What do you guys recommend, equipment wise, to trim brass?
I need to make some S&W short out of S&W long.

What tools do you already have? If the answer is only a case mouth chamfer/deburring tool, the first thing to come to mind is Lee’s hand held or drill motor powered set up. Unfortunately, at $15.00, Lee’s .32 S&W case length gauge & shell holder set are custom order and almost double their normal price. On the positive side, Lee’s web site claims they’re in stock. You’d also need Lee’s $7 cutter & lock stud. Most Lee tools are cheaper through mail order houses but you may have to go direct to Lee for .32 S&W.

32 S&W Custom Case Length Gauge - Lee Precision

I would only do a handful to test. I know cutting 38spl down to short colt results I bulges without reaming the inside due to the thicker case wall, don't know about long colts. But if that's the case don't bother and just pony up and buy new short colts, you'll thank me later.

Keep your eye out for a L.E. Wilson case trimmer, one of the finest trimmers out there.

Do you actually have something chambered in the short? If you are wanting a powder puff load you could always try Trail Boss for a reduced load.

Avoid trimming at all costs. It is the worst part of reloading! I guess that;s why I do not shoot a lot of rifles. I HATE trimming and chamfering!

I decided to go shoot my 30 Carbine. I shot what ammo I had and went to reload some more. Cases needed trimming. My RCBS Trim Pro does not have the shell holder for the 30 carbine so I trimmed 100 with the little Lee had tool thing, chucked in a vice with a hand drill. Took hours.

But for your question I like the RCBS, if you have a lot to do, get the power adapter or spend big money and get the one with a motor. Mine of course is the first version, they now have Model #2 which eliminates the shell holders

RCBS Trim Pro-2 Manual Case Trimmer Kit

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Still Running Against the Wind

Heavens, NO! The Wilson case trimmer was an early bench rest shooter’s tool. Each case has to be pressed flush into its tube shell holder then forced back out again. It takes an arbor press to use the Wilson efficiently but it can be done with a mallet. There is no slower way to trim pistol cases.

peppercorn asked for the least expensive way, not a recommendation for the best trimmer, but FWIW my favorite is the Forester. (? Spelling)

Do you what cheap or do you want best? You can't have both.

When I was building a house, you have 3 options: fast, cheap, or good. At most you can only have 2.

The fastest way to turn a long into a short is a file die. Unfortunately for the brass you have listed, that is expensive due to low demand.

So what do you really want? How many cases are involved? What else will you need to trim?

When I have to trim a lot of brass, or to trim some a lot, as in reforming to another caliber, I break out my old Lyman drill press trimmer. It has a universal shell holder screwed to a board that I clamp to the drill press table, and a cutter that is chucked up in the drill chuck with an interchangeable pilot of the appropriate size. It works real fast with very little effort. I have no idea whether Lyman still offers this tool or not. For normal trimming, I use a Lyman also, with either the crank or the electric drill shaft.

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Tom
1560

How much trimming is required? Would you be off to cut them first, then finish them with a trimmer?

I use an RCBS powered case trimmer with an attachment that trims chamfers and deburs in a single step for my high volume bottleneck cases.

It's great, but I'd not want to spend what it cost to do only a few straight walled cases.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

Great info everyone, I learned a lot here.

I guess it was back about a year ago a fellow had posted about how he just trims his 44 mag brass down to 44 special. It sounded simple enough but didn't expand on the concept and what's involved.
I just today found the .32 S&W short brass that has eluded me for some time now so the timming, as someone recommended above, will be avoided for now.

Although I am not sure for how long as I will be loading .308 for my R700 in the near future and from what I understand that will require trimming.

Proper case length is an imperative with bottle neck rounds.

A long case can not only cause a failure to chamber, but can lead to catastrophic pressures.

The RCBS I have is very good. Their 3 way cutter attachment has made it great. It produces a prep case in a single step.

I have issue with my fingers, and this tools makes the tedious task a breeze.

Neck sizing dies will greatly extend case life and reduce trimming if loading for a turnbolt. Selfloading rifles will require the the FL sizing each time.

RCBS Trim Pro Case Trimmer 3-Way Cutter 30 Cal

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

You trim pistol cases?

