I was re-sizing some 454 Casull brass today and thought for the heck of it, I will measure some of the cases. What I found is a lot of variation, with some being over the listed max case length in the Hornady book, and some at or under the suggested "trim to" length.

My question is, do you guys and gals trim your cases?

I am using all of my dad's reloading equipment and he said he has never trimmed handgun brass before.

I would think if anything in a cartridge like the 454 where you live and die by the crimp, trimming cases would give a more consistent seating depth and crimp.

I am thinking of getting the Lee trimmer that can be used with a cordless drill. Looks easy and is pretty cheap. What do you think?

YES!!! you MUST trim the brass or the crimps we'll not be even and in an extreme case a longer case may kink. I use the lee trimmers so the pilot sets the depth but if you have a standard trimmer just set it to depth and trim them all the same length. you probably will get several reloadings before it's neccessary to trim again but just measure them and when they hit max length trim them again.

You can feel when a case is .005" long when you crimp it, but it just shaves off a tiny sliver and all is well. If short you may not get a full crimp and that is a bigger issue. Brass will grow from all the work we put it through, but I have found significant differences in the case length of fired factory fodder that we often start with. I have some once fired Hornady 45LC brass that is .050" short and pretty much worthless to me unless I trim everything down to 1.23" as I won't trust the crimp. If it gets too long you could actually buckle the case, but that would take an extreme lack of attention during prep. Trim to the "trim to" length after sizing new and fired brass and you shouldn't have to worry about it for a few trips. I keep each batch of brass together so I can monitor how many loadings as well as case langths.

I don't know about that one, but I use the regular RCBS model and remove the handle for my 1/2" Dewalt cordless when the work gets heavy. It doesn't take that many cranks on the handle though, unless you get some real wacked cases.

hey thanks guys.

That was kind of what I was thinking. All the other people out there that say they never trim must not be shooting cartridges where crimp quality is that important. I have gotten by without doing it with my 45 colt thus far, but have noticed differences in lengths between brands of brass.

Plus I am kind of a detail nerd when it comes to this stuff so I will feel better if I trim all my cases that need it

. I must have a little O.C.D. or something lol.

Once again I appreciate your responses. I will be off to Cabela's tomorrow. hopefully they have the case trimmer, but have to pick up some 240 gr XTP mags and some H110 as I am out!

with the lee trimmer it is very easy to check trim at each firing. that way the ones that trim only take off a few shavings to make it quick n easy, and you maintain a constant length on all cases. some may not need any taken off, but it is a quick n easy check for peace of mind. easier to take off a couple thousandths than heavy trimming by hand if you let it go too long.

The Lee is a quick way to trim the cases to a consistent lenght and I have probably twenty or mor calibers and I've had custom pilots made for wildcats but I also use a Lyman and it works great you just need to make sure to try and reset it back to the same length as the first batch assuming you've changed the settings to trim another caliber. The positive part to the Lyman is you have more latitude to trim to the length you want to. That way if you have a bunch of short cases the Lee won't touch because they are too short you can use the standard style trimmer to trim a little shorter and keep them consistent. It's not as critical with some case like the 9mm or 40S&W but these high power hunting cartridges have to have a good consistent crimp or you'll go to pull the hammer back one of these days and find out it won't go back because a bullet jumped the crimp and has locked the gun. Murphy's law tells you this will happen at the most inopportune times such as when something is trying to chew on you.

Not only that, but case neck tension and crimp have at least as much to do with accuracy as the other countless tweaks we perform. How that horse starts out of the chute will determine how it finishes.

The requirement to trim is most certainly a function of pressure, at least with my FA 454. I keep my brass somewhat segregated by first time to 2nd time full pressure loads, and my "plinking" loads (250's at 1100) and the full house loads do grow more, and more frequently. It is a bit of a drag, but I just decided one more of the price for admission.

Craig

I like to keep lots of 100 rnd within .005-.007" this way the crimps stay consistant and just makes life easy.

I have a Forster once you get it set you can skim cut 100 or so in about 30 minutes

I measure my brass every time after I full length re-size them. I try to make a comprimise with the length(1.373-1.383) I try to hit 1.378 + or - .002 when I trim them to length. Does it make a more accurate round? Maybe or maybe not,but I do it for my own peace of mind from a safety standpoint.

I do about the same thing.

I trim them to the minimum published length.

Those that are too short but within .002 of min I keep the others I Put aside.

Just me

Snake

Good points, guys! But there is a very important factor not mentioned,PRESSURE! I have been reloading since 1970, and a little thing I learned the hard way,was that extra length on your cases can cause pressure to build irradically. This holds the bullet for a few microseconds longer and builds up irradic pressure. The Lee system of pilots and holders coupled with the cutter and stud is a very good way to keep all your calibers in check,I trim after every firing, a little extra work,I know,but my loads are consistant and pressures are the same. I also have the RCBS trim pro,this works well for the calibers I do not have the trimmer pilot sets for. I called Lee, and they will do wildcats if you give them some info,good luck,and have fun!!

I just started trimming some 44 brass tonight using the lee system, lock,stud, shellholder, and length gage. One thing I wondered...why is my trim length different than what is listed in my lyman manual?

How much different?

Lyman says 1.275 and my lee pilot is trimming to 1.278

You are fine, up to 1.280" or so. Main thing is they all be the same.

Good! Thanks for all your help!

Also....what is the shortest u go on brace before its not useable...i have some hornady cases that I set aside because they were all 1.270

bmbailes, it probally has to do with the tolerances engineered into the equipment. everything will vary a little bit from piece to piece. I wouldn't be too concerned as long as it trims it to the correct tolerances.

That isn't bad, I have some 45LC Hornady cases that measure 1.23" which is .050" short. It seems that Hornady brass runs on the short side. It will work if you adjust your seat/crimp accordingly, but if you don't need it just hold it in reserve or sell it.

A few thousands shorter will mean nothing but keep all brass close for the crimp. Crimp is not all that important and you do not have to be within .001".
Different lengths means a change in the crimp die for each, not good if cases are all over the place. But small amounts will not hurt because case tension is accuracy.
Just trim over long brass but it does not hurt to trim to the shortest brass you have. .010" is a piece of paper!

Bought the Lee trimmer. It seems to be quick, easy, and effective. thanks guys for your comments

Folks,

The Hornady brass loaded with the FTX bullets ( factory ) are shorter to accommodate the longer shank of the FTX bullets. This applies to their handgun and long gun loadings. The new Hornady manual and info states this. Were the 45 Colt cases loaded with the FTX bullets?

Doc