Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Case Trimmers

Looking at the RCBS and the Hornady Cam lock case trimmers.


What case trimmer are you all using?

Thanks in advance

L.E. Wilson, you won't any trimming speed records but the brass will be uniform and square.

I have Wilson and RCBS. I like them both but use the RCBS more just because of the 3 way cutting head.

I would like to get a Giraud Trimmer and give it a try. Buddy has one and it is slick and fast

I have an RCBS and a Wilson. The RCBS is faster, but the result isn't perfectly square. The Wilson makes perfectly square cases for me.

I use the RCBS trimmer with the 3 way cutters

Henderson Precision
Trimming went from a time consuming chore to a snap.

Wilson and Giraud user here.

Giraud here for quantity.
RCBS for small amounts.

Frankford Arsenal Platinum for large batches, RCBS hand-cranky-thingy for small batches.

You want precision buy a Wilson.

Another Wilson user and fan.

Frankford Arsenal works just fine for me as well. So much better than the RCBS hand cranky thing.

I have a few of each in RCBS, Lyman, Forster, and Hornady. I wasn’t planning on having so many, but I ended up with a few hand-me-downs over my life and it worked out great, others were impulsive buys. I have a few set up as dedicated trimmers for a few of the guns I use the most. In the future, I will definitely get a power assisted one. I think my favorite is Lyman.

have two of these trimmers one that takes the shell holders one that's a universal shell holder and four three-way trimmer setup for the common calibers.
I'm about ready to sell all the trimmers I got including these two and buy a new Henderson.

not have a Lyman that is specifically made to be ran with a drill.. like it in some cases for certain reasons that's why I still own it..

forster for forever....

Forster here. I suspect I've used it for 30 years. Set up like huntsman's, adapter and power screwdriver.

I have WFT trimmers for .308 and .30-06 based cases I use the most and they are a huge timesaver. I also have my 40 year old RCBS hand crank setup for the rest.

I'll plan to purchase a Giraud soon.

Forster. I’ve got two. One setup for trimming and the other setup for turning necks when needed.

Little Crow Gun works.
https://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/

The only way to go. Everyone else’s suggestions are extremely non binary

I've used a forster for over 40 years.

Giraud. The Little Crow ones work pretty well too.

I used Forster when I first started reloading, switched to Lyman because I like the universal shellholder arrangement. No collets to buy, I calibrated the stop nut in .001" divisions and can adjust precisely no more cut and try.

I don't think the Wilson is a slow case trimmer at all

One disappointment I had when I first saw an L.E. Wilson case trimmer was you have to figure out a way to hold it while trimming....I bought mine back in the late 1970's.at York Arms in Memphis Tn. A short time before that I used a file and a trim die made by RCBS to trim cases or even make cases out of other cases. Anyone remember what a pain in the azz they were ?

Some of the other brands of case trimmers they had in stock at York Arms looked way cooler looking to me than the simple plain Jane looking L.E. Wilson trimmer....the EXPERT that worked in York Arms (no chit when is the last time you ran into an Expert in a Sporting goods store)....the expert assured me the L.E. Wilson trimmer was the best because it supported the entire case while trimming and the case was not supported by the rim on one end or a by a collet of some sort stuck in the neck of the case.

Trusting him I walked out the door with my L.E. Wilson case trimmer, one shell holde and an extra cutter head...i think it was all around $30 or $40 bucks maybe less....I still have the extra cutter head never felt the need to change the original. I guess if you dropped it and damaged the blades it might need replacing.

I've always just clamped the Wilson case trimmer base in a bench vice.....I have a block of wood setting close by to tap the case out of the body die.
Usually a few turns of the handle and the case is trimmed a light tap on the wood and the case is ejected and another case is put it....takes less time to trim a case than it did for me to type the last few lines....if you don't like turning the handle they sell a cutter head that will work on a drill....but then you'd loose some of the feel for the cut.

Wilson shell/case holders most all work for at least 3 or 4 different calibers and are so marked....on some cartridges you'll need two...a "new case" and a "fired case" shell holder.

Reason being...a new case will have a smaller body diameter than a fired case (even if the fired case has been full length resized). On some cartridges the case will sit in the die different enough that you'll need to have the two.

Its a small price to pay for a tool that will last a lifetime of perfection.

Anything L.E. Wilson makes or ever made is World class.....