You can speed up the process by adding the drill-bit drive for a handheld drill. Really don't like seeing someone bash a fine piece of reloading equipment like the L.E. Wilson case trimmer. Several other manufacturers have trimmers out there that only hold the brass just by the rim, which to me doesn't seem to support the case mouth effectively against movement from the cutter. While the Wilson trimmer does use the tube shell holder, it insures case alignment with the cutter. Now while the Forster is a great unit--I still prefer the L.E. Wilson.
Youtube video

Which model is that trimmer, in your video?

I don't have any trimming equipment but I like the looks of that powered setup and I like the speed of the process.

Would this be the same process for trimming 308 brass? I can't tell in the above video whether or not the brass being trimmed has a neck or not?

That is a L.E. Wilson Case trimmer, it does have a stand with Sharkfin case holder clamp, and that has the optional micrometer adjustment--which I have on mine, but even with the regular adjustment screw the L.E. Wilson is still a precise trimmer.

It is the same process for all types of brass, just be aware you need different shell-holders for different calibers--but so do most trimmers on the market, and some of them also require pilots to keep the case mouth in alignment with the cutter (RCBS & Forster for example). Under the description of Forster Case trimmer pilots I purchased mine for trimming .223 Rem. & 25-35 WCF brass. The trimmer is on sale at MidwayUSA for $37.99, but you will see them on FEEbay for $20-$30 fairly often.

.38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, and .38 Special are dimensionally identical except for length. There should be no bulging for a .38 Special case cut to .38 Short Colt length if fired in a .38 Special chamber. If, however, you really mean .38 S&W, then yes, you may get some bulging if fired in a .38 S&W chamber. But it is not dangerous.

My advice would be to spend the money and buy some brass directly from Starline. They have both .38 Short Colt and .38 S&W. Much easier and less expensive than trimming your own from .38 Special. The .38 Short Colt is still used in .38 Special revolvers in some combat revolver shooting competitions where fast recovery from recoil is important. It is great if you want a very consistent performance in a low-velocity and low-recoiling load.

I use the RCBS Trim pro but with a cordless drill attached in place of the handle. I seldom ever trim any pistol cases, but do trim nearly every time on rifle cases.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

novalty,

I’m impressed with how quickly you operate your Wilson trimmer. I was never so quick with mine because I do not have the drill-bit drive and stand with Sharkfin case holder clamp. You are correct that the first priority in its design was to trim square and precise. The Wilson was as I wrote, marketed to the bench rest rifle crowd. You’re also correct that short, straight walled and slightly tapered auto-pistol cases rarely if ever need trimming. However, I do trim revolver brass for a consistent roll crimp. That was the job I was given my Wilson trimmer for Christmas 1973. Fortunately, with gifts, it’s the thought that counts. The Wilson trimmer was, and still is, the slowest way to trim revolver brass. While bottle neck cases bump easily in and out of Wilson shell holders, straight sided cases have to be forced in and out with a mallet or arbor press. The Wilson’s precision cannot make up for its slowness preparing brass to fire in dainty top break .32 S&Ws. Additionally, I doubt Wilson ever made a shell holder for .32 S&W. Even if Wilson would make a .32 S&W shell holder for the $30.50 they charge for custom bottle neck shell holders, the money would be better spent on .32 S&W cases. Although your video excited peppercorn with the Wilson trimmer’s effectiveness on bottle neck cases, you gave him a great answer to different question than the one he asked.

I hope I praised the Wilson trimmer’s virtues enough to make up for any unintended “bashing,” and Merry Christmas.

Quite a rhythm you got into there.

Swing and sway with Novalty...

Excellent instructional video!

Well it isn't me in the video--I am not that fast, just half-fast. Although my trimmer is almost the same, just has the older style case holder clamp, and surprisingly I have the same low volt Makita cordless drill. I'd just have to buy the drill-bit attachment for the cutter. Next thing I do need to order for my L.E. Wilson is the small Primer Pocket Reamer, so I can clean the crimp rings out of the .223 brass I got for free--now I know why it was free.

K22fan, I do agree with you that for a precise roll-crimp on revolver cases, trimming is essential. I was just coming from a plinker perspective, and have noticed that the handgun case holders have a recessed opening for the rim, which does appear to be more of a PITA to seat cases. However, I believe they have made a newer style "Q type" that uses a cross pin for retaining the case without having to seat the case completely into the tube shell holder.

By the way L.E. Wilson does make a case holder for the 32 S&W.