easier way to trim brass ( 5.56)?

hoochie

hoochie

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ok, so I have 800 rounds or so that need to be trimmed. Man is it a slow process. I'm using an RCBS case trimmer with a drill attached.. but still, I spend more time trimming that I think it should take.
what do you guys do?
this is for the AR, and Im almost thinking of just giving in and buying my rounds and selling my brass.. it seems to be a hassle... just the shear volume of cases.. Im almost feeling defeated here.... urrg.
 
3w.giraudtool.com/prod02.htm
3w.precisionreloading.com/graceytrimmer.htm

Not cheap but they work great. Cut to length, chamfers inside and outside in one step. Takes about 3 seconds a case and works like a pencil sharpener.
 
I have the Giraud and recommend it. The Gracey looks like a good unit, and Giraud can supply carbide cutters for it. If these trimmers have a disadvantage, it is that they index on the case shoulder so some thought would have to go into making a shell holder for a straight wall cartridge.
 
Girauds' trimmer is a work of art... with the correct insert for your situation you'd have 700 cases done in a morning. In his second version of his unit the motor shaft has been changed altered so that you can screw on and screw off different cutter heads. If you use it for more than one type of case you'll quickly discover why swapping out the cutter is a good idea because you don't have to fiddle with readjusting the blades.

Doug's unit keeps evolving or gets better and better. where as the Gracey... well it's a Gracey.

You're doing three things at once with these units. Trimming the case to length and inside and outside chamferring.

You can get blank inserts which can be chambered by a smith for a setup that Doug doesn't provide one for... he's got a few though so check his site carefully.

Once setup correctly... by the time you just measured the case to see if it needs trimming you could have already trimmed the case. Works like a an electric pencil sharpener... and just about as simple...
 
jkajfes said:
Girauds' trimmer is a work of art... with the correct insert for your situation you'd have 700 cases done in a morning. In his second version of his unit the motor shaft has been changed altered so that you can screw on and screw off different cutter heads. If you use it for more than one type of case you'll quickly discover why swapping out the cutter is a good idea because you don't have to fiddle with readjusting the blades.
Click to expand...

This must be the one I have, as I have a cutter head for each caliber. Getting my gunsmith to make a custom shell holder was reasonably inexpensive, and I have one now for my .375 and a few others Doug didn't stock.
 
Dillon make a trimmer called the "RAPID TRIM 1200B CASE TRIMMER" not cheap fits in a press like a die you put a case in the shell holder and raise case, it hooks up to a vacuum to get the brass fillings . GOTO www.bluepress.com
 
As far as I know the Dillon trimmer does not chamfer inside or out - I think the Gracey / Giraud is significantly faster as a result. Please correct me if you have one and know for a fact that it chamfers.
 
I've been sitting on the fence with reguard to getting the Giraud for a couple of years but the thought of laying on another seasons worth of service rifle ammo is making my hands hurt :runaway:
 
acrashb said:
As far as I know the Dillon trimmer does not chamfer inside or out - I think the Gracey / Giraud is significantly faster as a result. Please correct me if you have one and know for a fact that it chamfers.
Click to expand...

I don't own a Giraud personally but have access to a buddy's anytime. Yes it does chamfer inside and outside and trim to length all in one step.
 
I always felt that a small drill press woudl be the fastest way to do it, if you had some sort of shell holder device worked out that didn't take too long to swap the brass in and out.

I have never got around to buying a little drill press, or figuring out a device to do it, but I am sure some guys have?

I've actulaly seen it done. just don't recall how.:p
 
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