Resized 223 too short to trim?

[Rim Job]

Now that I have my Giraud Tri-Way set up

I'm starting to trim and debur all my brass, but I'm finding a lot that are under 1.750 (some even close to 1.740). A lot of this batch of brass is sized around 1.740-ish before I even resize them and brings them up to about 1.745-7. What should I do with this brass? I'l save you the troube - no, you can't have it

 

[AHM]

Uh, measure some samples with one-two other instrument technologies?

Real micrometer.
Cheap-ass Harbor Freight digital calipers.
Case length gage.
Someone else's instrument.
A BNIB factory round.
...

In other words, use something radically different than what you've been using, in case the ruler's the problem...

 

[Rim Job]

Uh, measure some samples with one-two other instrument technologies?

Real micrometer.
Cheap-ass Harbor Freight digital calipers.
Case length gage.
Someone else's instrument.
A BNIB factory round.
...

In other words, use something radically different than what you've been using, in case the ruler's the problem...

Did that
Did that
And did that

All 3 come within a thousandth of each other

 

[tysdad115]

Reload it,shoot it then start the process over again. A lot of Federal brass is short anyways, just finish it and enjoy.

 

[headednorth]

I'd say as long as you have enough neck tension on the bullet, those cases should be fine. I shoot cases <1.750 all the time.

Measure the oal and then push the tip of the bullet down on the bench and measure oal again. Does the oal change? If its shorter there's not enough friction holding the bullet in place. Thats the only issue I could see with a marginally short case.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Minimum length for .223 is 1.740".

What are you worried about?

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

You're also supposed to trim AFTER resizing, not before.

That setup also looks like a snagged clothing accident just waiting to happen.

 

[slap shot]

trim .223?

 

[Hoon]

Minimum length for .223 is 1.740".

What are you worried about?

This.

It's within spec, don't worry about it.

I've come across a lot of Federal brass in the 1.73x range after the first firing, so it came from the factory below 1.740.

 

[Nick Leduc]

You may also run into issues with this running it in the vertical position with built up chips inside the trimmer.......

 

[headednorth]

You may also run into issues with this running it in the vertical position with built up chips inside the trimmer.......

I may be reading their recommendation wrong, but I think they advise it to be verticle or angled upwards to keep chips away from the cutting action.

The preferred method of trimming using this tool is to orient the tool such that the
case is pressed in to the tool using a
straight downward or angled downward
motion. This allows brass chips and shavings generated by the trimming process
to fall away from the insert supporting the cartridge case.

 

[Rim Job]

Minimum length for .223 is 1.740".

What are you worried about?

Stupid Lyman book, said measured length was 1.750" That's why I started freaking out.

You're also supposed to trim AFTER resizing, not before.

That setup also looks like a snagged clothing accident just waiting to happen.

Already resized approx 4k rounds, now trimming and sorting by length. And I work in my birthday suit so only one thing to get snagged.

 

[Nick Leduc]

I may be reading their recommendation wrong, but I think they advise it to be verticle or angled upwards to keep chips away from the cutting action.

I thought they only wanted it mounted on an angle. Good info.

 

[headednorth]

I thought they only wanted it mounted on an angle. Good info.

It may be just me, but its awkward the way they word it in the manual. I had to read it a few times. I think the whole idea is to keep the shavings at the bottom of the tool at the shaft end and away from the bearing and the part that supports the case.

Page three, last paragraph.

http://www.giraudtool.com/Giraud Tri Way Trimmer.pdf

 

[Nick Leduc]

It may be just me, but its awkward the way they word it in the manual. I had to read it a few times. I think the whole idea is to keep the shavings at the bottom of the tool at the shaft end and away from the bearing and the part that supports the case.

Page three, last paragraph.

http://www.giraudtool.com/Giraud Tri Way Trimmer.pdf

No, I believe you are correct.

 

[AntiHippie]

trim .223?

