Trimmed brass

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:52 am

For those of you who reload rifle cartridges, especially 223,
how often do you trim your brass? Every reload? or once
every few? Any special tips for someone who is just starting out?
Hak

Downeaster · Post by **Downeaster** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:14 am

Depends...

I shoot all my .223 in a Mini-14, so I full-length resize. This should tend to make the brass grow more as it's resized, so I'll be checking the length before the second reload. I don't really expect to have to trim as military brass tends to be harder and I'm not loading them hot, but I'll check to be sure.

In a bolt gun you can get away with neck resizing and you can typically go quite a while between trimmings.

Trick is to measure, and the easiest way to do that is get a go-no go gauge.

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:50 am

On a average it would be once every 3rd time. Trim after the resizing process.

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:51 pm

I don't resize often but I'm usually reloading "once fired" military brass. Plus the one firing is typically in my chamber, which fire forms the case to my chamber's dimensions. I do have a Forster Case trimmer for the task.

R,
Bullseye

Yleefox · Post by **Yleefox** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:58 pm

I check all of my bottle neck cases, each time I prepare to reload them. I set a dial caliper at the standard case length per my reloading manual, then lock it down. I then pass the case quickly through the caliper's gaping jaws. Any that will not pass through gets dumped into a box for trimming. The others go straight to the tumbler.

Y