how do you guys trim your 17 hornet brass. Ilook at a couple brass trimming tools, but very costly.


Thank you

I have a Hornady and a Redding. Holy carp! I don't think I paid that much for mine but that was 20 some odd years ago and it looks like they have made some up grades. The Redding spins the case and the Hornady spins the cutter. I believe my Redding is more precise/consistent.

Take a look at what Lee has to offer.

https://leeprecision.com/quick-trim/

I put a rechargable drill on the crank shaft of my trimmer. Really speeds things up.

God Bless, Louis

I must be trimming too often as it seems to only need a few cranks on my Redding to take off 10 thou.

Not that I'm recommending it as the small adjustment at the handle is a PITA and it can grab the shell at the wrong diameter if great care is not taken. So, it is not winding the handle that takes the time, but setting up and fitting cases.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
I must be trimming too often as it seems to only need a few cranks on my Redding to take off 10 thou.

Not that I'm recommending it as the small adjustment at the handle is a PITA and it can grab the shell at the wrong diameter if great care is not taken. So, it is not winding the handle that takes the time, but setting up and fitting cases.

Yeah, that's exactly what I found. But after trimming 100 or so cases at a sitting, my hand and wrist got achy tired.

So when a friend gave me a Frankford Arsenal Platinum case prep center, I gave it a try. It indexes on the case shoulder (as opposed to the base) but I can go through lots of cases in a fraction of the time it would take me using my Redding trimmer, and I can deburr and chamfer in mere seconds. (I often chamfer a little before and after trimming . . . the "before" step seems to make the trimming go a little more smoothly.)

I use an old maroon colored Redding trimmer which works fine, just don't unwind the handle too much when releasing cases from the multi case collet and then a new case will go straight back into place ready for clamping. I haven't had any trouble with indexing cases in the collet.
I have also made up a spigot for the neck of my 404 Jeffery cases, the heads of which clamp in the largest step in the collet although these big cases still need a bit of push and shove to get them in place but once in they do trim nicely. The 404J and the newer WSM cases wouldn't have been thought of when the old Redding trimmer was made.
I just bushed out a spare 22cal spigot and spun to a nice sliding in the 404 case necks.

In so far as cranking the handle, I mount the trimmer in my bench vise so the handle is out away from the bench and then rotate the handle by holding my palm against handle knob keeping my hand and wrist straight. This way there is no gripping of the knob with fingers and thumb or flexing of the wrist required to crank the handle. Works fine for me.

I've also removed the circlip and knob from the handle and cleaned a build up oil and gunk out from inside the knob and from the handle flange over which the knob is positioned. Cleaning and lubing with a little silicone spray makes the knob spin freely and cuts down on effort when cranking the handle.

The old Redding will outlast me so have had no thoughts of replacing it.

Maybe the maroon Reddings are better than the mouldy green ones, Eagle. The only useful way I can adjust mine is to find a case the length I want to trim to, put it in the collet and hold it hard out at the maximum extension; I then loosen the big Allen screw, push the cutter out to contact the case and tighten up the screw again.

But yes, mine might outlast me, too. It might even be the means of my demise

My rounds get trimmed every time even if it's only a couple thousandths. Then chamfer and de-burr.

I just did 100 22-250 AI yesterday with the OLD Forster lathe type trimmer and I'm sure it didn't take over a half hour to do all 3 steps. Some took off nothing. some were trimmed enough to chamfer and de-burr.

Zeke

I like a Wilson (with a cordless screwdriver) but getting the shell holders here is PITA and importing is no longer so cost effective since the virtual collapse of our postal services.

Lee makes cost effective alternatives that can work for some. Rcbs used to make a trim die you could file on. Filing off what protruded once adjusted. Called a trim die.

I've used the RCBS and Lyman style but case mouths were never that square. Lots of pilots were required too.

There are also units like the Little Crow or similar which do work great. Consistency requires cases sized as the trimmer headspace off the shoulder. This is what I am doing now where I cannot find Wilson holders.