Nobody trims pistol brass......

[rwsmith]

Well, I've decided that I'm going to trim all of my pistol brass...ONCE. Range brass is highly variable in length and it's hard to get consistent crimps with a lot of variations in brass.

I have a fast setup on my drill press to do this. A couple of hours of work will probably be worth it.

Does anybody see any merit in this?

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

I will never do it, but if you're comfortable with it, its your time to use.

 

[jaymoore]

Depends on what sorts of targets you intend on shooting and how far away they are.

25yds? Nah!

100yds+, almost certainly!

 

[Engineer1911]

I trim 357 mag and 44 mag revolver brass once in the fired state to 0.030" less than "trim to length" . I trim before resizing so the trim pilot doesn't stick in the case mouth. I do not deburr the case mouths, outside burr comes off when I resize, inside burr when case mouth is belled. I don't trim 38 spl brass because all my revolvers are chambered for 357 mag.

I have had long 357 mag cases and long 44 mag cases get stuck in cylinders after firing with really flattened primers. Trim once and no more worries.

I do not trim pistol brass: 9 MM, 40 S&W, or 45 ACP.

 

[Wise_A]

Match Bullseye shooters will sometimes trim, but mostly they only use factory-fresh or known once-fired brass. While case length is a concern for them, there's also the issue of the brass work-hardening, leading to inconsistent pressure waves.

 

[bobbyd]

If you are using range brass, you are already facing variables from different head stamps, brass thickness, number of firings, age, work hardening etc., etc..
By trimming length, you are eliminating but one very small variable from
the whole range of variables and leaving the rest. Personally, I wouldn't bother....just my opinion.

 

[federali]

Brass Trimming

I guess it depends on what kind of accuracy you need. I don't trim pistol brass because I'm no longer a competition shooter. I too use range pickups, using many brands of brass and frankly, my accuracy seems unaffected whether I use all one had stamp or mixed headstamps.

However, in using range brass, I do discard any unknown brass that shows evidence of having been reloaded. If you're using your handholds for self defense (I know, but let's not go off on a tangent) it's best to use brass fired in your gun or virgin brass.

 

[nicky4968]

I trim pistol brass after every cleaning.
Do I gain anything from it?
No idea.

 

[lhump1961]

I don't trim pistol. I clean it well and pay due attention to expanding the case mouth just enough to grab the bullet. I'm sure that the light crimp is not consistent throughout due to some varying brass length but I've never had any issues. Those pieces that may get belled a bit more because they are longer also get crimped a bit more automatically. It works fine for range use and I am very happy with my hand loads. If I were a competition shooter I might do it differently.

When loading for carry I will measure and hand select each piece but still don't trim. I don't load a ton of carry ammo.

I do trim revolver brass.

 

[muddocktor]

I've never had cause to trim 9 MM brass as I've never seen enough case growth in it to exceed max case length. However, with 357 and 44 mag I've seen it exceed max case length many times, especially when loading on the hotter side. And even though I try to keep my newer 357 and 44 brass segregated by numbers of reloads, I still see some length variability over time, which definitely affects the roll crimp. So yes, I trim the straight wall, rimmed, high pressure cases at times to shorten them and reduce length variations.

 

[H Richard]

The trimming of 38 brass for a Mod 52 I have done, about .020 below norm, and leave the HBWC extend out past the case mouth by that .020. Roy Jinks was the one that recommended it to me. Seemed to work well, the gun was far more accurate than I was capable of shooting it.

 

[ruggyh]

... Range brass is highly variable in length and it's hard to get consistent crimps with a lot of variations in brass.
...
Does anybody see any merit in this?

If crimping yes

In 454, 460, and 500 I would say it is required for consistent crimp.

Good luck and be safe
Ruggy

 

[fredj338]

Magnum revolver brass, yes,service pistol cases, nope. Never have never will. The small variation in length is just not affecting things. If you have something finicky to load for, then it might matter, but i doubt it.

 

[Clovishound]

I have considered it for .357. The only reason is because of inconsistencies in where in the canelure the mouth falls. Doesn't seem to cause any problems, although I haven't done any range research as to accuracy. It's just a little annoying to have a few completed rounds that crimp high or low in the canelure. I would have to cough up a whopping $12.50 and pick up a trim die for .357.

 

[Culina]

I trim all my revolver brass one I first get int then I trim i back another 0.010" after 10 loadings, not because it grows but because the mouths get a little thin and sharp and want to start splitting. Trimming to the same length allows for a healthy crimp without collapsing the brass.

For pistol brass, I trim it as well. Right now I am on the homeward stretch of trimming about 3,000 pieces of .40S&W brass. I also spin each piece a complete rotation in the trimmer to get a good look at it all around and toss any I don't like. Is it a major PITA, yes. It makes me feel comfortable knowing I don't have any extra long, extra short or compromised brass and I get a great crimp so I feel that its worth it for me. I also clean out my primer pockets and load on a single stage press. The failure rate of my ammo is pretty low, somewhere between one out of 3,000 to one out of 5,000

The guys that don't trim, don't scrape the primer pockets, don't inspect their brass and load on a progressive press, seem to have much higher failure rates. Just an observation, not trying to ruffle any feathers.

 

[sw282]

Like ruggy-- l trim for a consistent roll crimp

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I trim all my revolver brass one I first get int then I trim i back another 0.010" after 10 loadings, not because it grows but because the mouths get a little thin and sharp and want to start splitting. Trimming to the same length allows for a healthy crimp without collapsing the brass.

For pistol brass, I trim it as well. Right now I am on the homeward stretch of trimming about 3,000 pieces of .40S&W brass. I also spin each piece a complete rotation in the trimmer to get a good look at it all around and toss any I don't like. Is it a major PITA, yes. It makes me feel comfortable knowing I don't have any extra long, extra short or compromised brass and I get a great crimp so I feel that its worth it for me. I also clean out my primer pockets and load on a single stage press. The failure rate of my ammo is pretty low, somewhere between one out of 3,000 to one out of 5,000

The guys that don't trim, don't scrape the primer pockets, don't inspect their brass and load on a progressive press, seem to have much higher failure rates. Just an observation, not trying to ruffle any feathers.

The same.
Eddie

 

[gwpercle]

If it makes you happy...do it !

It's not going to hurt . Generally any improvement isn't significant enough to warrant the extra work...but nothing wrong at all having consistent brass length. So do it , just for your own peace of mind.
I clean and uniform primer pockets with a little hand tool, just because it makes me feel better. I know it's not necessary...I just like them cleaned and uniformed.
Gary

 

[rwsmith]

Tell ya what i'm gonna do......

I'm going to measure a sample of the two dozen or so (case types) in my stock, and see how much variation I really have. I will still trim them though. It only takes a few seconds per case with the rig that I've got.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I will check the OAL on NEW, Unfired cases bought for my use......
and trimed if needed, for the Lot to be the same.

Factory brass will be measured after being fired.

I only load hunting/special ammo 2-3 times to prevent metal fatigue. Same with shotgun hulls, where FPS will drop from poor/weak crimps.

After this I may full resize my rifle cases if needed to chamber in my bolt actions do to Shoulder travel or if a load needs to be crimped.

Most of my revolver/pistol ammo after the 4th time for chrony/hunting use will NOT be trimmed, since I have yet to have any "Grow" in length. Not saying that it can't but trimming a case to have the LOT of the same Manufacture to the same length, can't hurt.
Mostly if you are shooting with the "Big Boys" for trophy's, prizes, income or a side bet or two.