another question on brands, [TRIMMING TOOLS]

JOEGUN94 · 02-09-2008, 07:11 PM

does any one have advice on trimmers, lee,zip trimmers. lee,hornady rcbs, trim file etc, what type would you recommend,

samuel · 02-09-2008, 07:17 PM

The Lee trimmers work ok but you have to have one for each casing.I use a RCBS.It works fine.I have a hornady that is good and a Lyman that I dont care for.There are a few more but I am not going to look for them. sam.

Ron AKA · 02-09-2008, 09:50 PM

I have had excellent results with a Lee trimmer. You buy the shell holder which fits in a drill, and the trimmer for the specific cartridge. Low cost, and works like a charm.

Ron

rdale501 · 02-09-2008, 10:07 PM

I use the Lee trimmers for pistol and a Forester for the rilfle. I like the Lee, I too use it with a drill.

SwedeSteve · 02-10-2008, 11:20 AM

I have a RCBS case trimmer. It works fine, just make sure you pick up a deburring tool as well.

SL11 · 02-11-2008, 08:55 AM

Joe,

Only Lee and Redding trimmers turn the CASE instead of the CUTTER, which produces square case mouths. The RCBS and others turn the cutter against a fixed case, and any slight misalignment in the axis between the two makes the case mouth a little ( maybe a few thousandths of an inch) off-square.

That may not matter a bit for a lot of applications, particularly uncrimped rifle cartridges. It might matter noticeably for short pistol bullets that are loaded for target accuracy, particularly if they are crimped.

You can use the trimmers that turn the cutters by rotating each case 180° and trimming a second time if you just want to be careful sometimes, but that is a pain in the *** to do often.

Another factor to consider is that the Lee trimmers can only cut to one length (typically near maximum), while the others can be adjusuted for length. So, the Lee is not useful for evening-up a batch of cases for uniform roll-crimping unless they are all over-length to begin with (not my usual situation).

I have an RCBS now, and I am going to machine some parts to make it turn the case against the cutter (because it is cheaper for me to do that than buy a Redding).

SL11

aht_six · 02-12-2008, 05:10 AM

The trimmer I use most is my RCBS Trim Pro power trimmer, combined with a 3 way cutter and chamfer pilot it really speeds up the process.

billy · 02-12-2008, 06:43 AM

i use the lee.
works quickly ,consistantly,and well

USAFShort · 02-15-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

I have a RCBS case trimmer. It works fine, just make sure you pick up a deburring tool as well.

I also have a RCBS Trimmer... but im lazy, I buy the 3-way cutter that deburrs and chamfers as it trims. Its cherry!

02-09-2008, 07:11 PM	#1
JOEGUN94 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MARSHALL Posts: 160	another question on brands, [TRIMMING TOOLS] does any one have advice on trimmers, lee,zip trimmers. lee,hornady rcbs, trim file etc, what type would you recommend,

02-10-2008, 11:20 AM	#5
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 10,396 Images: 1	I have a RCBS case trimmer. It works fine, just make sure you pick up a deburring tool as well. __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

02-12-2008, 06:43 AM	#8
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 12,199 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 146	i use the lee. works quickly ,consistantly,and well __________________

02-09-2008, 07:17 PM	#2
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	The Lee trimmers work ok but you have to have one for each casing.I use a RCBS.It works fine.I have a hornady that is good and a Lyman that I dont care for.There are a few more but I am not going to look for them. sam.

02-09-2008, 09:50 PM	#3
Ron AKA Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 704	I have had excellent results with a Lee trimmer. You buy the shell holder which fits in a drill, and the trimmer for the specific cartridge. Low cost, and works like a charm. Ron

02-09-2008, 10:07 PM	#4
rdale501 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: oregon Posts: 398	I use the Lee trimmers for pistol and a Forester for the rilfle. I like the Lee, I too use it with a drill.

02-11-2008, 08:55 AM	#6
SL11 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 85	Joe, Only Lee and Redding trimmers turn the CASE instead of the CUTTER, which produces square case mouths. The RCBS and others turn the cutter against a fixed case, and any slight misalignment in the axis between the two makes the case mouth a little ( maybe a few thousandths of an inch) off-square. That may not matter a bit for a lot of applications, particularly uncrimped rifle cartridges. It might matter noticeably for short pistol bullets that are loaded for target accuracy, particularly if they are crimped. You can use the trimmers that turn the cutters by rotating each case 180° and trimming a second time if you just want to be careful sometimes, but that is a pain in the *** to do often. Another factor to consider is that the Lee trimmers can only cut to one length (typically near maximum), while the others can be adjusuted for length. So, the Lee is not useful for evening-up a batch of cases for uniform roll-crimping unless they are all over-length to begin with (not my usual situation). I have an RCBS now, and I am going to machine some parts to make it turn the case against the cutter (because it is cheaper for me to do that than buy a Redding). SL11

02-12-2008, 05:10 AM	#7
aht_six Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ham Lake, Minnesota Posts: 55	The trimmer I use most is my RCBS Trim Pro power trimmer, combined with a 3 way cutter and chamfer pilot it really speeds up the process.