I know that this is a pretty minor step in the reloading process, but I'm interested in what you guys use to chamfer case mouths after trimming. One tool that looks as if it would keep the chamfer cut pretty square to the case mouth is this Redding piloted inside chamfering tool. I'm guessing that the pilot will help to keep the cut concentric with the case mouth:



I've always used this low-tech hand tool from L.E. Wilson, but it is pretty hard to ensure a square cut with it:

Your first tool is for chamfering primer flash holes; a procedure I used to do but now consider a complete waste of time.
I use your second tool for case mouths.

Looking closely at the photo of the first tool, it appears to be using a pin through the flash hole as a guide for the case mouth chamfer cutter up near the handle. I don't see a chamfer cutter for the flash hole at the bottom where the pin is as would be seen on a regular flash hole de-burring tool. Could be wrong...in any event, that is the fist time I have seen that configuration South Pender.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Your first tool is for chamfering primer flash holes; a procedure I used to do but now consider a complete waste of time.
I use your second tool for case mouths.

No, the Redding tool shown first is for chamfering case mouths. You can see the chamfer cutter up at the top of the pilot. As Skyline notes, the pin drops through the flash hole, and this allows you to use the pilot to set the depth of the cut if you want to do it that way.

I have one of the Wilson tools, but I just went back to the cheap lee tool. It is not as aggressive as the wilson, seems to de-burr a little smoother.

I've tried about 4-5 different ones and keep coming back to the original LE Wilson hand twister for various reasons.

I have one of those in the second pic, which I use for the outside chamfer. About two decades ago I bought a "VLD" inside chamfering tool. Basically a carbide cutter on a screwdriver handle. I use that for the inside because it is easier to use (more comfortable to hold and it cuts better because it is much sharper and stays that way).

A while ago I saw mention of the Giraud trimmer. This trims and chamfers inside and out in a single operation, and using power, but I am sure it is expensive and looks like it will be a pain to re-set to different calibers, but I like the concept. May try and build myself something like it but using a standard lathe threading insert one day.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Your first tool is for chamfering primer flash holes; a procedure I used to do but now consider a complete waste of time.
I use your second tool for case mouths.

My friend, you have been blessed by having good quality brass.

We buy our brass in bulk, and you will be amazed at what sort of junk we get from cleaning the flash holes.

I have seen large parts sticking off the flash hole that were several mm in size.


Our procedures is we size every case.

Uniform the primer pockets.

Clean up the flash holes.

Trim to length.

Weigh them and segregate in 1 or 2 grain lots in each bag.

Depending on the caliber.

We also use the second, Wilson tool for chamfering and it works great.

For very large cases, I use a pipe chamfering tool.

Again, it works great.

I use an old wooden handle Lyman VLD chamfer tool. Nice sharp 6 cutters shaped more like a good quality reamer. I think the hand held longer wooden handle and shallow VLD taper helps centre the tool rather than the finger and thumb held short chamfer tools like that in the second image from the OP.

quote:

I've always used this low-tech hand tool from L.E. Wilson

Another Wilson user here.

Ive used a Wilson tool for over 50 years for case necks and a lyman flash hole uniformer tool for the flash holes. Only short coming with the wilson tool is that my old fingers get tired when using it . I have since bought a Lyman chamfer tool with a handle on it. The handle is much easier on old fingers but my Wilson tool is not going anywhere

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
I use an old wooden handle Lyman VLD chamfer tool. Nice sharp 6 cutters shaped more like a good quality reamer. I think the hand held longer wooden handle and shallow VLD taper helps centre the tool rather than the finger and thumb held short chamfer tools like that in the second image from the OP.

I use the same, but I removed the cutter head from the wooden handle and chucked it in a drill press. Much faster and easier to get the chamfer square and even.

Looks like a nice tool I sure! Lot of stuff out there that I suppose serves a purpose of sorts, but all I really care about is a one inch 3 shot group as a rule and my yearly white tails, mule deer, Coues deer, and a cow elk..I can accomplish this without doing much more than primer powder and a bullet. I still use Wilson chamfering tool on first time brass for unsubstituted reasoning.

I believe the primer holes are punched in the manufacturing process which often leaves burrs on the inside of the case. I like to deburr mine on new cases.

I believe everyone punches expect Lapua who drills.

I really like the K&M tool for VLD chamfer. There is guide pin so the chamfer is straight and a depth stop

With the shorter tools, like the RCBS or pictured Wilson, I was shaving copper once in a while when seating bullets. A benchrest shooting friend recommended the pictured Redding tool and the problem went away. Probably any of the longer tapers would have worked for what I needed, but that pin in the flash hole that Redding uses seems like a good idea too.

For me it depends on the purpose of the brass, but like Saeed, I've removed some rediculous stuff while uniforming flash holes. Some of the cheaper (but major brand) cases are completely inconsistent with what is left after the flash hole is punched. In the same batch some will be clean and uniform and others will have all sorts of garbage hanging off the inside of the flash hole. If you're going for maximum accuracy (long range steel or small varmints in my case) then that inconsistency can't be a good thing.

RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center Tool with attachments.

F. Guffey

I do chamfer and deburr case mouths after trimming and for good reason.

Try seating a bullets if you don't deburr after trimming and you'll scrape the bullet, at best, and at worst you'll catch a lip and collapse a case neck if you're using a FB bullet.

I use the Hornady hand held power tool. 100 rounds only takes minutes and saves from twisting my wrists so much.

PS: I always uniform and deburr the flash holes when I get a new batch of brass. It takes about 15 minutes and you only need to do it once....so I do it.

Admittedly, 83.7% of what I do is therapeutic and 16.3% makes a real difference. Every once in a while, I find an outlier and discard that bad piece of brass.

Zeke

My Wilson chamfering tool is 40+ years old and works as well as ever. Much better than me.

I use a tungsten carbide burr (the one with lots of cutting flutes) and run it in a cordless screwdriver. I use the Wilson tool on the outside. I then rotate the mouth at 90 degrees to the pad on a 3M abrasive pad to remove any sharpness.

Keeping the Wilson tool square is tough because of how our wrists rotate. The tungsten burr can be had in vld style chamfer or whatever style you want. One size fits all cartridge cases up to .500 or more. I run it and touch the case with mild pressure. Aligning is easy and you can be very consistent by using the sound as a guide.

That said... I've tried testing minor variances in case length and things like chamfer. With my rifles I could not discern a difference in accuracy. I agree that not scratching a bullet badly or seating that is not concentric is a worry.

I do not weigh brass but I measure neck wall thickness with a tube micrometer and sort. It has been said that weight variances are more due to how extractor grooves are cut than other reasons (Zedicker?). I have seen quite bit of variation in length and headspace on virgin brass so before fireforming and trimming I am not sure weight sorting helps aside from really obvious outliers.

For the AR I size and trim on a tool similar to the Little Crow. Mine cannot chamfer. I knock the burrs of with the SS tumbling process. I slightly expand with a Lee on the progressive due to no chamfer, before seating the flat base bullets. Even that shoots quite well.