Trim Once-Fired Rifle Brass

[roo_ster]

Howdy:

I have done some pistol reloading, but it is now time I reloaded rifle rounds.

I was wondering if y'all trimmed brass you obtained by purchasing factory ammo & firing through your own rifle?

Or, since my once fired brass is from different manufacturers, should I trim them all to the same length anyway, after depriming/sizing?

If I trim, ought I trim all to the min spec?

I plan to start with 6.5x55 in my 96/38 Swede Mauser.

My first instinct is to full lendth resize & trim all to min length, but I thought that some of y'all might have a tip or trick.

Thanks.

 

[Matt Dillon]

I always trim ALL of my rifle brass, no matter from where it came, new or once fired.

 

[mc223]

I trim all brass new or otherwise to get to a uniform length for crimping. There are chamber gages to help avoid overtrimming. They measure the chamber length of your rifle or pistol and are available in most common calibers.
The only place that comes to mind to get them at the moment is Sinclair Intl. and Midway USA.

 

[RickSavage]

I trim them all when i first get them then only as needed after that...

 

[Grumulkin]

If you are going to crimp, the brass needs to be of the same length or very close to it. If I'm not crimping, I only trim brass when it exceeds the maximum allowable length.

 

[temmi]

I trim and prep all my brass every time. For Rifles, trimming is a safety issue. You should always measure the length of your brass, trim if it reaches or exceeds Max… or just trim to a uniform length… like me.

 

[USSR]

jfruser,

I was wondering if y'all trimmed brass you obtained by purchasing factory ammo & firing through your own rifle?

I buy once-fired brass and trim my cases after they are fired once in my rifle.

Or, since my once fired brass is from different manufacturers, should I trim them all to the same length anyway, after depriming/sizing?

Trim them all to the same length, but seperate and load by manufacturer. Brass by different manufacturers have different weights, hence different case capacities.

If I trim, ought I trim all to the min spec?

What length you trim to is irrelevant. What is important is that they are the same length.

For your information, since you are from a pistol reloading background, we do not crimp rifle ammo. The degree to which the bullet is held in the case is controlled by the amount of neck tension we use. Good luck.

Don

 

[rbernie]

For your information, since you are from a pistol reloading background, we do not crimp rifle ammo. The degree to which the bullet is held in the case is controlled by the amount of neck tension we use.

True, unless reloading for lever action or semi-autos, in which case bullets with cannelures are used and a crimp applied to prevent bullet setback. But that's not an issue for your Mauser (so USSR was correct in his statements as they applied to your immediate circumstances).

 

[callgood]

I used to trim my NEW .223 brass to the same length- 1.750. After firing it and bumping the shoulders back, I found the lengths were all over the place. This led me to believe the shoulders of the new brass either weren't uniform or something else was going on. If I crimped into a cannalure it would be different. Since I neck size, I'm satisfied if the cases are no > than spec. I load for an AR. 25.2 grains of Varget give me a slightly compressed load with 69-75 grain bullets. I do experience slight bullet JUMP on chambering, but well within limits- .002, .003.