When to trim rifle brass

[Morne]

So now that I've got some experience loading pistol rounds I figured I'd start playing with rifle rounds.

I know that rifle brass occasionally needs trimmed. Looking at .223 Rem it says max casing length is 1.760" with a 1.750" trim-to length. Does that mean that any length between those two numbers is good to go without trimming? Or is it smarter to just get in the habit of trimming to 1.750" each and every time you prep casings?

[JustaShooter]

I trim as a part of brass prep before each loading. Do you have to? No, as long as you haven't exceeded the max case length you don't need to trim, but to know if you need to trim you have to measure them and since each case will grow at a different rate you have to measure a noticeable percentage of them, so why not just trim and be done with it?

For me it makes sense, especially since I use a Lee trimmer attached to a cordless electric screw driver so trimming a case is a matter of chucking it into the case holder and spinning it a few seconds while applying the cutter with built-in case length gauge (and then doing an outer then inner chamfer of the case mouth to remove the burrs).

[The German]

Same here - I trim the necked rifle cases (.308 and .223 here) each time I reload them. With the electric trimmer, it does not take a lot of time and the ammo will be to specs each time with no worries. The lesser pressure ones like the 45/70, I normally trim every 5 - 10 reloads and straight cases only once when I get them.

[SweetWilliam]

I all so trim rifle brass everytime I load them.
It makes for a consistent crimp.

[SMMAssociates]

Morne:

Other than accuracy issues trimming is mostly just to make sure the fool things fit into the chamber....

Accuracy fanatics will measure the length of the case at each loading; count each use; measure the case volume; examine the case interiors; and probably a half-dozen other things I've forgotten.

For casual paper punching or ordinary hunting just make sure that the thing fit....

(How you feeling - haven't seen you around here lately.)

Regards

[Cloudwraith]

I CHECK my rifle brass each time I load with this:

Lyman E-Zee Case Gauge

If it needs trimmed I put it in the trim pile and then trim them as part of case prep.

[glocksmith]

Other than accuracy issues trimming is mostly just to make sure the fool things fit into the chamber.

Yeah, mostly. The ones that easily chamber are safe...and the ones that just plain won't chamber are safe too . The dangerous ones are those which can just chamber with a little extra effort...and just a tiny portion of the case mouth gets "pinched" between the bullet and the lead-in to the rifling. I once was shooting a lot of .45-70 which is, as Tom stated earlier, a low pressure round. Most worked fine...but maybe one out of every twenty fired cases was showing a noticeably flattened primer. I racked my brains over that one for a long time - as I was using new, unfired Starline brass and I was using handloads running at less than 30Kpsi. I later figured out that a small number of my cases were excessively long. I now measure all my brass before loading ...even the brand new stuff.

[Klingon00]

As I understand it, trimming all to the same length improves consistency which helps with accuracy. It's not absolutely necessary as long as it's within maximum length as that can lead to over pressure situation and reliability and safety issues.

[Ring]

"does that mean that any length between those two numbers is good to go without trimming? "


yes...

[mreising]

I CHECK my rifle brass each time I load with this:

Lyman E-Zee Case Gauge

If it needs trimmed I put it in the trim pile and then trim them as part of case prep.

FWIW, I have a Lyman gauge that was not long enough on some of the cartridges; it was shorter than the "trim to" dimension. I had to adjust it with a file.

[BobK]

FWIW, I have a Lyman gauge that was not long enough on some of the cartridges; it was shorter than the "trim to" dimension. I had to adjust it with a file.

Not surprised. I have lost a lot of respect for the Lyman name, as their quality levels seem to have really deteriorated over the last decade or so.

[techmike]

I have always trimmed mine as required per length specs. I like the idea of doing it every load, but balked at the idea of the extra work. Just saw the TRIM IT II in Shotgun News. Some good U-Tube vids of it in action out there, looks to be effective and quick. With a carbide cutter it won't get dull. It is next up on my 'to order list'. Cost is $132 for the gadget and $20 per caliber die.

[The German]

Lee just came out with their version of it. It is called the "Lee Deluxe Power Quick Trim" ($26) and that requires the "Quick Trim die" ($10).

I got one for .223, screwed it into the press and it worked nicely out of the box - the brass needs to be clean though because otherwise, the brass pieces get in the way of the cutter and it does not get down far enough any more. When the brass is clean, you still need to clean the die after 10-20 shells, but that it just taking the cutter out and blow the brass out.
The cutting blades seem to be hardened steel only and got dull after trimming 1000 cases of .223 - they cost $0.50 as replacement parts at Lee. Maybe it was my hand drill that was operating too fast, but the blades still lasted for 1000 pieces and they are cheap and very easy to replace.

I'm sure the carbide version will be superior, but the Lee version fits my wallet and seems to work just fine.

[JustaShooter]

Lee just came out with their version of it. It is called the "Lee Deluxe Power Quick Trim" ($26) and that requires the "Quick Trim die" ($10).

Are the Quick Trim Dies cartridge-specific, meaning you need one for each cartridge you reload (and want to trim)?

I'm sure the carbide version will be superior, but the Lee version fits my wallet and seems to work just fine.

That, in a nutshell, is why I have a lot of Lee equipment on my loading bench.

[The German]

Yes, the dies are caliber specific and the cutting insert fits them all (for larger shells, the pressure of the blades can be adjusted by adding/removing a steel ball in the cutter).

The cutter itself can be adjusted from published trim to length to up to 0.010 below that trim length. I trim my .223 brass to 1.748, so slightly below the published 1.750. The die/cutter gets it (if cleaned often enough) exactly to that length every time - I measured quite often and was really impressed.

Key for me was really using the cleaned brass with no case lube on it - simply because the case lube sticks to the die and then the small pieces of cut of brass stick to that and are a pain to clean...