RCBS Power Trimmer versus Giraud versus Dillon

[joey_safety]

Disclaimer:

I am still very much a reloading n00b, almost a year and only 3 calibers (40S&W, 45ACP, and 223 REM) on my RL550B, sans case feeder.

I read every single thread on "powered case trimmer" and yes even just "case trimmer".

These trimmers are discussed in detail, the Giraud, extensively.

223 started recently, new rig, head over heels for it.

I must have a trimmer, time is important, but I enjoy the process to the extent it causes me major pain in my joints, and heavily weighed by my wallet.

Two questions:

1. I can buy the Giraud. It trims, deburs, and chamfers. It is 425.00 before shipping. Amazing and TOP of the trimmer universe from my perspective at this point, except the price.

2. I can buy the Dillon trimmer. It trims. For the sake of argument, please everyone agree to agree here and forget about the discussion regarding 223 needing chamfer, or deburr with media, or even any reason, just say it doesn't perform those tasks. It trims fast, but I don't have a case feeder. Huge difference with Dillon trimmer and no case feeder, right or not?

$234.95 before shipping. I'll need a decent shop vac, noise, but I can handle it. Still a pain to a degree.

3. RCBS Power trimmer. With the "three cutting head" is it not the Giraud at least in function, but it HOLDS the case for you. Is it a drawback for the time taken to "load" the cse in the holder? I am 40, and I type A LOT heh. Meaning, my hands are swollen most days since I also have shooting and reloading as my passion! (If you have experience, please elaborate here)

At this point if I understand correctly the RCBS with the "magic 3 cutting head" will trim, deburr, and chamfer as well as the Giraud.

I place the case in the holder. What is the hand function versus Giraud? The Dillon is pulling the handle. I can take that better than sharpening pencils! hehe

But no chamfer / deburr.

Before shipping: RCBS power trimmer $269.97 "magic three head" $64.95 = $334.92

I apologize if this subject has been beaten and my reading here didn't answer these items for me. If the mods need to delete, I understand, but there is one more deciding factor I would appreciate help with in this decision:

The Giraud indexes from the datum of the neck. (I hope I didn't butcher that statement )

The RCBS, total length, CASE OAL...

I want to shoot safe first, and as precise second, out of my 20" 1 in 9 personal baby I built from the barrell up.

What you say?

Edited April 4, 2012 by joey_safety

[1idcat]

I reload several pistol calibers, and several rifle calibers, including .223 to feed 3 ARs.

I looked at the Giraud, the Dillon, and the RCBS power trimmers. The Giraud

I've used the RCBS manual trimmer for decades, but recently upgraded to the Dillon trimmer on my LNLAP, and it makes me giggle how fast it trims .223. I lube the cases, feed the brass in (no case feeder) and pull the handle, then throw it in the tumbler to remove the lube and out comes brass completely ready to load unless it needs the primer pockets swaged or flash holes deburred. The trimmer cuts the case mouth square both inside and out. No burr, so I don't chamfer or deburr. Both flat base bullets and boat tails feed perfectly.

Here is my LNLAP setup for rifle brass prep stage:

1. Run through the tumbler to remove range grit.

2. Lube cases. I use the 12:1 Lanolin/Isopropyl alcohol spray lube.

3.Station 1 is a universal decapper.

4. Station 3 is the Dillon trimmer.

5. Station 5 is a Redding size die, backed off a couple of turns so that it expands the case mouth only. The decapping pin is removed. Many guys don't use the expander, I do.

6. Run through the tumbler to remove lube.

Cases are ready to load.

Once the cases are run through the tumbler to clean off the dirt and grit, I only have to handle them once to do the case prep, then handle them once again to load them up. This is more efficient than even the Giraud.

Except for the autoindexing, your 550B should be able to run just as efficiently.

[warpspeed]

Don't look past the Gracey. IMHO, it does everything the Giraud does. Or at least mine does.

I picked one up recently, used, for $ 150.

Edited April 5, 2012 by warpspeed

[dillon]

The blade on the Dillon trimmer is tipped downward at a 4 degree angle, so it outside deburrs. When I personally load flat based bullets, I do chamfer the inside of the case mouth.The 550 case feeder won't feed rifle brass, so that isn't an issue anyway.

[joey_safety]

I reload several pistol calibers, and several rifle calibers, including .223 to feed 3 ARs.

I looked at the Giraud, the Dillon, and the RCBS power trimmers. The Giraud

I've used the RCBS manual trimmer for decades, but recently upgraded to the Dillon trimmer on my LNLAP, and it makes me giggle how fast it trims .223. I lube the cases, feed the brass in (no case feeder) and pull the handle, then throw it in the tumbler to remove the lube and out comes brass completely ready to load unless it needs the primer pockets swaged or flash holes deburred. The trimmer cuts the case mouth square both inside and out. No burr, so I don't chamfer or deburr. Both flat base bullets and boat tails feed perfectly.

Here is my LNLAP setup for rifle brass prep stage:

1. Run through the tumbler to remove range grit.

2. Lube cases. I use the 12:1 Lanolin/Isopropyl alcohol spray lube.

3.Station 1 is a universal decapper.

4. Station 3 is the Dillon trimmer.

5. Station 5 is a Redding size die, backed off a couple of turns so that it expands the case mouth only. The decapping pin is removed. Many guys don't use the expander, I do.

6. Run through the tumbler to remove lube.

Cases are ready to load.

Once the cases are run through the tumbler to clean off the dirt and grit, I only have to handle them once to do the case prep, then handle them once again to load them up. This is more efficient than even the Giraud.

Except for the autoindexing, your 550B should be able to run just as efficiently.

After more internet searches and reading I am definitely leaning very hard towards this route. Having a tool head setup for case prep seems like the way to go. Thanks for your input.

The blade on the Dillon trimmer is tipped downward at a 4 degree angle, so it outside deburrs. When I personally load flat based bullets, I do chamfer the inside of the case mouth.The 550 case feeder won't feed rifle brass, so that isn't an issue anyway.

This is very interesting!. Thanks for letting me know. What do you use to chamfer when you need to? Is there a "die_based_tool" that could be used in the case prep tool head to accomplish this?

[Religious Shooter]

The blade on the Dillon trimmer is tipped downward at a 4 degree angle, so it outside deburrs. When I personally load flat based bullets, I do chamfer the inside of the case mouth.The 550 case feeder won't feed rifle brass, so that isn't an issue anyway.

Has this always been so? Or was this a change.

[njl]

The nice thing about the Dillon is you get to do two things at once. It sizes and trims in one step.

When I was in your situation, I went with the RCBS power trimmer and multiple 3-way cutters, primarily because I also needed to be able to trim both .223 and .30 carbine, and none of the trimmers that index off the case neck work with "straight walled" brass like the .30 carbine. It's not fast...but I found that by mounting the trimmer right next to the press (and using the 550 as if it were a single stage), I can be reasonably efficient by

a) resize case

move case to trimmer

c) resize another case

d) remove trimmed case from trimmer

e) goto b

i.e. while the trimmer is doing it's thing, I'm sizing the next case.