Lee "Quick Trim"
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- earlmck
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Lee "Quick Trim"
Anybody else a fan of this handy little thing?
The downside for the old Scotsman is that you need a new die to trim a different case. The mild upside to this is that you just need the die for the largest case in a given reasonably close family, so my 30/30 trim die also works for 30 Remington and 25 Remington (and would work for 25/35 I'd assume, though I don't have one of those). The .308 die will also work to trim 7-08, 260 Rem, 243 Win. (I do not know that Lee would recommend this practice if asked) My latest acquisition was the trim die for .223, of which I have somewhere close to a jillion range pick up cases. One brand that must make up half of my stash is Chinese stuff that must have been dirt cheap back in the early 90's because I picked up bushels of it at the Carson City Nevada range back in those "good old days". I gave away most of it but still have a gob and it is good enough brass that it has lasted until most of those old Chinese CJ 92 cases have grown too dang long. The "Quick Trim" has been earning its keep on those!
Unfortunately Lee doesn't have a real complete lineup of dies -- they are missing the 300 Savage. How could they miss that one? I have bunches of 300 Savage cases, some of which are getting toward the "long" side. Guess I'll have to do those the old-fashioned way.
Trimming is my least-favorite reloading task. The Lyman trimmer for the drill press takes care of the "trim" portion of the task in short order but doesn't speed up the inside/outside champfer part, which is where the boring time consumption seems to be. So a while back, faced with the need to once again trim my 30/30 stash totaling somewhere in the 1k vicinity, I thought I'd give the "quick trim" a try. Yeah, the trim part is a little slower than with the Lyman/drill press, but when you have the trim done you also have the inside/outside champfer done. I like it!The downside for the old Scotsman is that you need a new die to trim a different case. The mild upside to this is that you just need the die for the largest case in a given reasonably close family, so my 30/30 trim die also works for 30 Remington and 25 Remington (and would work for 25/35 I'd assume, though I don't have one of those). The .308 die will also work to trim 7-08, 260 Rem, 243 Win. (I do not know that Lee would recommend this practice if asked) My latest acquisition was the trim die for .223, of which I have somewhere close to a jillion range pick up cases. One brand that must make up half of my stash is Chinese stuff that must have been dirt cheap back in the early 90's because I picked up bushels of it at the Carson City Nevada range back in those "good old days". I gave away most of it but still have a gob and it is good enough brass that it has lasted until most of those old Chinese CJ 92 cases have grown too dang long. The "Quick Trim" has been earning its keep on those!
Unfortunately Lee doesn't have a real complete lineup of dies -- they are missing the 300 Savage. How could they miss that one? I have bunches of 300 Savage cases, some of which are getting toward the "long" side. Guess I'll have to do those the old-fashioned way.
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The greatest patriot...
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Earl, a resourceful guy like you should be able t trim the post inside a Lee trimmer to make it work on the 300 Savage.
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- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Yes, trimming is the least enjoyable part of reloading for me. I trimmed 1,000 .223/5.56 brass the other day. I did it in my RCBS Trim Pro and did half of them in each of two days. I do drive the Trim pro with my cordless drill . That does go pretty quick.
I have thought of getting a setup for the drill press.
I have thought of getting a setup for the drill press.
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Been meaning to try one of these, Earl. Agree that case trimming is the pits.
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
I like the quick trim and use it for some rifles I don't shoot as much. About ten years ago, I bought a Gracey and set it up for 223 only. It trims and chamfers both at the same time. I can easily do 300 to 500 cases in an hour. Downside is it's hard to adjust and change cartridges on. So, last year I bought a Giraud---very nice, trims and chamfers at the same time, fairly easy to adjust and change cartridges---I really like it. For father's day my wife bought me a Frankford trimmer--so far it is promising for ease of changing cartridges but trimming, inside chamfering and outside chamfering are different steps.
So, if trimming is just not your deal, and you can justify spending the $, check out a Gracey or Giraud. It hurt me to spend the $'s, but the time savings has been great.
Giraud makes bushings/holders for a bunch of cartridges---I'm pretty sure I've the 300 Savage listed.
So, if trimming is just not your deal, and you can justify spending the $, check out a Gracey or Giraud. It hurt me to spend the $'s, but the time savings has been great.
Giraud makes bushings/holders for a bunch of cartridges---I'm pretty sure I've the 300 Savage listed.
- J Miller
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Earl,
Never used one of those, but I'm interested. How does the die hold adjustments? Can you take it in and out o the press without having to readjust it?
