Case Trimming Questions

[MrGiggles]

I've been working over some .223 brass into 300 BLK.

When it comes to trimming, I'm looking for some input. I'm using the Lee cutter and lock stud with a 300 BLK length gauge, with the cutter mounted in a vise and lock stud in a cordless drill.

After about 50 rounds it seemed like the cutter was starting to dull. I started adding some Rem oil to the blades and shaft every few cases and it's working much better. Should I be worried about the oil contaminating my cases? Would a solvent flush be enough to remove it? I don't have a tumbler yet.

I realize that I'm asking a lot more out of this cutter than it was designed for, but it's all I have right now. What is a good upgrade for heavy trimming?

Also, maybe one out of ten cases will split at the neck while sizing. I do lube the inside of the necks, and the splits aren't limited to one brand of brass. Is this unavoidable? All of it is only once fired.

 

[Reefinmike]

Cases split at the neck when sizing??? Are you not cutting the 223 brass down before sizing? I've never had a case split on me like you describe. You are supposed to apply case lube to the insides of the necks on bottlenecked rifle brass to allow the expander ball to pull through easily. With 300blk, I've never really done this. I just throw all my brass in a bag, shoot some hornady one shot in there, shake it around, shoot it with some more case lube then shake em up real good and let dry.

The lee trimmers work but they dull quickly and really are no fun to use. I've found cleaning the cutting edge with a wire brush helps some. I switched to the WFT trimmer chucked in a drill that is chucked in a vice. Set the drill on cruise, pick up a case, shove it in and it is done in under a second. Very consistent results using all LC headstamp brass.

 

[MrGiggles]

The length gauge on the Lee cutter is .308 in diameter, so I have to size them before I can trim.

Now that you mentioned it, I'm sure they would size easier with a shorter neck.

 

[MrGiggles]

Did a little reading and saw the Harbor Freight mini cut-off saw does a nice job of trimming cases.

Then I can use my Lee cutter just to square up the edges.

 

[RussellC]

I heartily recommend the little crow gunworks trimmers. Get a cheap corded drill, stick it in your vice and go to town. You may already have this, but there is a seller on E bay that sells a little jig that fits the Harbor Freight trimmer. Perfect cuts for 300 Blk Out.

Russellc

 

[Reefinmike]

So, you were shoving entire 223 cases up into your 300 blk dies?

I bet the ones that didn't split took years to trim down to length on that lee setup.

Yes, get the HF trim saw as well as a jig to clamp in the saw for quick and consistent case cuts. I use a jig by an outfit called "squirreldaddy". I like it but I think there are a couple newer ones out there that are a little faster to use, I think there is one that indexes in the extractor groove with a couple ball bearings?

Then chamfer, deburr, lube, size, trim, chamfer, primer powder bullet.

 

[Grumulkin]

There is another way; a trim die. You can cut the case down with a saw using the trim die as your guide and then smooth the mouth with a file. That's how I make 357 Herrett brass from 30-30 Winchester brass.

 

[MrGiggles]

So, you were shoving entire 223 cases up into your 300 blk dies?

I bet the ones that didn't split took years to trim down to length on that lee setup.

Yes, get the HF trim saw as well as a jig to clamp in the saw for quick and consistent case cuts. I use a jig by an outfit called "squirreldaddy". I like it but I think there are a couple newer ones out there that are a little faster to use, I think there is one that indexes in the extractor groove with a couple ball bearings?

Then chamfer, deburr, lube, size, trim, chamfer, primer powder bullet.

Yep. Aside from a few that split, they have been working fine. I probably should have watched a Youtube video or two beforehand, but I was eager to jump in...

The Lee cutter has been doing a fine job powered by my Milwaukee M12 drill, as long as it's clean and lubricated. I won't be trimming 300 BLK cases with it anymore though.

Gonna swing by Harbor Freight tomorrow and pick up the mini cut-off, might as well make use of that labor day 25% off coupon.

 

[Coldfinger]

I use the HF mini cutoff saw. Dont waste your money on a jig. Just cut the case just behind the shoulder. De-bur the cut cases, run them in your sizing die. Trim, chamfer, de-bur, load, shoot, repeat. I have 4k of 300blk I made from 1x fired 223/556

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Dudedog]

I heartily recommend the little crow gunworks trimmers

I bought a WFT for .223. It wasn't real cheap (or real expensive) but I was a bit hesitant about spending the money. Trimmed about 5 cases and I decided it was money well spent. Along about case 50 I decided it was some of the best money I have spent on reloading accessories.

All I can say is brass trimming is no longer a chore.
It does need a drill with a 1/2 chuck.
I use my Harbor Freight Russian drill/hammer drill.
Trimming cases does not even make it blink. (of course it only hiccups drilling holes in concrete and twists the heads off blue concrete screws like they are plastic trigger control...... )

I believe they have one for 300 BLK as well. (not using the .223 one for that, sorry is I wasn't clear on that)

 

[tcoz]

Everybody please please please do your homework before beginning a new reloading procedure. It's plainly shown and stated in every procedure that .223/5.56 brass needs to be cut down before shoving it into a 300 BLK die for forming.
Reloading is inherently dangerous and blindly diving into it can make it much more so.

 

[Reefinmike]

Dudedog- I have my 300blk WFT chucked in a regular 3/8" $12 harbor freight drill that stays on my bench. I put my calipers on the shaft of my wft and it measured right in at .375".

You can get by without buying a jig for the chopsaw but a jig will save you a lot of work. You will be able to consistently cut brass within .010" of your target OAL. Lots less wear and tear on yourself and your cutting bit. Plus a jig will ensure you get a square cut which will make trimming easier.

223/556 brass can vary a bit. You will find headstamps that are simply way too thick to be good for 300blk. notably Wolf, SADU, TULA, s&b and a host of other overseas brands. Working with lead bullets, I like to sort by headstamp. Actually I only use LC brass now. It is cheap, consistent, guaranteed once fired(primer crimp).

When forming your 300blk brass, be sure to double strike it. Size it, pull the case out of the die a bit so it is free to turn but the expander ball is still inside the case(reduce working the neck). Give it a quarter turn before shoving it back in the die again. This will give you a more consistent shoulder and if erm... I mean when you buy the little crow gunworks WFT trimmer your brass trim length will always be within .001" of your target trim length. 9/10 times my brass is spot on with my intended length.

 

[cmb3366]

As others have said, cut the necks off with a saw before trimming, much less wear on the trimmer. There are some decent commercial jigs available, as well as some of us that have made our own, this one is my design, printed in ABS plastic and it works pretty slick

 

[clearcut]

I don't want to hi-jack but cmb3366 do you sell those? or do you have a pdf with the program to print one of them?

CC

 

[cmb3366]

I don't sell them, this is just a hobby for me, but I have posted the STL files on thingiverse so anyone can download and print for free. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1705909

 

[MrGiggles]

Everybody please please please do your homework before beginning a new reloading procedure. It's plainly shown and stated in every procedure that .223/5.56 brass needs to be cut down before shoving it into a 300 BLK die for forming.
Reloading is inherently dangerous and blindly diving into it can make it much more so.

Not necessarily. I have pretty well proven that you can shove .223 brass into a 300 BLK die with a pretty good success rate. I wish I wouldn't have thrown away those split cases, I could've sawed them off below the split and used them. It's far from ideal, but with the trimming setup that I have, it's the only way I could make it work.

 

[hdwhit]

Everybody please please please do your homework before beginning a new reloading procedure.

Amen.

Somebody might enjoy an acceptable failure rate or they might, for a time, get away with not following established procedures, but reloading doesn't need to be based on serendipity.