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Case trimmer

B

bug guy

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Minuteman
Jun 24, 2012
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ca
looking at getting a case trimmer for my rifle stuff .308 ,30-06, .338 lapua...what is a decent one to get..not looking to spend $400 for a case trimmer..LOL
 
I like the Wilson/Sinclair, does a great job and I like the way it squares the case to the cutter. One of these days I will get a power adapter.
 
My vote for the RCBS, I have been doing .308 and .338 lapua a couple of years now with no complaints.
 
I use a Forster original with the 3 in 1 for all my trimming. Setting the thing up is a little bit of a pain, but once you get it set your done. It trims, chamfers, and deburrs all at once. I had to buy the long base for trimming my 300 win mag brass with the 3 in 1 add on though. I think I've got about $140 in the set up. With the long base you can trim up to the 338 Lapua. I can pick a random 20 or so cases and measure them and their all the same. I use Mituyo calipers to measure with.
 
If you're going to stay in this game for a lot of years, spend the money and get a Giraud. Over the past 40 years of reloading, i've spent a lot of money on case trimmers I used for a couple of years then upgrade to something else, losing money every time.

I've used Lee, Forster, lyman, Dillon 1200 and Gracey and finally to the Giraud, which is the best trimmer I've ever used. If you use cases in large volume, the Giraud is money well spent. If that's not the case, use others recommendations.
 
Wilson and Giraud here. Prolly not a wrong choice in any of them. Have used most of them. Lightman
 
so far for my .223 and .308, when full length re-sizing for semi-auto, IMO it is hard to beat the world's finest trimmer for speed and price. Only thing is they are cartridge specific and cost about $70 per crack... But after trimming 1000pc of .308 brass in well under 1hour you will happy you have it at $70 per. And once you set it (and it is adjustable if needed) you're done. Just chuck the WFT in your drill and go to town. It really is just like sharpening a pencil.



exx1976 said:
+1. I have these for .223 and .308, they work great.
Click to expand...
 
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korykhunter said:
RCBS Trim Pro with 3-way cutter. If I had an extra $2000 laying around I would try the Giraud.
Click to expand...


Ditto on the 3-way cutter here although I splurged. I bought a Carbide cutter for mine.

My old 1980's vintage Trimmer "something or other" with collet type case holders has trimmed an uncounted number of cases, at least way into the thousands, with no problems whatever. The carbide cutter makes the process go quickly and for what the total cost was there's more money for other tools.

If I were to do it again I'd probably go with the Wilson/Sinclair setup and then just figure out how to adapt the RCBS 3-way cutter to it.
 
The Giraud isn't out of your price range! Those that have used one (1000's and 1000's of cases later) never look back.
Available Cartridge Sizes

.17 Mach 4 .257 Weatherby .300 RSAUM
.17 K Hornet .25-06 Remington .30-30 Winchester
.17 Rem Fireball .25-20 Winchester .30-40 Krag
.17 Remington .25-35 Winchester .308 Winchester
.204 Ruger .260 Remington .30-06 Springfield
.20 Practical .260 Remington Ackley Improved .30-06 Springfield Ackley Improved
.20 Tactical 6.5 Creedmoor .300 Norma Magnum
.20 Vartarg 6.5 Grendel .300 Winchester Magnum
.218 Bee 6.5 x 47 Lapua .300 Weatherby
.22 Hornet 6.5 x 284 .308 Norma Magnum
.22 K Hornet 6.5 x 54 MS .30-378 Weatherby
.220 Swift 6.5 x 55 Swedish 8 x 57 Mauser
.221 Fireball 6.5 Jap .32-20
.222 Remington 6.8 SPC .338 Edge
.222 Remington Magnum .270 Weatherby .338 Federal
.223 Remington .270 Winchester .338 Lapua Magnum
.223 Remington Ackley Improved .270 WSM .338 Norma Magnum
.223 WSSM .280 Remington .338 RUM
.22 BR .280 Remington Ackley Improved .338 Winchester Magnum
.22 PPC .284 Winchester .338/378 Weatherby
.22-250 Winchester .284 Shehane .358 Winchester
.22-250 Winchester Ackley Improved 7 BR .35 Whelen
.243 Winchester 7mm-08 9.3x62
.243 Winchester Ackley Improved 7mm Remington Magnum .375 H&H
.243 WSSM 7mm RSAUM .375 Chey Tac
6 BR 7mm RUM .375 Ruger
6 BRX 7mm WSM .408 Chey Tac
6 PPC 7mm STW .416 Barrett
6mm Remington 7mm Weatherby .416 Rigby
6X 7 x 57 Mauser .416 Ruger
6XC 7.5 x 54 MAS .416 Weatherby
6 WOA 7.5 x 55 .450-400 Nitro Express
6mm AR 7.62 x 39 .458 SOCOM
6mm Dasher 7.62 x 54R .50 Beowulf
6mm Hagar 7.65 Argentine .50 Browning
6-.250 7.7 Jap .50 DTC
6-.250 Ackley Improved .303 British
6 x 47 (.222 Mag) .30 BR .22 Meplat
6 x 47 Lapua .30 Carbine 6mm Meplat
.25 WSSM .300 Savage 6.5mm Meplat
.250 Savage .300 Whisper/Blackout .30 Meplat
.257 Roberts .300 WSM .338 Meplat
.300 RUM

