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Posted: 2/20/2011 3:15:50 AM EDT
[Last Edit: DOC_2009][Edited]
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Finally got my Giraud trimmer in a few days ago. When I was shopping for a trimmer I couldn't find any videos showing how fast it was. There was one on YouTube but the guy was trimming cases one-handed. Anyway, I made a vid for YouTube if any of you guys want to check it out. It's a bit long but if you fast forward to end I try to show a close-up of a case mouth. ETA: I've been told below that you can trim even faster if you have a container of untrimmed brass on each side of the trimmer and feed with each hand.
LINK TO VIDEO Later, DOC |
| I have one and love it. It sure took the pain out of case trimming. The nicest part IMO is it makes a perfect chamfer. One amazing tool. I bought mine on ebay of all the places. It was used but like new with .308 and 5.56 cutters and dies. |
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Originally Posted By EWP:
Is it really that quite or does the video just not pickup the noise from the trimmer motor, the motor for the Dillon trimmer is much louder than that. Yes it's that quiet, I can easily have a conversation with someone in the room |
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A firearm is only an instrument. It contains no evil, no conscience, and no ability. It is strictly the intent, competence, and character of its user that decide the outcome of any and all actions taken with it.
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I have both a giraud trimmer as well as a possum hollow in a harbor freight drill press and they are both the same speed wise. they both index off the shoulder so you just press it in and go.
The giraud using a v shaped cutter that bevels the mouth. The possum hollow used an end mill that cuts it square. If you are on a budget and just doing volumes of brass, I don't think you can beat the possum hollow setup. |
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Originally Posted By reelserious:
Sure wish I could rent one for just a few days. 
I have 10k of 5.56 that needs trimming. Yeah, I've heard of some people splitting the cost for one between several of them and just rotating it around as needed. That might be the way to go if you've got several reloading friends who you can trust. |
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Originally Posted By EWP:
Is it really that quite or does the video just not pickup the noise from the trimmer motor, the motor for the Dillon trimmer is much louder than that. I was very surprised how quiet it was. I thought it would be louder. The motor itself is quiet and the cutter is belt driven. I'd say it's quieter than my wife's sewing machine. I could probably watch TV while trimming cases without having to turn the volume up too high. DOC |
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Originally Posted By dryflash3:
Expensive yes, about $450. But when you run batches of 1k or more, the Giraud makes sense. Nice setup DryFlash. Question, do you think buying the extra cutter heads for each caliber is worth it? I haven't switched calibers yet but it seems like it may be a PITA to get just right. Thanks, DOC |
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Do you have to rotate the case as you feed it into the trimmer ?
How often do you need to empty the trimmings out of the unit? |
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Originally Posted By DDRanch: The only real plus the Dillon had was putting it on the 650 with a case feeder. What about not having to handle the brass at all to trim it when you've got your trimmer on your case prep toolhead? What about not having to wear a glove because your fingers get blisters doing 1K or more at a time? What about not having a separate step to trim? |
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What about not having to chamfer and bevel the case for accuracy.
I know, people say that you don't need to, but after pulling a bunch of bullets that didn't have the chamfer, there was a LOT of scratches on the jacket that would cause accuracy problems shooting long range. Using mollied bullets,most of the moly was scraped off. 'Borg |
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Originally Posted By ReefRaider:
Do you have to rotate the case as you feed it into the trimmer ? How often do you need to empty the trimmings out of the unit? You just push down until it stops trimming, you can feel a slight vibration while the blades are removing material and then you rotate the case slightly to even things out. There is a slight amount of runout between the caseholder and the blade. Rotating slightly gives you a nice even chamfer. You could trim several thousand .223 probably before you have to empty shavings. I just sucked them out with a shop vac. Took just a few seconds. The clear plastic screen just slides up. DOC |
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What about not having to wear a glove because your fingers get blisters doing 1K or more at a time? That's a good point, after a few hundred cases my fingers started getting sore. The glove eliminates this though and I don't mind wearing the glove. There are definitely pluses and minuses to both systems. DOC |
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if you want to speed up the process even more, split your untrimmed brass into two piles, one on the left and one on the right. Put a bucket for trimmed brass in front of you somewhere. Pick up a untrimmed case with your left hand and trim it, meanwhile pick up a case with your right hand. Immediately after the case in the left hand is trimmed an tossed into the bucket, trim the case in the right hand while picking up a new case in the left hand. Keep alternating |
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I like them both but only have a Dillon for now and like the consistency of it very much.