LC 5.56 brass is long as hell and needs a serious trim before the first reload. And needs the crimp knocked out. LC brass basically sucks ass to prep for the first reload, but for some of us, it's the most readily available brass. I'm starting to get seriously tempted to just buy brass and bullet packages so I don't have to deal with the trimming and cutting out the primer crimps. A few cents a round is worth it to me.

 

[bOOmBoTz401]

No worries I get a few that come up short on first sizing sometimes as low as 1.735(after resizing), usually federal and gfl brass, I'll just give a little chamfer and its g2g


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[akma]

LC 5.56 brass is long as hell and needs a serious trim before the first reload. And needs the crimp knocked out. LC brass basically sucks ass to prep for the first reload, but for some of us, it's the most readily available brass. I'm starting to get seriously tempted to just buy brass and bullet packages so I don't have to deal with the trimming and cutting out the primer crimps. A few cents a round is worth it to me.

I just did some LC and some of it was touching 1.773" but most was around 1.768" ish. LC surely is hard brass too.

 

[akma]

You're also supposed to trim AFTER resizing, not before.

That setup also looks like a snagged clothing accident just waiting to happen.

I just read the manual and the trimmer works off the shoulder of the case not OAL. For that reason they state the cases should be properly sized first.

"This tool indexes cartridge cases off the bottleneck shoulder and will trim each
case inserted into it to a repeatable length from the shoulder forward to the case
mouth. If you experience variations in overall case length using this tool, it is
because the headspace dimension of the resized cases is not consistent from
case to case. Differences in cartridge case brand, number of loadings, type and
amount of case lubricant used during resizing, type of reloading dies used, and
method used to resize the case will have a great effect on the consistency of the
finished product. The more consistent the resizing process is, the more
consistent the finished trim length will be. No trimmer indexing off the shoulder
will correct poor resizing technique."

 

[5 DOLLAR FOOT LONG]

FC brass is always real short.

 

[AHM]

Uh, measure some samples with one-two other instrument technologies? ...

Did that
Did that
And did that
...
All 3 come within a thousandth of each other

You da man (measurement technology-wise).
Thanks for your consideration.

(Glad the problem's just a red herring for you).

 

[thormx538]

I bought some Speer once fired 223 a while back and it was all like 1.733 after I sized it.

Some of that stuff is still under 1.750 after me using it twice.

 

[Rim Job]

Well, the good thing about the Tri-Way on a 3k rpm motor is that it takes brass around 1.775 (should be getting to that stuff in the bucket soon) and cuts it down to 1.750 in about 3 seconds

It's going to be funny using the crimp remover on the same motor tomorrow

 

[dcmdon]

You're also supposed to trim AFTER resizing, not before.

That setup also looks like a snagged clothing accident just waiting to happen.

It does sound like he has trimmed before resizing. To the OP, is that what you are doing?

 

[Rim Job]

It does sound like he has trimmed before resizing. To the OP, is that what you are doing?

Nope. I've already resized and deprimed everything in bulk. Now I'm onto trimming in bulk. I reset the Tri-Way to 1.740" today and just started going to town not caring what the starting length was. Went through half a 5 gallon bucket in under 2 hours. If I was using the Lyman crank trimmer, I would have given up after the first 20 rounds

 

[Fixxah]

I did lots of 5.56 on the LE Wilson hand crank trimmer. Had to sharpen the cutter twice. Once the blisters were healed, I bouhht a giraud.

 

[dcmdon]

Rim - it sounds like you have it right.

I prefer the RCBS crank trimmer as far as portable inexpensive ones go.

But then I bought a Giroud last year. I can do 300 cases in a half hour. Then my hand starts cramping.

 

[greencobra]

Stupid Lyman book, said measured length was 1.750" That's why I started freaking out.

one of the lyman books i have in the library, 45th edition, copyright 1970 has max .223 (5.56) case length 1.760", trim to length 1.750"

 

[highlander]

I trim to 1.745 on 223/5.56. I use a Possum Hollow trimmer and a cordless drill.

 

[cockpitbob]

If I'm shooting sub MOA bolt action bench rest I want every case the same length because it might make a tiny difference. In your case there's nothing to worry about so long as they are within spec.