Case prep options

[Bradmartin78]

Good morning. I’m getting ready to start loading .223 to save for a rainy day. I’ve been loading .308 on a smaller scale and found the rcbs trim pro and the Lyman chamfer & deburring tool worked great. Moving to a larger volume I’m wondering if this would be the best setup for time.
What do you all use for large quantity brass prep? Thanks.

 

[benenglish]

For .223 and .308 when "moving to a larger volume", isn't the easiest and quickest solution to simply buy pre-processed brass? The first few hits I get on Google are:

http://www.tascosacartridge.com/our-brass/

https://www.topbrass-inc.com/collections/rifle-brass/products/223-rem-unprimed-reconditioned-brass

https://www.natchezss.com/top-brass...23-rem-bagged-header-card-grade-a-250-ct.html

http://bullseyeprocessedbrass.com/

http://www.evergladesammo.com/brass/rifle-brass/556-processed-military-brass-500-pieces.html

http://www.diamondkbrass.com/.223-5.56-Brass.html

 

[Bradmartin78]

Wondering if a case prep station is worth it. I have brass and will be reloading what I shoot.

 

[Dawico]

Wondering if a case prep station is worth it. I have brass and will be reloading what I shoot.

In my opinion no. They are all pretty spendy for what you get.

I chuck the tips in a cordless drill and have at it.

My next purchase will be a Dillon swager. Had one years ago and nothing I have used since compares.

Like that, all the other parts are bought separately. Just seems to be the way to go for me.

 

[Bradmartin78]

I have a Dillon super swage 600. Just need to set it up. I'll try using a drill. Thanks.

 

[TxStetson]

In my opinion no. They are all pretty spendy for what you get.

I chuck the tips in a cordless drill and have at it.

My next purchase will be a Dillon swager. Had one years ago and nothing I have used since compares.

Like that, all the other parts are bought separately. Just seems to be the way to go for me.

I’ll be bringing one to spring meet for horse trading.

 

[Dawico]

I’ll be bringing one to spring meet for horse trading.

A Dillon Swager (600 or whatever it is)?

If so and I can attend I am interested.

 

[Younggun]

I have a Lyman case prep center.

Was doing the drill thing but find the Lyman is faster and easier on my hands. Mostly use it for chamfer/debur and removing crimps from .223 cases using the primer pocket uniformer.

Primer pocket cleaner works like crap. But the hand held versions seem equally useless. Might try the small primer pocket brush attachment to see if it gets better results.

When I was using the Lee trimmers it was easy to chamfer with the case already chucked and I probably wouldn't have bothered with a prep center at that time. Still can't justify some of the high end prep centers. I'd spend money on other things first.

 

[TxStetson]

A Dillon Swager (600 or whatever it is)?

If so and I can attend I am interested.

It’s a blue swager. That’s all I know.

 

[Bradmartin78]

Slipped my mind, but I have a three way cutter for my trim pro. I forgot all about it. I tried to set ut up for .308 but wasn't successful. Got it out this morning and started on case prep.

That's a 600. I started using mine this morning.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Pony up for a Giraud Tri Way

Trim and chamfer all in one. About $100. Patience is key when setting it up. Be willing to sacrifice a piece or two of brass to get it fully adjusted. Take your time, and it will give you great results.

The next best thing is the Worlds Finest Trimmer. Extremely consistent trim length, then a quick touch up on the Case Prep Center to chamfer and debur.

I can’t say enough good things about both of these tools.

Definitely do the Dillon swager. Look at some YouTube videos on how to make it auto return, it makes a great tool even more efficient.

I started out with a cheap Lee single stage press. Wore it out, and upgraded to a really good one.

Over the years I’ve added enhancements to it to make it more productive and comfortable to use. A 9” riser, case ejection attachment, plate to hold Akro Bin as a catch bin, roller handle, lighting inside of it, a digital round counter and so forth. I’ve added a few things to the Dillon I bought last year as well. It was already awesome, so just a few small enhancements.

Inline Fabrication and Unique Tek have been a gold mine of great products to make reloading more productive.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[benenglish]

Pony up for a Giraud Tri Way

Pretty much anything by Giraud is worth the money even if, at first glance, it seems like a lot of money.

 

[Bradmartin78]

Is a Giraud Tri way worth the price if I already have a three way cutter on a powdered trim pro?

 

[Gummi Bear]

That’s up to you to decide.

Is it worth the investment to save a step in the prep process?

Maybe a WFT is the way to go, since you already invested in that tool.


There is no right or wrong answer. Just what works best for you.

Here’s the other thing: you’ll probably change your mind, and buy different tools too. I know I have duplicates of a few things when I discovered a better way. I often gift the one I choose not to use to new reloaders or buddies.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[Bradmartin78]

Thanks. I'll look into it.

 

[Vaquero]

That’s up to you to decide.

Is it worth the investment to save a step in the prep process?

Maybe a WFT is the way to go, since you already invested in that tool.


There is no right or wrong answer. Just what works best for you.

Here’s the other thing: you’ll probably change your mind, and buy different tools too. I know I have duplicates of a few things when I discovered a better way. I often gift the one I choose not to use to new reloaders or buddies.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

I like your style.

 

[mcunningham615]

Wondering if a case prep station is worth it. I have brass and will be reloading what I shoot.

I have an RCBS case prep center and don't know how I did without it. Started using a hand drill but it was tedious at best. Case prep center in my opinion is the better way to go, especially for rifle brass.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Deavis]

I guess it depends on your definition of volume and what you need besides trimming and pocket swaging or reaming. For me, time is money so a Dillon 1050 with a FFB or Forcht swage rod and a Dillon Rapid Trim with a carbide trim die is the way to go for volume 223. You can do everything you need to, including neck expansion, i.e. burr/swarf knock off in the last station if that suits your fancy or hit it with another small base sizing die if you want.

That's how I would treat "volume" 223 processing at that level.

 

[Bradmartin78]

I guess it depends on your definition of volume and what you need besides trimming and pocket swaging or reaming. For me, time is money so a Dillon 1050 with a FFB or Forcht swage rod and a Dillon Rapid Trim with a carbide trim die is the way to go for volume 223. You can do everything you need to, including neck expansion, i.e. burr/swarf knock off in the last station if that suits your fancy or hit it with another small base sizing die if you want.

That's how I would treat "volume" 223 processing at that level.

As of right now I have a 650, motorized rcbs trim pro with a three way cutter and a Dillon super swage. A 1050 is not going to happen anytime soon. I was looking for options closer to what I have.

 

[Deavis]

You could duplicate much of it with a trimmer on your 650 and then use a swage add on. The super swage is fast so maybe a press based swage doesn't matter to you.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk