300 Blk case conversion - Trimming jigs

[edleit]

There seem to be a wide array of trimming jigs adaptable to the Harbor Freight 2" mini chop saw posted on Ebay. They are ranging in price from less than $10 to about $30. Does anyone have some insight to how well any of these work in practice? Should I be looking a other sources for a better quality tool? I recall viewing YouTube videos a while back that had compared different jigs, but can't seem to locate that info.

I'd like to start converting some of my surplus .223/5.56 cases to get my buddy started into the addiction we like to call a hobby. (Sinister, I know)

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[RockRat64]

I use the squirel daddy off Amazon. Works well. I don't know if you can really go wrong with any of them since you set it where you want it. Look for one with the stop screw on top for the cutting depth.

 

[TEXASJD]

There seem to be a wide array of trimming jigs adaptable to the Harbor Freight 2" mini chop saw posted on Ebay. They are ranging in price from less than $10 to about $30. Does anyone have some insight to how well any of these work in practice? Should I be looking a other sources for a better quality tool? I recall viewing YouTube videos a while back that had compared different jigs, but can't seem to locate that info.

I'd like to start converting some of my surplus .223/5.56 cases to get my buddy started into the addiction we like to call a hobby. (Sinister, I know)

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

I got the 10$ off eBay works good in that chop saw, I would recommend annealing the brass after cutting off. When I started making brass (277 wolverine 300BLK) I was having some problems with split necks and shoulders.

 

[jmorris]

I made an arbor that holds a slitting blade for a milling machine and an attachment that bolts to the bed that will cut over 2100 cases an hour to length, using a cheap bench top drill press.

 

[edleit]

I made an arbor that holds a slitting blade for a milling machine and an attachment that bolts to the bed that will cut over 2100 cases an hour to length, using a cheap bench top drill press.

@jmorris - Nice! If it were my rifle this setup would definitely be a contender for a permanent workstation on the bench.

2 questions: 1) Do you have any issues with trueness (perpendicularity) of the cut relative to the case body, or is the slider deep enough to stabilize the case while cutting, and 2) does the case have a tendency to spin about its axis during the cut?

Really a well thought out arrangement.

UPDATE: for the time being, I have decided to split the cost range and have ordered one of the $20 units on Ebay that secure directly to the saw base. We'll see how this works out.

 

[dredd]

You can churn through hundreds of cases in no time at all with one of those cheap fixtures and the little chop saw.

We have chopped a few thousand.

Perpendicularity isn't a big concern in my opinion. The cases will be trued up after they are sized & trimmed.

 

[jmorris]

2 questions: 1) Do you have any issues with trueness (perpendicularity) of the cut relative to the case body, or is the slider deep enough to stabilize the case while cutting, and 2) does the case have a tendency to spin about its axis during the cut?

1) No, they are cut “over” then formed and trimmed to final length. 2) If the case were not held tight, I Imagine it would spin.