Author Topic: Lee Case Trimer (Read 1232 times)

cybin · « **on:** April 24, 2010, 06:53:12 AM »

Anyone use the Lee case trimmers? I just bought the trimmer and a pilot for the .223 cal. Everything worked pretty good after I chased the threads in the cutter (10-24) except--the shell holder isn't for a .223. Came with a # 2 shell holder. Anyone else have any experience with Lee case trimmers?

cybin

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2010, 07:02:57 AM »

I use them exclusively if they make em for the chambering I'm loading for, my only complaint is they don't make them for many chamberings, so I modify others to work. Call Lee and have them send you the correct shell holder, I've never had a problem with any of the 30 some I have, they work great. How do you know it works without the correct shell holder or is it just mismarked?

Tim

http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1272124335.3976=/html/index.html

PawPaw · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2010, 07:24:29 AM »

I've got a bunch of them, for about a dozen calibers. I keep 'em in a ziplock bag in a drawer near the reloading bench. They're simple and reliable in my opinion. When I need to trim brass, after I'm done I put a couple of drops of BreakFree in the bag and put it back in the drawer. Easy, peasy!

OR-E-Gun Bill · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2010, 08:08:23 AM »

+1 on calling or emailing LEE for a replacement #4 shellholder. They have always been more than helpful to me and usually have a replacement by USPS in a few days.
I have one for each caliber I load for including a couple they don't offer. I've modified two to use for the .204 Ruger and the .357 Maximum. (Tricks I've picked up on GBO & Quickdtoo)

Bill

fastchicken · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2010, 11:48:39 AM »

I use them as well and the only problem I've had is no matter what drill I chuck the lock studs into, I can't get the case to spin true, I get a little wobble, and it causes the case length gauge to work the neck loose to the point where I don't have much neck tension.
I'm still a newbie but I've found that my case length hasn't made any difference in my accuracy for what I load [270, 243, 30-30], so my solution for speeding up the trimming process was, that after an initial trim to the min. length, I'll set my calipers to the max length and any case that fits gets put into the load pile, and any that don't I'll give 3-4 turns on the cutter, without the lock stud, and they'll all be under max length [but over min]. It saves the time of putting every case into the lock stud.

necchi · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2010, 01:16:08 PM »

Quote from: fastchicken on April 24, 2010, 11:48:39 AM

I use them as well and the only problem I've had is no matter what drill I chuck the lock studs into, I can't get the case to spin true, I get a little wobble,

I had that trouble, the gents here had me check the seater and sure enough I found a bit of something stuck in there,

But it's still an issue useing the little drill bit thing and the case holder. The whole set-up is a bit small to handle right AND get the case in there proper/with out wobble. Ya gotta hold it in place and tighten it at the same time,,it's tough to do!

At a gun show a feller showed me the Lee Zip Trim in operation,,
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=515804&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=9315
For $15 I bought it on the spot. I clamp it to the table when I need it and it works great, a short pull will tell ya if the case is in there right before ya do anything. It's big enough, and stable enough to actually allow my club fingers to work. A couple of pulls and everything is done, trim, chamfer, deburr,,works slick.
There's video's out there if ya search, I'm glad I got it.

cybin · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2010, 06:54:18 PM »

How do you know it works without the correct shell holder or is it just mismarked?

Tim

http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1272124335.3976=/html/index.html
[/quote]

Tim--I turned the cutter with the pilot by hand, and kept checking the length using my calipers until the length was .002 over the min. The cutter worked great---sharp and cut freely.

I emailed Lee, and told them the problem---we will see what happens--I'll let you all know.
That case spinner with the chuck looks interesting--one chuck--which is universal--holds all calibers of brass---I'll have to look into that item.

cybin

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2010, 07:19:47 PM »

Thanks for the explanation.

I started with the Lee using a ball end cutter and a cordless screwdriver for power, then mounted a cutter on an RCBS TrimMate as VTDW did.

Tim

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,27212.0.html

cybin · « **Reply #8 on:** April 27, 2010, 06:19:15 PM »

Lee sent me back an email saying that they would send me the correct shell holder--a number 5 they said. Will be waiting for it.