The time wasted having to chamfer is easily made up for by not having to size the brass separate before trimming so that's kinda a null argument as far as speed goes, size and trim or trim/size and chamfer, both take about the same exact time to do. |
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Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
if you want to speed up the process even more, split your untrimmed brass into two piles, one on the left and one on the right. Put a bucket for trimmed brass in front of you somewhere. Pick up a untrimmed case with your left hand and trim it, meanwhile pick up a case with your right hand. Immediately after the case in the left hand is trimmed an tossed into the bucket, trim the case in the right hand while picking up a new case in the left hand. Keep alternating Isn't that what I said above? 
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Originally Posted By We-rBorg:
Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
if you want to speed up the process even more, split your untrimmed brass into two piles, one on the left and one on the right. Put a bucket for trimmed brass in front of you somewhere. Pick up a untrimmed case with your left hand and trim it, meanwhile pick up a case with your right hand. Immediately after the case in the left hand is trimmed an tossed into the bucket, trim the case in the right hand while picking up a new case in the left hand. Keep alternating Isn't that what I said above?
Also the way I do it, like in my pic. Two handed FTW. How often do you have to empty the shavings? I empty every 1k trimmed. I load in bulk for 223, and 7.62x39. Just haven't got any more cutters and shellholders yet. But another set up in 7.62x39 is on my list. When you feel the cutter quit cutting, then you rotate the case a quarter of a turn to finish the trim. |
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Originally Posted By ers8888: How hard is it to change calibers? How do you adjust trim length? you change calibers by 1) readjusting the cutter blade OR [recommended] swapping out the cutter blade for a preadjusted one direct from Doug and 2) replacing the case holder. The trim length indexes off the shoulder so you adjust trim length my screwing the case holder up or down. It's held in place by a standard die lock ring Online instruction manual is available at Doug's site http://www.giraudtool.com/Giraud%20Trimmer%20Inc.pdf |
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"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" – Margaret Thatcher
"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" – Margaret Thatcher
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Originally Posted By dryflash3:
Originally Posted By We-rBorg:
Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
if you want to speed up the process even more, split your untrimmed brass into two piles, one on the left and one on the right. Put a bucket for trimmed brass in front of you somewhere. Pick up a untrimmed case with your left hand and trim it, meanwhile pick up a case with your right hand. Immediately after the case in the left hand is trimmed an tossed into the bucket, trim the case in the right hand while picking up a new case in the left hand. Keep alternating Isn't that what I said above?
Also the way I do it, like in my pic. Two handed FTW. How often do you have to empty the shavings? I empty every 1k trimmed. I load in bulk for 223, and 7.62x39. Just haven't got any more cutters and shellholders yet. But another set up in 7.62x39 is on my list. When you feel the cutter quit cutting, then you rotate the case a quarter of a turn to finish the trim. Don't ya think we ought to save this thread in the Gateway? The video alone is worth that...and lots of people want to know how it works and how fast. The only downside to Doug's magic machine is if you have trouble with your hands...carpel tunnel, or arthritis......unfortunately I have both problems and holding on to the case repetitively to keep it from spinning hurts...even with gloves for me. I wouldn't think twice about it 10 years younger...ok maybe 15 years younger. I wore out my hands in the construction industry. Anyway, there are other power trimmers that don't require holding on and they are a lot cheaper and nearly as fast....but Doug's Giraud is King for younger guys with strong wrists and fingers...and...some money to spare. 
You've seen my work-around using the Forster Trimmer and their 3-way cutter. My setup has the added advantage of a vacuum in the next room piped right next to the cutter (so it's quiet and no emptying the shavings for a long long time) and the only case handling is setting it in the collet. Releasing the collet auto-ejects the case into the bin. Guess I need to do a video on it. Some of us just have to have a nuther way. 
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Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
Originally Posted By ers8888:
How hard is it to change calibers? How do you adjust trim length? you change calibers by 1) readjusting the cutter blade OR [recommended] swapping out the cutter blade for a preadjusted one direct from Doug and 2) replacing the case holder. The trim length indexes off the shoulder so you adjust trim length my screwing the case holder up or down. It's held in place by a standard die lock ring Online instruction manual is available at Doug's site http://www.giraudtool.com/Giraud%20Trimmer%20Inc.pdf I have a preset cutter head for .224 and .308 it makes the change a snap...the only thing that would make it faster would be some sort of quick change collet for the case holders. Something like the Hornady LNL collets then you could also leave your case holders preset |
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Originally Posted By dhg21:
Use a locking die ring, the case holder thread is the same size as a regular die. Doug Giraud Now that's good customer service....
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A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed....Nuff Said..... P.S. Fuck you France!!!!!
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