No cheap pot metal Chinese Harbor Freight handloading tools from L.E. Wilson.
.

I checked it out on YouTube....kinda pricey and I don't want to wear ear plugs while I'm handloading.

I use the Lee cutter/gauges with a cordless drill.

Wilson ...... best i have used.

OK, that's funny.

But I still like my Forster

Giraud user here.

No Quick Trim users?

I have a Dillon power trimmer and a bunch of dies. Dont use it often, mostly use a RCBS. Had a few wilson and a Forster and a Lyman power trimmer all those are gone.
Also have a few lee trimmers only used those once or twice.

I moved on to better things once I started growing facial hair and my voice deepened.

This is the most useful section at 24 hour campfire. That Giraud trimmer looks like the way to go.

I agree. And a lot less drama too.

Wilson, lee will get you by no problem, but the wilson Is what I use now.

The hornady cam lock sucks. That's what I have.

I haven't used the Giraud, but these work extremely well and are fairly inexpensive.

I have 2 Wilsons , been using them for years
Both have "custom" made mounts for the vise

I bought this set up about a year ago and it works good and is quick. Doesn't chamfer but usually it isn't needed.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020728567

Frankford Arsenal. Beats any hand crank or electric drill case trimming ten to one.

I use a Henderson.

If I wanted fast and high-volume, I would look hard at the Giraud. If you trim a lot of different cases, the Henderson may be a little cheaper. The Henderson is a lot quieter on the bench should you like listening to music or a podcast while you work. I find myself using the WFTs from Little Crow Gunworks. My only complaint is that they do not have a Tri-Way.

If you like the ability to have a Tri-Way cutter and want to use a variety of rounds, the RCBS has an electric motor available for theirs that can make the task easier without getting into Henderson money. I saw a video with one recently on YouTube and it seems like an alright way to go, but I'm afraid I may prefer the WFT for the money.

Giraud also makes a tri-way cutter like the WFT design.

I had seen those and would like to try one, but the cartridge choices are somewhat limited compare to the WTF.

The only cases I trim,are O/F Bulk Commercial 223's,which are slated to Krunchentickers. Hint.

In everything else,starting with GOOD brass(consistent) and expanderless bushing dies,have retired all my trimmers. Hint................

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Frankford Arsenal Platinum. Trims quick and easy as well as chamfers and deburrs. Reasonably priced. Next question?

does not chamfers and deburr in same step.

Shag: I have used the L.E. Wilson trimmer for decades and if YOU want accuracy, repeatability and a square cut then go with the Wilson.
I have yet to see anyone using a case trimmer I thought would do a better job.
I forget the names of the trimmers I gave up on before I settled on the L.E. Wilson.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I started out with a Lyman Universal that wouldn't cut a case mouth square no matter what I tried, so I ditched it and got an RCBS. Then I discovered the 3-way cutter available for it and started buying each caliber I had at the time, and more were added over the years. RCBS used to offer Trim Gauges that set the case length for you...just pop them on the shaft and go. Bought a bunch of those too. Then when the motorized system came out it was another "must have." The beauty of it all is that I can trim 50 .223 cases in about 15 to 20 minutes without hand fatigue, then change over to .30-06 in without adjusting a thing in about one minute. The downside---I have no idea how much money I spent on all that but probably enough to buy a Giraud setup, the WFT, or even the Henderson system.

I also had to have the neck turning accessories with automatic feed...started laying the cutters for various calibers along with another manual trimmer, and even more money evaporated from my poor skinny ol wallet.

If my wife knew how much I've spent on this hobby over the last 40 years she'd probably demand another closet just for shoes.

great post I know exactly what you mean.
currently have two RCBS power trimmers in four of the three-way cutter heads a whole slug of pilots. one of the trimmer uses the Shell Holders which I have a pile of one of them uses the universal shell holer. fixing to sell all my trimmer stuff there's another llyman that I have also. fixing to sell it all and buy a new Henderson... that would equal lots of Walmart shoes or maybe just a few upgrade Hollywood shoes LOL

One of the reasons I bought the Henderson, rather than others that offer similar speed - is the ability to trim length based on case head as the reference point vs the shoulder.

If you're using an RCBS trimmer with a motor, setting it up is easy. Measure the case length then figure how much shorter you want it, then put a corresponding feeler gauge between the stop collar and the trimmer body. Setting length takes seconds.