Confirm my case trimmer info

[Overscore]

Hi everybody,

 

Winter time is when I sit down and load 223 ammo for the year, about 5,000 rounds.  This year, I will no longer be using a hand trimmer (retiring my L.E. Wilson).  I'm trying to select a trimmer that fits my desires, and I've put together the list below.  I'd appreciate any comments, be they pros, cons, gotchas, trimmers that I didn't consider, etc.  The only brass I intend to trim with this is .223, which I use in 3-gun, not any super precision type of shooting.

 

I'm looking only at trimmers that fit these parameters:

• IS a power trimmer
• NOT integrated into my press
• NOT something that's a bit attachment for a drill
• Having additional bits for other operations is NOT a requirement, and perhaps a little bit of a deterrent, although not a deal breaker.
• Price is irrelevant, although it must at least feel priced appropriately.  (I'm looking at you, overpriced Hornady.)

 

With that, here are the ones I'm looking at, including some ruled out ones just to make it clear that I deliberately left it off my list.

 

Name                                     OAL or Neck           Chamf+Debur      Price (~)      Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Giraud                                   Neck                  Yes              500            Seems to have best reputation.  Possibly the loudest one.
Frankford Arsenal Platinum...Center      Neck                  No               150            Friend has one and it seems perfectly useful
RCBS Trim Pro Case Trimmer               OAL                   No               300            Like that it's OAL without being a PITA to load and unload cases
Hornady LnL Case Prep Center             OAL                   No               500            Chuck system seems annoying.  Overpriced.
Gracey Power Brass Trimmer               Neck                  Yes              350            Horizontal mount only?  If selected, get carbide cutter from Giraud
Dillon RT1500                            N/A - do not want press mounted trimmer
Little Crow Creek                        N/A - do not want drill-based trimmer
Pacific Case Trimmer                     No longer exists, whatever it was?  Maybe?

 

I'd appreciate any shared experiences.

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Overscore

[Jakobi]

Henderson Precision Tri-trim now has a powered option. Uses Forster collets and cutting heads.

 

https://www.hendersonprecision.com/product-page/gen-2-powered-case-trimmer

Edited January 7, 2019 by Jakobi

[AHI]

I have used a Gracey did not like it . You 

use it like a pencil sharpener.The Giraud is the same.

After about 30 min my hands hurt and cramp up.

The Giraud is a better unit.  I sold my Gracy and bought 

a Dillon 1500 and set up a tool head to process 223 brass.

It sizes and trims at the same time . All other units require you

to size then trim.  Have never seen the Hornady in person.So

size clean lube off (cases slip in your hand you get incostant length etc)

then trim vs lube run threw press clean load.

Non press mounted Giraud is considered the best If you can try before you

buy . Don't just do a hand full but several 100 to really get a feel for how it works. 

[RiggerJJ]

Dillon trimmer is the only way to go for bulk processing. Don't need to chamfer/deburr after trimming if you use a Mdie to expand and a crimp die after seating.

jmho...

[caspian guy]

5 hours ago, AHI said:

I have used a Gracey did not like it . You 

use it like a pencil sharpener.The Giraud is the same.

After about 30 min my hands hurt and cramp up.

The Giraud is a better unit.  I sold my Gracy and bought 

a Dillon 1500 and set up a tool head to process 223 brass.

It sizes and trims at the same time . All other units require you

to size then trim.  Have never seen the Hornady in person.So

size clean lube off (cases slip in your hand you get incostant length etc)

then trim vs lube run threw press clean load.

Non press mounted Giraud is considered the best If you can try before you

buy . Don't just do a hand full but several 100 to really get a feel for how it works. 

Yep I like the Giraud for how well it works but more than 20 mins of trimming leaves me with sore hands.  If I need more than that, it gets done on the 1050 with the press mounted Dillon trimmer.

[Overscore]

The sore hands for the "pencil sharpener" style trimming is something for me to consider.  I've reached the point in life where my hand gets sore pretty easily by doing something as operating a paintbrush for a few minutes, something about gripping things in that fashion.  The same is likely to be true for these solutions that would have me holding the cases.  I'm leaning toward the RCBS for this reason.

 

Thanks for the feedback, y'all.