Case trimming

[Lost One]

When using a Lee case trimmer, the one that goes inside the case and through the flash hole, does the pin that goes through the flash hole set against something in the shell holder or does it stop once it hits the web in the case?

[Alpo]

The rod goes through the flash hole and stops against the "lock stud". If you use it without the shell holder and lock stud, as I did once, just holding the case and letting it bottom out against the case web, it cuts the case too short.

[Lost One]

Thanks Alpo, thats kind of what I was wondering. I obviously dont have one and looking at pictures of it dont show enough to tell someone how it is setup. The reason I asked was if it was setup to stop against the web then cases would be different and then the trim would be different and I couldn't see why they would make it work that way.

[flannelman]

That case trimmer is kind of a pain. I forgot to use it with the lock stud and shell holder before and trimmed some cases too short. I'll get a better trimmer one of these days.

[gdmoody]

Somewhat off topic - I had to trim a couple of .45 Colt cases the other day and found out that the Lee .44 magnum trimmer is the same size and works perfectly!

[flannelman]

I think one reason I'm unhappy with mine is because the length gage and the cutter aren't as square as they should be. Maybe I just got a bad one.

[LDBennett]

Lee case trimmer...OH MY!

I have tried just about every type case trimmer over the last 20+ years, from the Lyman case vise that you use with a drill press to a Hornady mini hand lathe. Nothing is a convenient or works with the precision of my motorized RCBS Trim Pro case trimmer. It will reproduce the same case length to a thousandths of an inch on every case. It works while you de-burr the case it just trimmed. If you do lots of cases at one time it is a godsend. But if you just do a few the RCBS hand turned trim lathe is the heart of my Trim Pro motorized unit and I think it would do the same level of precision with only the addition of a little manual effort from you. I would also think you could use a drill motor to power it too, if you are a bit low in manual energy.

While Lee stuff is cheap, my experience is you get exactly what you pay for. Anyone who gets serious about reloading eventually steps up and out of most Lee products (but I love their Factory Crimp Die design, but I wish they would use better materials to make it out of, as my earlier versions eventually gall internally... the later versions may be better in that regard ???).

LDBennett

[gdmoody]

LD, I know that RCBS makes some great stuff, I do own some of their equipment. Everyone cannot afford to buy the motorized RCBS Trim Pro. For the price that you pay for the RCBS motorized Trim pro case trimmer, you can buy the Lee cutter, lock stud, and 52 length gauges. Even if someone bought the manual RCBS, they could get the cutter, lock stud, and about 20 of the length gauges for the same money. Even though I think that I could afford the RCBS, I choose to buy the Lee cutters, it's just my choice.

I, personally, have been pretty serious about reloading for 30 years, give or take. I started out with Lee and I still use mostly Lee equipment, and I can say without many regrets. The only thing I do regret is they don't make a case trimmer for the .204 Ruger.

Oh yea, I use my cheap Lee dies in my expensive Dillon RL550B press!

[woolleyworm]

I've bought the RCBS Manual Trim Pro last year to replace a Lyman Trimmer that was loaned to me. I love the precision and the ease of use; 100% repeatable trim lengths and straight-forward adjustments.

[dsv424]

LD.....ya went and did it again. You always have to stick that Lee "dig" in there and I just can't let it go. I realize it is "just your opinion" but words mean something and when you say

Anyone who gets serious about reloading eventually steps up and out of most Lee products

that hurts! It stirs up bad feelings! And come on now can you really tell the difference between a 9mm made on a Lee press and a Dillon press except for the fact the one on a Dillon was crimped by a Lee die.

Like I have always said I admire your wisdom and you have helped me and bunch of newbies out a bunch of times. But I simply can't let those Lee insults go. What can I say but "I love my Lee".

Oh and as far as the trimmer goes I have used the Lyman, Forster, RCBS, Hornady, and the Lee trimmers. I ended up returning all of them except the Lee because I can chuck it in my drill and get great results at a lot less cost.

