Frankfort Frustrations - case trimmer

conor_90

conor_90

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Using my frankfort case trimming/prep centre for case trimming for the first time today. Love it for case prep but this was frustrating

Tried it out with range brass first thankfully. I cannot for the life of my get it adjusted right. I think that I have it and then it will throw one 0.01- 0.03 shorter than I had it.

When I adjust the trimmer it does not seem to follow the numbers at all, sometimes it even ends up shorter with tightening if I’m not grasping it correctly, if I am the front ring can move knocking it off again

The guy I bought it from said it was not be bench rest reload accurate, but functioned fine. He did mention it could be difficult to set up but worked well once you got there. I never got there lol.

Obviously we all have different standards but it seems like it is currently producing a range of variation that is not acceptable at all.

Really like the idea of not having to buy collets and shell holders every time that I get a new caliber/chambering. Thought this was the solution but now I’m thinking it’s best to just use it for case prep.

Any suggestions for setting it up accurately or is this normal for this thing?
 
Pay close attention to your sizing practices prior to trimming. Since the FA trimmer indexes off the shoulder of the case, if the base to shoulder dimensions vary from case to case, your trim length will likewise vary.

One other thing I do that seems to help uniform the trim length is twist the case once it has cut down to the stop. I use the FA prep centre exclusively now and it has proven suitable for all my shooting including my 33XC to just past 2600m. It is capable of producing good results.

Rooster
 
Cheers, I played with it more and I am getting very consistent results. The issue was related to not turning the case, adjusting while moving and generally being impatient. Turning the machine so I could view the cartridge from the side was also instrumental in success. I also cleaned it, might not affect the trim but made it easier to see what is going on.
 
Good to hear! Also watch the shavings or chips getting into the stop ring - I have, on occasion, had a chip wedge between the case shoulder and the stop ring, preventing full trim.

The only thing I don't like about the trimmer is the toll it takes on my fingers from holding the case, keeping it from rotating while cutting. Once my fingers get sufficiently sore, I use my Sinclair case holder for as long as my patience lasts with that.

One other thing that helps the performance of the trimmer is to use a pilot in that cutter. It goes a long way to prevent case wobble while cutting and results in a much nicer cut.
 
Is this the kind that indexes off the shoulder? Which would mean that even if you adjust it for a certain trim length, you are only adjusting the length above the shoulder. The cases could be different behind the shoulder and that could cause your OAL variance.
 
One other thing that helps the performance of the trimmer is to use a pilot in that cutter. It goes a long way to prevent case wobble while cutting and results in a much nicer cut.
Click to expand...

Can you expand on this? What are you using exactly?

It is a bit odd how much the front ring for adjusting the collet wobbles while you use it but it doesn’t seem to affect anything?
 
I can't remember exactly what brand of pilot I used and I'm away for work at the moment, but I can pull it out to check when I get home next week.

Since the cutter does not come with a pilot, the case will wobble against the rotating cutter until it gets centered against the shoulder stop ring. Once it gets there, the cut will clean up and square the mouth. No big deal. But if you have cases that require a lot of trimming (6 to 10 thou or more), the wobble can get pretty substantial. using a pilot in the cutter just guides the case much better.

The cutter has a pilot hole and a set screw to hold the pilot in place. All you have to do is find the kind of pilot that will fit. If I remember correctly, RCBS, Redding, and Lyman pilots will fit, Hornady and some others won't. Again, I'll check when I get home.

Rooster
 
adamg said:
Is this the kind that indexes off the shoulder? Which would mean that even if you adjust it for a certain trim length, you are only adjusting the length above the shoulder. The cases could be different behind the shoulder and that could cause your OAL variance.
Click to expand...

You're exactly right, Adam. Hence my original comment about paying attention to sizing practices. If the base to shoulder dimension is inconsistent, that inconsistency will be reflected in the final trimmed length.
 
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