Is it necessary to trim 9MM, 38Sp, 44 mag and similar cartridges, when reloading?

I have never done such a thing, and have been doing this for several decades now. This useless exercise is for those who have nothing else to do.

For my handgun cases, nope I don't trim. I started loading pre-web and didn't read/hear of trimming handgun brass until I discovered reloading forums. I don't trim my handgun brass but have been known to measure/trim brand new brass, but that's rare...

Well....

With all due respect to posters and opinions already present, there MAY be a need for this activity.

Consider revolver rounds - .44 Mag, .454 Casull, .357 Mag, etc. - that are loaded hot and need to be crimped in order to prevent bullet creep and possible locking up of the cylinder, not to mention providing consistent ignition of large amounts of slow-burning powder. To provide a heavy, consistent crimp for each cartridge, you're going to want them all to be the same length.

I consider case length less critical on semi-auto rounds that can use a taper crimp, but these rounds technically headspace on the case mouth, so depending on your particular chamber and firearm, trimming MAY be a good idea or even necessary.

I have 44MAG cases past 20 hot reloadings and none needs trimming.
My 45LC are so old i cull @3% every reloading due to split cases, yet none needs trimming.
Dont even get me started on 45ACP.
So i have trimmers that is NIB for all three calibers

Things must be very lonely in Montana for someone to trim pistol and revolver cases.

Just sayin'

Gary

They always have the sheep on these long cold winter nights.
As for crimping, I just loaded 700 45 LC and 38-40s last week and I did notice that the lengths were not all exactly the same, but the crimps still worked and they all shoot quite well for cowboy shooting .

Ha. You guys are funny.

If your cases are close enough to the same length, and you're not looking for the utmost in accuracy, then trimming probably isn't necessary. I've got three revolvers that I shoot at longer ranges (100 - 200 yards), and I'll take all the consistency I can get.

To each his own, yes?

Never ever ever have I trimmed a straight walled handgun case and I have loaded many tens of thousands of them. In some where around 10 plus different calibers

If I would ever get to where a hand gun case that needed trimming it would go in the scrap bucket

So JL have you done any group testing on trimmed vs untrimmed

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Never ever ever have I trimmed a straight walled handgun case and I have loaded many tens of thousands of them. In some where around 10 plus different calibers

If I would ever get to where a hand gun case that needed trimming it would go in the scrap bucket

So JL have you done any group testing on trimmed vs untrimmed

Nope. Have trimmed for uniformity preemptively.

quote:

Nope. Have trimmed for uniformity preemptively.

Why too much time and energy for me.

I can't even imagine doing such when running several thousand rounds at a time through one of my progressive loaders.

Even loading limited amounts of hunting ammo I haven't found the need.

It well below zero today here dang I can't even think about doing it now.

Well I've only been loading for 40+ years so I'm a newbie. But at least to date I have NEVER trimmed a pistol case. I also don't ever plan to start.

Rifle cases is a different issue.

I don't trim pistol brass, BUT to really get consistent semi-auto accuracy the cases should be the same length because of the crimp. Whether that means only using one headstamp/lot of brass or trimming to a minimum length is up to the loader/shooter, or be like me and shoot'em the way they come.

You know this is really funny to read. You mean non of you guys have ever had a revolver case that was so long when it was crimped it bulged the case mouth enough to where it would not fit in the cylinder? So if that's the case, I guess you just throw those away, eh? Personally I do not trim any of my pistol cases, unless they are magnum heavy loads, and then just to eliminate chambering difficulties.

Jerry

quote:

I guess you just throw those away, eh?

Yep

But only time a heavy crimp for me is heavy magnum loads. The cannelure on my bullets gives me plenty of room I run my 44 mag brass all together. So all of them have the same number of loading. Have never found case length difference to be an issue.

Paul: Just send me all those cases you want to discard that aren't split, I'll trim and use them.

Jerry

Most straight walled cases don't grow like bottle neck cases do. Like others have said here: been doing this for over 40 years with .45ACP,9MM, .44MAG, .41Mag, .357Mag, .380, .32Auto, and .45-70, and never trimmed.

quote:

Most straight walled cases don't grow like bottle neck cases do

Very true I been at it over forty years also, case's crack or one loses them before they ever have to be trimmed.

I can hardly remember one that buckled while crimping.

10 of thousands of 38 357 41 44 357max 45-70 38S@W 32S@W long.

Can't really count the 47-70 or the 357 max I shoot them in single shots and hardly crimp them

Short auto cases like 9mm 45 ect never

Trimming is a waste of time and energy

I don't trim pistol cases 98% of the time. There was a time when I shot a lot of metal animals. I was doing some experimenting on how to get the most accuracy from different cartridges. Yes I trimmed some pistol cases mostly to make shure they were square. I trim all straight wall rifle cases for the same reason.
Bill