2 from Little Crow Gunworks.

The trimmer is ingenious!  It mounts into a 1/2" drill, drill press, lathe, mill...anything that spins.  The cutter is an windmill bit, so you end up with a smooth, clean, perfectly square cut each time.

Also, it has interchangeable bushings that use the shoulder of the case.  These bushings ride in a ball bearing setup that spins freely of the cutter.  This makes caliber changes a snap!

Accuracy and repeatability are also top notch!  Here is a video of the original WFT against a traditional trimmer.

[lewmed]

 I have two from Little Crow Gun Works they are real time savers and work great.

[M1A4ME]

One other thing to mention for the .223 (or .308 or .30-06) is a set of the RCBS X dies.  They are advertised as reducing the amount of times you need to trim cases in those calibers.  I use them and can't really say one way or the other about the advertising claim as I don't track the number of times I load my brass.  I shoot it till it cracks/breaks/won't hold a primer in the pocket anymore.

I can say I've never had a case failure where the case fails around the case body and leaves most of the case in the chamber while extracting what looks like a raggedly pistol case (brain dead - it's actually raining here for the first time in weeks and my mind is in a daze over that, just can't believe the weather man finally hit right after 15 or 20 times of lying to us).  My case fail either with a cracked case mouth or shoulder (short crack parallel to the case body).

Some of the guys that do track the number of reloads claim they trim (per the X die instructions) and then get 5 to 7 reloading's from the cases without the cases "growing" to the point where they need trimmed again.

[FALer]

Thanks for all the reply's folks, I do have a chamfer/debur tool already. My plan for loading .223 is just to load 500 ish rounds to get to feel for how it's done and then start gathering components  when the sales are good. I usually buy .223/5.56 by the case as long as it's reasonably inexpensive. I have AR-15's and this is just blasting ammo.

Those little crow trimming tools look legit and I'll definitely get those as I start loading large quantities of .223/.308.

For now I'm going to order up a Lyman Universal carbide case trimmer and get the universal power adaptor at the same time.

Nate

[cdhbrad]

I have two from Little Crow Gun Works they are real time savers and work great.

Little Crow WFT are what I use too.  I started buying them before the multi-caliber versions so mine are each caliber specific. 

[M1A4ME]

Hey, don't sell the AR15's short on varmint quality accuracy.  Best 100 yd. group I ever shot was with a 20" AR15 and 55 grain Hornady FMJBT bullets.  Lots of folks varmint hunt with their .223 caliber AR15's.  I would try it if I still hunted.  Around here I'd probably have more ticks/chiggers "catch me" than I see/shoot groundhogs.  I dust the yard/back lot and still get a tick on me in the yard sometimes.  I can't imagine how bad the fields/edge of the woods would be in warm weather around here.

[FALer]

Hey, don't sell the AR15's short on varmint quality accuracy.  Best 100 yd. group I ever shot was with a 20" AR15 and 55 grain Hornady FMJBT bullets.  Lots of folks varmint hunt with their .223 caliber AR15's.  I would try it if I still hunted.  Around here I'd probably have more ticks/chiggers "catch me" than I see/shoot groundhogs.  I dust the yard/back lot and still get a tick on me in the yard sometimes.  I can't imagine how bad the fields/edge of the woods would be in warm weather around here.

I know they can very accurate, and someday I might want to see what they'll do. I've got dies inbound for a 7.5 Swiss rifle I've had for years and have started gathering components for that.
I'm also wanting an M14 to use up some components I've had for years, so I'm clearly gonna be spending some time with .30 cal.

Nate