Giraud Tri-Way Trimmer 223

Purchase Price w shipping to Oregon: $97
Ship time order to receipt: 7 days
Contents received:
Trimmer in case
Manual
Trimmed sample case, LC: 1.745”
Unadjusted test on 2 1x WW fl sized: 1.741”





Results of trimming 100 (-2 test cases) 1x WW fl sized after adjusting: (Note: these were 1x not from my guns)
Average: 1.749”
Min: 1.746”
Max: 1.754”
Spread:
1.746” = 2
1.747”=18
1.748”=16
1.749”=21
1.750”=13
1.751”=13
1.752”=7
1.753”=6
1.754”=2

Note: One case came in at 1.760”. I knew something didn’t feel right so I checked the tool and brass. There was a small brass shaving in the tool head. After cleaning the shaving out the case sized to 1.749”.

UPDATE TEST 2:

I sized 50 WW 2x brass shot out of my Tobr. These had been previously fully prepped so I pulled every case that measured > 1.750" to run through the Giraud. This was done to test whether head spacing was causing variance in my original 100 test group. Out of the 50 cases I measured 16 were measured at 1.750" leaving 34 to trim. The results:

Average: 1.749"
Min: 1.748"
Max 1.750"
Spread:
1.748 = 4
1.749 = 27
1.750 = 3

Summary: It appears as though the first batch I tested did have varying head space. Brass fired in my rifle trimmed up far more consistent.

Review:

The order process was simple, call them and pay by your choice of method. I was told when I ordered it would ship the next Monday. On Monday I received the shipping notice with tracking. I received the tool Wednesday.

The tool was very well packaged and arrived in perfect shape. After testing on a sized case I loosened the 3/32 set screw on the lock ring and adjusted. The manual gives directions on how to adjust the trim length. It took a couple of minor adjustments and it was set.

Using the tool is very simple. I mounted it in a variable speed drill and went to work. It took less than 10 minutes to trim, chamfer and debur 100 cases. That is working slow and meticulous on the first 100 cases. I am sure when I get going that time will be cut almost in half. The chamfering looks like it was done with one of my vld tools. It should work great for vld bullets.

Cleaning the tool is simple. Remove it from the drill set the shaft on the desk and slide the plastic cover down. The cover will support the tool so you don’t spill shavings all over the place. Vacuum out the shavings replace the cover and you are done.



Summary: This tool is a high value addition to the reloading bench. It saves a huge amount of time over the old fashioned way of using a desk top trimmer, chamfering and deburing. What it may not be is a tool for those who are loading meticulous competition loads. I shoot and load a lot of 223 and the variance in trim length is well within my needs. For accuracy competitions you will may want to do things the old fashion way.

CA Guns else's video: http://youtu.be/KEXsW1s-N2Y

Thanks for the review. Do you know what the headspace variance on your sized brass is? The giraud indexes off the shoulder so any variance in headspace will add to the error of the trimmer itself.

True that. This is why I sort my brass by headstamps then trim.
By sorting them I can get them as close as +/- .002

To be honest I am not sure on the head spacing. I buy bulk once fired processed single source brass, WW in this case. I FL size it in RCBS dies and call it good after a trim and final prep. It is that trim and final prep that takes so darn much time.

Looking forward to the one I just ordered. What rpm did you run your drill press at?

I ran this in a hand held drill. As AeroE pointed out my lack of consistent technique may be the cause of the trim length variances. These were simply the first 100 cases I ran through it. As I roll through more of my brass I will pay closer attention to my technique. I will update this thread with longer term results.

Try mounting it in something like this.

Uniform sizing must be achieved to ensure consistent length.  You need consistent lube and pressure to ensure they come out the same.  I had a batch that wasn't sizing properly after my wife did the resizing.  I ended up putting them back through the resizing die and achieved a much more consistent length.



I also had to swap from a Lee .308 resizing die to my Hornady die, the cases were a little large coming out of the Lee resizer and would stick in the trimmer.



This was all with a standard Giraud trimmer, not the new Tri-Way, but the same principles should apply.

       
 

Well put review.  I'm going to order one.  Last night I trimmed several hundred with the Lee trimmer chucked in my cordless drill then debur them with the Lyman chamfer debur tool.  Fingers little sore but all this took 4 hours with a few breaks in between, not fun at all.

Agreed. I have frozen and damaged my fingers enough to suffer from reduced mobility and sensation. That makes the old way of prepping brass a PITA.

The cases I trimmed were 1x ww brass I purchased in bulk. I have no idea how many guns they came out of. I am going to size and trim some bras that is from one of my guns. I will take into account the information provided above and see how consistent I can get them.

I'll be back....

I'm getting barely any variation in trim length with sorted stamp brass.

AeroE pretty much covered everything, but I'll add this

I noticed you have a little ring around your brass from the trimmer. Make sure you're not pushing too hard and try to keep it as concentric as possible. This is easier to do with the trimmer mounted waist-high in the vertical position so you are looking down at it.

I run mine vertically at 1750rpm and always give the brass a twist when the trimmer is done cutting. Brass is resized with a couple squirts of homemade lanolin lube.

If this is your first trimmer of this style your results will get better with experience alone.

I have been using a light pair of goat skin gloves. Good dexterity and light enough to feel the cases. I used to have a lighter pair of deer skin gloves that were great. Unfortunately one of my dogs decided they were a great snap...

Has anyone figured out how to remove the plastic cover?  Mine grip like they were glued in place.

I agree with you....the RCBS trimmer works great.  I use the similar Forster.  You know, my first two fingers and thumb are numb most of the time now.  Just too much damage done by my cad computer's mouse and keyboard in the last 20 years...that and my building construction tools.  So when I tried to use my Forster trimmer for huge batches......just turning the stupid handle for hours was enough to force me to do something else.

For me Giraud wasn't the answer, not even close.  Holding on to the cases tight while the machine tries to spin it out of my hand might appeal to you younger guys, but it would be pure hell for me.

That's why I converted the Forster to power and vertical trimming where the weight of the motor & an under bench weight would not only trim, but hold the case head flat in the collet.  The beauty of Forster's collet system is that my broken body only has to place a case on the collet.....the machine does the rest....even flips the trimmed case into a bin....I don't have to hold on to anything.  Even the collet was made easier to use by adding a padded file handle.....all it takes is a quarter turn of that.

Many of you have seen my contraption, because I've posted it before here.....but just in case somebody as broken as me is reading this, I'll post it again.  


My skill in making a video is laughable, but the idea gets across.....VIDEO

Picture above shows all of it including the foot-activated shaft lift.....I'm standing only to show how it works....using it I sit in my stool...pivoting foot rests on either side of the bench leg make lifting the shaft effortless.  

Look at the picture I posted above. Setting the shaft on the bench and using equal pressure all the way around it, press down. Mine was very tight but did slide down when I got a good even grip on it.

Posted this in my original:

UPDATE TEST 2:

I sized 50 WW 2x brass shot out of my Tobr. These had been previously fully prepped so I pulled every case that measured > 1.750" to run through the Giraud. This was done to test whether head spacing was causing variance in my original 100 test group. Out of the 50 cases I measured 16 were measured at 1.750" leaving 34 to trim. The results:

Average: 1.749"
Min: 1.748"
Max 1.750"
Spread:
1.748 = 4
1.749 = 27
1.750 = 3

Summary: It appears as though the first batch I tested did have varying head space. Brass fired in my rifle trimmed up far more consistent.