[LDBennett]

dsv424:

Sorry, but I think people ought to know that there are better reloading tools than Lee. Sometimes for me convenience and precision are more important than cost. Others may need to know there is something different and perhaps better. I have had problems with Lee stuff and since new people come here often, I restate the case. Sorry if the repetition upsets anyone but I THINK it needs to be said.

Yes, I try to help people here and leading them to what I think better choices is part of that help. They (and you) can take or leave the advice. I don't really care one way or the other. I just offer the information. It is just my opinion.

LDBennett

[woolleyworm]

I've always looked at the "Lee controversy" like i do football teams; we're all going to talk up "our team", but in the end, it's all football. Some years are better than others, some components are better than others, it's just how one sees things and how they were "brought up".

I'm not big on Lee either, but it's a dead horse that has been beaten enough, so I leave it at that. I do share my experiences when asked though, so if it is a "bad" Lee story, well then so be it, it's just my .02 story from my perspective. I share my story, whether is good or bad is up to interpertation.

Now how bout a group hug?................. hey, point that thing in a safe direction, I was just kidding !!!!

and how 'bout them Giants last night, great win for them! Long story on how i got to be a Giants fan, but I've been one since i was knee high to an elf.

[BigJakeJ1s]

Lee case trimmers are great for straight wall pistol cartridges. However, make sure you use the correct caliber pilot, or it can and will trim the mouth unevenly. The pilot uses both the flash hole and the case mouth to keep the cutter square. Obviously, there is significant play in the flash hole to pilot pin fit, and some cases don't have their flash holes well centered, but in my experience, it seldom matters with handgun cartridges.

However, for rifle cartridges, an excellent yet inexpensive alternative is the L.E. Wilson trimmer. It holds the case in a tapered holder that matches the case body taper. It's simple design and construction is utterly accurate and reliable. The Wilson has case holders for straight wall pistol cartridges (Q-type holders) that work very well, but are not nearly as convenient to use as with tapered rifle cartridges. Sinclair offers all sorts of fancy (and expensive) accessories for it that are very nice, but not really necessary.

Andy

[dsv424]

Since I'm not from Dallas and love it when Dallas loses, especially after all the money Jerry spent on that stadium, I was lovin' it. I'm from rural Illinois so how 'bout da Bears. Super Bowl bound!

Sorry if I treaded on your post Lost One. Just got a little distracted there.

[Gearheadpyro]

I started out with a Lee case trimmer setup, but I found it did not cut the case mouth squarely. It will keep the cases safe, but it didn't really help out with my accuracy. Just my experience with them.

[Lotsdragon]

Heh this is really funny, I bought a set of rcbs dies the other day with a bad thread on the decapper die, hmmmmm. I use a lot of lee stuff and it all works as its supposed to been reloading a while not 30 years yet but I expect to and expect to be using most of my lee stuff then as well. I use the lee trimmer on my cordless drill and seems to work fine.

[GMFWoodchuck]

Originally Posted by BigJakeJ1s

Lee case trimmers are great for straight wall pistol cartridges. However, make sure you use the correct caliber pilot, or it can and will trim the mouth unevenly. The pilot uses both the flash hole and the case mouth to keep the cutter square. Obviously, there is significant play in the flash hole to pilot pin fit, and some cases don't have their flash holes well centered, but in my experience, it seldom matters with handgun cartridges.

However, for rifle cartridges, an excellent yet inexpensive alternative is the L.E. Wilson trimmer. It holds the case in a tapered holder that matches the case body taper. It's simple design and construction is utterly accurate and reliable. The Wilson has case holders for straight wall pistol cartridges (Q-type holders) that work very well, but are not nearly as convenient to use as with tapered rifle cartridges. Sinclair offers all sorts of fancy (and expensive) accessories for it that are very nice, but not really necessary.

Andy

I've been using the Lee Trimmer. It's definitely works the way I think it should. But I think I'm going to take your advice and try the L.E. Wilson trimmer...Thanks for the tip...