Tim; That is a neat set up for trimming brass. I usually don't have all that much to trim--though I'm just starting to load .223--don't know how much the brass stretches yet. I'll probably be shooting the .223 a bit more than my deer rifles--so by the end of summer I should know if I need to invest in a better system.

cybin

OR-E-Gun Bill · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2010, 10:48:34 AM »

LEE size 5 will not fit your .223 Rem. case. It will fit the .223 WSSM.

Scroll down to the rifle shellholders in this link to LEE and see that the correct shellholder for your .223 Rem. is #4
http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/primtool.html

Note: The shellholders shown are for the LEE priming tools. The LEE case length gauge shellholder, primer shellholder & sizing die shellholder all bear the same size number for their respective caliber.

Bill

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2010, 11:21:19 AM »

As much as i dislike their replacement policy i do use their case trimmers and find they work well in most cases . Fair is fair .

223fan · « **Reply #11 on:** April 28, 2010, 01:58:11 PM »

I like them,they are all I use.

wncchester · « **Reply #12 on:** April 28, 2010, 04:06:52 PM »

I have two conventional hand lathe type trimmers but I usually use my Lee's. Faster, simplier and they do a good job.

Kurt L · « **Reply #13 on:** May 01, 2010, 04:49:29 PM »

When I want to do a bunch fast I use the lee my redding gets little use.
I chuck the cutter with the length gauge in the drill press and let it run.
i hold and use the shell holder and lock em in and run them up on the cutter and do another,I find this way faster and easier than putting the shell holder in the drill.

woodchuckssuck · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2010, 07:51:38 PM »

Very odd...I too bought a Lee .223 Rem case trimmer earlier this year, and also got a #2 shellholder with it...

Lee made it good and got me a #4 like it should have come with. They are awesome people to deal with!

I chuck mine up in a cordless Craftsman "screwdriver" that we had laying around the house, and it does great. I trim, chamfer, deburr, and polish with flitz. Sure, it takes a little while, but I don't shoot a ton of .223 (even though I have a Mini-14) so I dont mind taking my time and having some pride in the way my reloads look. A nice bright shiny case is a good start to a nice looking reload

cybin · « **Reply #15 on:** May 03, 2010, 06:50:06 PM »

After OR-Bill said that the #5 shell holder wouldn't fit the .223--I emailed Lee and told them the same thing--they had already sent the #5---when I got home from a 4 day trout fishing trip--there was both a number 4 and 5 in the mail box. Can't complain about that kind of service.

cybin

necchi · « **Reply #16 on:** May 04, 2010, 12:03:08 PM »

Thanks for the folow up, I was wondering how far that mix up would go,,they did good.
I broke the pin on a universal de-capper,,e-mailed the trouble and got a new one sent,,no hassel

Now ya gotta go by a gun just so you can use the #5 shell holder,,let's see, that's a 22-250, 243,,

cybin · « **Reply #17 on:** May 04, 2010, 06:30:15 PM »

Now ya gotta go by a gun just so you can use the #5 shell holder,,let's see, that's a 22-250, 243,,
[/quote]

necchi--looks like the #5 shell holder works with the 7mm rem mag--be good for polishing the 7mm brass--but will still need a pilot for trimming the brass to length--already have the rifle.

cybin

cybin · « **Reply #18 on:** May 04, 2010, 06:36:26 PM »

I may do as Kurt says he does. Chuck the cutter in a drill press--run it slow and hold the brass to trim to length--I noticed a some run out tonight when I tried chucking the shell holder in the drill press. The run out won't hurt for polishing brass with steel wool or scotch bright pads, but may jerk you around a little trying to cut to length.

Have to go shooting to free up and or find some more brass to play with to really see how its going to work.

cybin

Sourdough · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2010, 09:34:24 AM »

Like Woodchucksucks I use a cordless Craftsman screwdriver. Right speed, not so fast wobble is a problem. I have an entire set for each caliber, (shell holder, cutter, and pilot) set up and they get a lot of use.

Kurt L · « **Reply #20 on:** May 06, 2010, 11:50:09 AM »

not to be a smart --- or ?
but why do you do this the hard way

you just chuck the cutter and case length gauge in the drill
or whatever ,I use the drill press and just let it run.
I hold the shell holder in my hand to put each case in rather than start and stop the drill press with the shell holder in it that wobbles etc ,what
a pain to do it that way.