haze10 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I am using the RCBS file die to trim cases. The Dillon case trimmer would be nice but I can't afford the investment. Does anyone know of a 'cutter' that I can buy for an electric drill that I can use with the file die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHTampa Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I use the Lyman manual case trimmer that you can get replacement steel cutters or carbide cutters for that would probably fit in a drill. You would also have to get the pilot for your caliber as well but it might work. good luck. Donn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 What you want is a LEE Precision " Lee Case Trimmer ". It can be used either by hand or chucked into a drill. That is how I trim my 50 BMG brass. It consists of; a lock stud ( this is the part that gets chucked into a drill ), a shell holder ( not quite but pretty much a standard single stage shell holder ), a case length gauge, and a cutter ( the case length gauge screws into the cutter ). The way that it works is that you put the shell into the shell holder then you screw the lock stud into the bottom of the shell holder tight enough to hold the shell, then you insert the case elngth gauge with the cutter attached and rotate either piece. It cuts clean and smooth. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haze10 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 I still want to use the file die as it quick and easy to insert the cartridges into the shell holder. The Lee cutter might work. The only problem would be that it looks like it only works for a deprimed case. I prefer to trim before resizing as I am using the Dillon 650 progressive and resizing first would just add another step. I guess I could grind off the bottom part of the Lee and just use the shaft as an inside neck guide, chuck up the whole assembly in a drill bit, and then run it down against the case in the file die. There would probably be enough pressure on the case in the die to keep it from rotating. What about some of the other cutters out there. Are there any with a short inside mandrel and a wide cutter head that would chuck up in a drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmiller1 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 If you trim before resizing, how do you know what the length will be after you resize? I guess of course, if all your brass is fired from the same gun, it is calculable but if it is from various guns, trimming first seems counter productive & inaccurate. Of course, I am new to rifle reloading so I may be all wrong. MLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 You should aways resize before trimming. The act of sizing the brass stretches it and makes it longer ( rifle brass only ). If it is straight wall pistol brass we never bother trimming because it gets shorter every time it is shot then resized. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haze10 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 I'm not trimming for accuracy or uniformity. I'm shooting 3006 in my M1 garand. Trimming is for safety and function only. You can't have a long neck that goes into the freebore as the case will stick and won't be ejected. The file trim die will usually take off about .020" more than normal maximum lenght. I can actually shoot and size the same cartridge several times before it needs retrimming. Plus I am using the X Die to minimize stretch. I can't say for sure how I am able to get away with this, but the stretch must be slow enough not to matter on one resize as I measure each case before resizing (after shooting them) and they usually will pass for several firings before needing metal cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) In that case you are alright. You hadn't mentioned what you were shooting or in what gun before. If you are taking '06 to minimum trim length then shooting in a garand you can normally get away with only trimming every fourth firing. I have a few garands and they are a lot of fun to shoot. Brian edited for spelling Edited July 8, 2007 by Too_Slow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haze10 Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 Not to change the subject, but the Garand is absolutely my favorite rifle. I have four of them. It may not be the lightest, or the most accurate, but everytime I shoot it I feel like I am going back in time. This was the first semiauto rifle every to be employed by an army. You can look at it as the final developement of an end of the era, or the beginning of the next era, in rifle developement. Yeah, I know others will say the M14 was the final developement, but that just means for me that the M1 was the 1st in a change of technology of the new era. Gas operated, semi-automatic, 8 shot capacity, a powerful 30-06 cartridge, and the first to use stainless steel in a war rifle. It is truely a piece of history and a testament to American Know How. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Before the Giraud arrived, I used to use an RCBS bench trimmer with a power drill chucked up where the handle used to be. Quite honestly, Giraud has the only trimmer that's worth a sh*t. If I were on a tight budget, I'd buy their cutter head and find a way to make it work on whatever setup I was using. It's carbide cutter head with the correct angles already set. Trims and chamfers both edges in one pass. www.giraudtool.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Ozinga Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 You could get the RCBS trimmer and add the three way cutter. Once it is properly set up it wil trim, camfer and debur the cases in one operation. Should have bought one years ago.. I would stay away from the Lee since it uses the case head as baseline and since some cases have thicker heads than others the trimlength will vary. As for trimming for a M1 goes, I trim mine somewhat shorter and throw them away after three reloadings and before they need to be trimmed again. M1's are hard on the brass. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 +1 to what Eric said. Even though most of Dillons products are great there is no power trimmer that even competes with the Giraud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobocracy Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 +1 to what Eric said. Even though most of Dillons products are great there is no power trimmer that even competes with the Giraud. Well, there is, but its probably industrial-grade equipment made by and for someplace like Federal... The Giraud is simply outstanding. I would like to see two things improved on it -- a slot cut in the top of the case mouth or a raised hex nut so that you could more precisely hold a length setting when adjusting, and some way to blow/suck the brass cuttings out of the cutter chamber under the power of the motor. I don't like to get the cutting chamber full AND I don't like to stop to empty when on a 500 or 1000 case run. The only other improvement on the Giraud would be making it less expensive at the same quality level and standard of living Doug Giraud maintains and making an automatic case feeder for it. Other than that, its about the most perfect reloading tool I've run across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milanuk Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Haze, Something you might want to look at is the Kwik-Trim. I know some folks who just can't pony up the cash for a Giraud no matter how bad they want one, and these are actually not too bad. You can chuck them in a 1/2" drill IIRC (been a *long* time since I used mine), or some people get a little cheapy Chiwanese benchtop drill press from a big box store for $30-40 and chuck it up in one those... then they're cooking w/ gas! Sinclair International used to carry them under the brand name 'Possum Hollow' when I got mine. I don't see them on their website anymore, but Midway now carries them under the brand 'EJS' (which I always thought was 'Eric J. Sinclair', one of the sons). Basically, they are a metal body w/ a delrin insert that the case shoulder stops on. A small end-mill insert extends into the body and is secured w/ a set screw. Stick the case in, turn it til it don't make no mo' shavings, then get another. So on and so forth. Still have to chamfer/debur afterwards, but it does work slick. mobo, My solution for the shell holders on the Giraud was the same as I did for all my 7/8-14tpi dies... I replaced the original lock rings w/ Hornady split rings. No set screws to screw up the threads, they clamp tighter than all get out, and I like the allen head bolt better than the slotted screw head on the Forster rings. YMMV, Monte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 +1 on the Qwik trimmer. Sinclair still had them in last month's catalog (they are now owned by Brownells, might check there). I have one for my .223 and my .308 loads. I simply made a holder so I can chuck it in my drill press on low speed and I can trim a lot of cases quickly. Just resize first since it works off the case shoulder. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_kahuna Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 You could get the RCBS trimmer and add the three way cutter. Once it is properly set up it wil trim, camfer and debur the cases in one operation. Dick +1, definitely an option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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