I'm currently using and old Forster trimmer and it's great, until I have to readjust it after changing cartridges.
If I could set it and forget it I might just buy one.
Joe
Never used one of those, but I'm interested. How does the die hold adjustments? Can you take it in and out o the press without having to readjust it?
I'm currently using and old Forster trimmer and it's great, until I have to readjust it after changing cartridges.
If I could set it and forget it I might just buy one.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
- AJMD429
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
I use the little Lee 'handheld' ones. They sell a 'drill chuck' for the case-holder, but I turned down the actual cutter so IT would chuck in a drill, leaving the rotating cutter and cartridge-specific length-gauge on the drill. Then I can VERY QUICKLY grab cases out of a bin, slip them in the 'case-holder' portion of the tool, push them down on the cutter, remove them, and loosen the holder enough to dump the case in the 'done' bin. Takes less time to do than to type.
PHOTOSUCKIT ate the photos of how I modified the tool....
PHOTOSUCKIT ate the photos of how I modified the tool....
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- earlmck
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Joe, you screw the die down to meet the shell holder, just like you would a full-length size die. There is a little bit of adjustment in the cutter, but the die pretty much sets the length. Thus requiring different dies for different lengths/types of cases.J Miller wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:07 pm Never used one of those, but I'm interested. How does the die hold adjustments? Can you take it in and out o the press without having to readjust it?
I'm currently using and old Forster trimmer and it's great, until I have to readjust it after changing cartridges.
If I could set it and forget it I might just buy one.
Joe
The greatest patriot...
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
- J Miller
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Does the die lock ring have an o-ring like some of the other ones do?earlmck wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:30 amJoe, you screw the die down to meet the shell holder, just like you would a full-length size die. There is a little bit of adjustment in the cutter, but the die pretty much sets the length. Thus requiring different dies for different lengths/types of cases.J Miller wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:07 pm Never used one of those, but I'm interested. How does the die hold adjustments? Can you take it in and out o the press without having to readjust it?
I'm currently using and old Forster trimmer and it's great, until I have to readjust it after changing cartridges.
If I could set it and forget it I might just buy one.
Joe
Just looked at the LEE site and it looks as if you have to buy the die body and the cutter separately, am I seeing that right?
That site has me a bit confused this morning.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
- earlmck
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
You've got it figured Joe: Yes to both -- o-ring in the die lock ring, and you do buy one cutter and then dies for the different cartridges. If you are not a fan of the o-ring rings you do what I do and get packages of the nice Hornady lock rings and replace all the stoopid rings the other die makers have pawned off on us for the past many decades.
The greatest patriot...
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
- J Miller
- Member Emeritus
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Earl,
Thanks. If / when I get my reloading stuff set up again I think that's one tool I'll pick up.
Joe
Thanks. If / when I get my reloading stuff set up again I think that's one tool I'll pick up.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
- fordwannabe
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
I just flip the lee ringbl upside down and use the flat part against the press and the o-ring holds it in place on the die body.
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
- J Miller
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
That will do it.fordwannabe wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:00 pm I just flip the lee ringbl upside down and use the flat part against the press and the o-ring holds it in place on the die body.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
- earlmck
- Advanced Levergunner
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Coupla' notes. I was wrong about 300 Savage not being made: I just had to go to the Lee web site to buy it. Which I did and trimmed a bunch of 300 Savage brass yesterday. And it does take a little experience using the thing to get the "feel" of when it is done. Lubing the cutter shaft for smoother turning allows you to better feel the cutting.
The greatest patriot...
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
is he who heals the most gullies. Patrick Henry
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Hey Joe, I use the Forster too. I have made a dummy case for each one I reload. When I change calibers I just lock my dummy in and push the cutter to the case and then push the stop in to the frame and lock it down. Perfect every time.J Miller wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:07 pm Earl,
Never used one of those, but I'm interested. How does the die hold adjustments? Can you take it in and out o the press without having to readjust it?
I'm currently using and old Forster trimmer and it's great, until I have to readjust it after changing cartridges.
If I could set it and forget it I might just buy one.
Joe
The Lord Bless You
Terry
Terry
- vancelw
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Re: Lee "Quick Trim"
Which poor grandkid did you con into counting those?earlmck wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:05 am Anybody else a fan of this handy little thing? QuickTrim9342.jpg
QuickTrim9343.jpg
The downside for the old Scotsman is that you need a new die to trim a different case.
My latest acquisition was the trim die for .223, of which I have somewhere close to a jillion range pick up cases.
I have considered trying those. Sure would beat setting a rotary cutting trimmer.
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