Complete Trimmer in any of above cartridge size
$440.00
Additional Case Holder for any of the calibers listed above $30.00
Additional Case Holder Blank $20.00
Additional Cutter Head w/ Blade $45.00
50BMG Case Holder & Cutter Head Assy $75.00
Meplat Trimmer cutting head $45.00
220V 50Hz motor, switch, power cord upgrade $65.00
 
I'm one of the few around here that has a Giraud and doesn't feel it is the end all be all trimmer--I do like it OK but it has it's quirks. For one you really need to buy an additional case holder/cutter assembly for every different caliber. It is very fiddly setting up the cutter for different cartridges. It indexes off of the case shoulder, so you have to decide which is most important, the actual length of the case or exact shoulder positions, if your shoulder is off a little so will your case length--I don't really think this is much of an issue, just a detail. I also own a Wilson/Sinclair setup, which requires a different case holder for each family of cases, i.e '06 holder also does 308, 270, and other '06 parent cased cartridges. It certainly isn't as fast as a Giraud, once you have set them up, but it trims the EXACT length every time. I even use the LEE trimming system with cases chucked up in there case holder thingy, and spin the cases in a handheld cordless drill for cases I do sporadically. I really like the WFT, got one in 308 and I chuck it up in my drill press and it works just as fast as my Giraud.
Just some info to be aware of as you make your choice. Also for what it's worth, the one I think is the best in quality kit is the Wilson/Sinclair rig....
 
I agree if I had a drill press, the WFT would work pretty well and possibly the Forster power case trimmer for a drill press

Power Case Trimmer for drill press - Forster Products

For speed, the Dillon 1200 is pretty fast if it's used on a progressive press, not so much in a single stage. For some of my small batches of trimming for my odd calibers (358 Win., 338/06) I use a Lyman power trimmer, but I do like the Giraud.
 
I just ordered the WFT, looked at the Giraud which looks to be the hottest ticket but at least at this time that is a little rich for my blood. ): I have used a forester for years and it has never failed me, guess I'm getting lazy in my old age. :)
 
you do NOT need a drill press for the WTF... matter of fact, I use and prefer my hand-held drill... drill chucked with WFT in one hand and brass in the other hand.


FLIGHT762 said:
I agree if I had a drill press, the WFT would work pretty well and possibly the Forster power case trimmer for a drill press

Power Case Trimmer for drill press - Forster Products

For speed, the Dillon 1200 is pretty fast if it's used on a progressive press, not so much in a single stage. For some of my small batches of trimming for my odd calibers (358 Win., 338/06) I use a Lyman power trimmer, but I do like the Giraud.
Click to expand...
 
FLIGHT762 said:
I agree if I had a drill press, the WFT would work pretty well and possibly the Forster power case trimmer for a drill press

Power Case Trimmer for drill press - Forster Products

For speed, the Dillon 1200 is pretty fast if it's used on a progressive press, not so much in a single stage. For some of my small batches of trimming for my odd calibers (358 Win., 338/06) I use a Lyman power trimmer, but I do like the Giraud.
Click to expand...

I have the Forster Power Case Trimmer. It works fine but its not much faster than my regular Forster hand job. While you are clamping the case into the holder you have one trimmed with that little WFT thing. The Giraud is nice as it also appears to chamfer the mouth as well so that is done. The problem with the power trimmer is more the press...or I should say getting/having a decent press. Most are too loud and aggravating to stand there and listen to them whine for two hours. The other problem with smaller or should I say "cost effective" drill presses is the depth stop...most of them are junk unless you spend some money and get a nicer commercial press. I almost never use my power trimmer any more. I would like to though and need to I.D. a nice small quiet drill press that has a good depth adjustment on it.
 
I use the Forster power case trimmer with the 3-in-1 cut tool for my 223, and 308(2 different cutters) and use the original cutter (one that comes with the power trimmer) with a 338 pilot for the 338 lapua. The 3-in-1 cut tool is the best thing ever!!!!!! Now I dislike manually chamfering all my 338 cases. Only drawback is you need a drill press.

