giraud or rt1200?
- Thread starter Kryogen
- Start date
With the rt1200 you will still need to handle the cases again to manually deburr them. Now I may be wrong, but you may be able to trim any case without needing a special case holder for each. But again you need to manually debrr them.
The Giraud trims to length and deburrs/chamfers in one operation as does the Gracey power trimmer. Giraurd is $440, the Gracey is $335. Both the Giraurd and the Gracey need a different case holders for each calibre. You can get a Gracey set up for one caliber and 2 extra case holders for other calibres for about the same price as a Giraud set up in one caliber.
The Giraud trims to length and deburrs/chamfers in one operation as does the Gracey power trimmer. Giraurd is $440, the Gracey is $335. Both the Giraurd and the Gracey need a different case holders for each calibre. You can get a Gracey set up for one caliber and 2 extra case holders for other calibres for about the same price as a Giraud set up in one caliber.
No idea, I got mine on an somewhat even trade for some machining work I did for a buddy in the US. He tried to talk me into a Giraud trimmer like the one he had, but my heart was set on a Gracey. He was happy to save a few bucks and I was happy to get a new trimmer for the cost of mat'l I used to make his parts. He just so happened to be coming over to Canada for a match to delivery from his house to mine, only cost me a steak dinner.
If you are buying anything from the US make sure you tell them that you want it sent US Postal Service and not UPS.
A friend of mine had a Gracey Trimmer, this guy was so machaniacally challenged I am sure he had problems with a screw driver. He brought this out to me because he tried to adjust it and it wouldn't trim anymore. I had never seen one of these trimmers before so I had him leave it with me and I told him I would look at it when I had time. ( I own a small machine shop).
Once I gave it a good look, I could see several things were out of adjustment from a machanical point of view. With a few Allen keys and 5 minutes of my time I had it back in business and trimming cases.
Gracey's are very easy to work on and adjust and are direct drive (with a coupling) while the Giruad is a belt drive. Both work fine but the Gracey has less moving parts. The benefit that the Giraud has over the Gracey is that it will lighten your pockets by an extra $105.
Once I gave it a good look, I could see several things were out of adjustment from a machanical point of view. With a few Allen keys and 5 minutes of my time I had it back in business and trimming cases.
Gracey's are very easy to work on and adjust and are direct drive (with a coupling) while the Giruad is a belt drive. Both work fine but the Gracey has less moving parts. The benefit that the Giraud has over the Gracey is that it will lighten your pockets by an extra $105.
I own a Dillon RT-1200 trimmer.
I had to replace the lock ring with one of the split locking ones from Hornady.
The RT-1200 sizes at the same time as it trims so the dies are calibre specific and cost around $55.00 each.
It doesn't chamfer and deburr like the others but since I have it in a progressive press with a case feeder I don't need to manually handle each case which helps a lot since I have carpal tunnel syndrome.
I tumble the cases in SS pins to remove the lube and at the same time it removes the little burr on the interior of the case mouth.
I don't manually chamfer or deburr cases using boattail bullets in semi auto rifles.
I use a Sinclair/ L.E. Wilson stainless ultimate trimmer for all my precision needs.
I had to replace the lock ring with one of the split locking ones from Hornady.
The RT-1200 sizes at the same time as it trims so the dies are calibre specific and cost around $55.00 each.
It doesn't chamfer and deburr like the others but since I have it in a progressive press with a case feeder I don't need to manually handle each case which helps a lot since I have carpal tunnel syndrome.
I tumble the cases in SS pins to remove the lube and at the same time it removes the little burr on the interior of the case mouth.
I don't manually chamfer or deburr cases using boattail bullets in semi auto rifles.
I use a Sinclair/ L.E. Wilson stainless ultimate trimmer for all my precision needs.
In about 5 seconds it trims, and chamfers both inside and outside. Just like putting a pencil in an electric pencil sharpener.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I am thinking of going with either the Gracey or Giraud. What cartridges can be trimmed on the Gracey? Is it cartridge specific?
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Either the Gracey or the Giraud will trim any cartridge up to a .50 BMG, but the shell holders are cartridge specific. However with my Giraud I found a bit of latitude in that you can trim many different .30 caliber cartridges with the .308 shell holder, and the .223 shell holder also trims .222, .222 magnum, and so on. A pal of mine owns a Gracey, but I haven't played with it to see if you can do the same sort of thing, but it indexes the cartridges the same way so I don't see why not.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I think the most significant differences between the two are the coupler connection vs a belt drive as you mention, and the fact that the Gracey uses tool steel cutters where the Giraud uses carbide. Looking at my pal's Gracey and my Giraud, I wouldn't trade him. The older Gracey used a steel coupler between the drive and the cutter, the newer ones appear to use a short section of rubber hose, although my pal hasn't admitted to this posing any sort of problem . . . yet.
Yes the older Gracey's did have a Lovejoy coupling, mine has the rubber hose coupling, works ok and is one less thing that can go out of adjustment. Even with HSS cutter blades I have trimmer a couple thousand cases a few times and have loaned it out to friends that have probably trimmed another couple thousand cases with it. The blades are still sharp. One other advantage it that you can change the angle of each cutters so you can take just the burr off the outside while putting a bigger chamfer on the inside. I don't think you would go wrong or have buyers remorse with either a Gracey or Giraud trimmer. The advantage goes to Gracey in that you could get it set up for one calibre and buy 2 extra case holders for the same price as a Giraud trimmer set up for one caliber.