I used the cordless drill with the sinclair(?) ones, they have a cutter inside a tube that is set off the shoulder of the case, for quite a few years. They were cheap and worked! THAN I had to manually chamfer inside and outside the necks. Again, it was cheap and worked. Problem is now I cant hold onto the cases anymore, well not do many at a time anymore. Than a friend turned me onto the forsters power case trimmer and 3-in-1 tool. I soon realized how much time I was wasting the old way! You can literally do 100's of cases in an hour.
 
I started out using a Lyman universal trimmer but quickly (very quickly) grew tired of turning the little crank. I then debated between getting an RCBS Power Pro trimmer or a Giraud and decided to save $100.00 and go with RCBS (with 3 way cutters for .224 and .308 cals). After about 1,000 (or so) .223 cases, I called Doug and got one of his set up for .223 Rem headed my way. I ended up buying a second Giraud set up for .30 cal just so I wouldn't have to "jack" with changing/adjusting the cutter and would have it set up, ready to go and got the shell holders for .308 Win and .300 Win Mag.

Now I'm not a rich man by any means, I'm just a poor old coal miner trying to get by. But my time is valuable and the Giraud really cut down not only on how long it took to trim 1,000 pcs of brass but also the amount of labor it took to finish each case. I've got severe Osteo-Arthritis along with alot of damage that was done to my right hand/arm when I worked in the Oil Field in the late '70's so anything I can do to cut down on labor involving my hands is more than worth the cost.

Using a Giraud, you can trim 1,000 cases quick but as has been stated, it has it's "quirks". It does use the shoulder to "space" off of but you still adjust the shell holder in or out until you get the desired case length so as long as your cases are sized the same, the length "should" be the same.....(I said "should"). And if you have 1,000's of cases to trim, I would recommend getting one. If you're only going to be trimming 100 or so at a time, I don't think it would be a good choice. I've pretty much come to the end of my bulk trimming stage and have about all of the brass I will ever use ready to go, so my Girauds just sit there on my bench now and what few pieces of brass I do need to trim, I use my Lee Case length trimmers to take care of.

I did just start shooting 300 BLK and am forming brass from 5.56 LC brass so the .308 cal trimmer will be seeing some more use. The formed cases are almost too short to keep a grip on when in the Giraud shell holder and they will spin when the cutter grabs them (another "quirk").

I can't comment on any of the other setups like the Wilson/Sinclair, WFT, etc... although I did start to get a WFT for 300 BLK but decided to just get the shellholder from Doug since I already had his trimmer.

That's just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth (although quite honestly, even my Wife doesn't care what I think).
 
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elfster1234 said:
you do NOT need a drill press for the WTF... matter of fact, I use and prefer my hand-held drill... drill chucked with WFT in one hand and brass in the other hand.
Click to expand...

+1 on this. I actually think using a drill press is COUNTER-productive with a WFT. Why? Because then brass shavings fall down into the case, meaning you either need to tumble again, or spew hot brass down your barrel.

I use an electric drill with the chuck facing up at maybe a 45-60 degree angle, and it works PERFECTLY.
 
Are there any trimmers besides the Giraud that is a 3 way cutter in one? I.E. trim/de-bur inside/de-bur outside.
 
just spoke with possum hollow... they are about 30 days out of having a settup that is a 3 way cutter for $37
 
I love my L.E. Wilson Case Trimmer! I bought the 50 BMG version, but it works with any smaller cases as well. The power attachment is well worth the few bucks. All you need is a different case holder for each type of case you intend to trim. They work excellent. Nice & consistent too!
 
dillon 1200, is what i use i like that its set up on a press, so i can do all of my brass prep at one time. I like to think my time is worth something so i like speed. About 3-4 days ago i did 3.5k off .223 re-sized and trimed in just a few hour's i did have a varince of .025 in case lengh ive noticed but im ok with that (mixed headstamp brass) most are spot on though. I do i have the drill / case guage set up from lee as well but i used it for about 50 rounds and ordered up a dillon 1200, i found out i HATE triming so wanted a easy fast but good way to do it.
I havent used it but the Giraud still may find a place on my bench as well, but as of yet havent needed it.
 
Good comparison. Will have to wait and see this possum hollow outfit. Sounds like I better not jump in yet
 
Bates said:
Get a Giraud

It's worth every penny.
Click to expand...

I always hesitate to recommend a Giraud trimmer because they cost so much.
I couldn't afford one until I was at the point in my life of having one foot in the grave and the other foot on the proverbial banana peel.
Buy one as soon as you can afford it, and enjoy it for the rest of your life.
 
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