Brass trimming -- problem solved

[pyrolater]

I have a Gracey brass trimmer with a carbide cutter I got from Bob Jones. I had it set up for 223 and it worked pretty good on the smaller cases.

I have a 1000+ 308 cases I was going to trim so I reset the gracey up for 308 and re adjusted the carbide cutter. ( What a pain )

The 308 cases are a bit thicker at the neck than the 233. When I get a 308 case trimmed the neck is deburred and chamfered but the end of the neck appears to be kind thin to me.

I took a feeler gauge and stuck it in the cutter and it looks like it leaves about 10k of brass for neck thickness at the tip of the neck.

Is that to thin?

When I used the RCBS case prep center to deburr and chamfer it takes a lot longer but I'm leaving a lot more brass on the case neck.

 

[jonbearman]

Re: Brass trimming

Wont hurt a thing as I have shot alot I have done.You have a giraud carbide insert made especially for the gracey.I wouldnt use the gracey 2 blade set up if you paid me.

 

[pyrolater]

Re: Brass trimming

I've lost the Gracey trimmer blades or threw them away i can't remember which.

I didn't notice any problems with the 223 but like I said I looks the carbide blade takes off a lot of brass on thew 308. I'm kinda anal about these things. probable to much.

It looks like there is going to be a slight gap between the bullet and the brass at the end of the neck. Thats OK?? I hadn't planned on taper crimping.

 

[artbosco]

Re: Brass trimming

If your necks look too thin you may be over deburring and chamfering. You don't want to create a knife's edge, you just want to take the squareness off. One or two light turns is all you need.

Just out of curiosity, did you full length size your brass, before you started trimming?

 

[pyrolater]

Re: Brass trimming

I'm cramming the brass all they way into the cutter to so it will trim, deburr and chamfer. Thats what it says your supposed to do.

 

[necchi]

Re: Brass trimming

"If your necks look too thin you may be over deburring and chamfering. You don't want to create a knife's edge, you just want to take the squareness off. One or two light turns is all you need."

Yup, that's the first thing that came to my mind too, go easy with the deburring/chamfer tool.

Wow, that thing is supposed to do it all in one feld swoop? If it's taking too much off,,well then it's taking too much off. Maybe it's just part of a learning curve. When ya cram for the deburr, don't cram so hard, :-\

Let the cutter cut, don't force it to cut.

 

[pyrolater]

Re: Brass trimming

Cram may have to strong a word.

I'm pushing the brass into the cutter and giving it a twist when I do.

Yep, trim beburr and chamfer all at once. It works pretty good and its fast I'm just not sure if its taking so much off its going to cause any issues.

I know it takes off more than if I do it by hand

 

[Viperdoc]

Re: Brass trimming

I have a Giraud, which does trim, chamfer and debur. I also use a Gracey neck turner. However, I thought the Gracey simply trimmed cases, but did not do the chamfer and debur in the same step, like a Giraud.

Even though they both do the job, the Giraud is better made and designed, and costs more as well.

 

[pyrolater]

Re: Brass trimming

The Gracey does OK. The blade set up sucks but once its done its just push the case in and give it a spin.

After looking at both of them on line I'd say the Giraud is a better design not being strapped to a board and all but with that said the board gives the Gracey a rustic feel.

 

[pyrolater]

I tried to re adjust the carbide blade and didn't have much luck. I'd still get a pointy neck. The blade was takin of to much brass. Way to much for me.

I know you guys have said it wouldn't be a problem and I talked with the maker of the blade and some other users. I just could not bring my self to trim brass and have a sharp edge on the neck and have space between the bullet and the brass.

I called Doug at Giraud again and was trying to find out if he could make a carbide blade with a wider notch in it so my brass wouldn't be so pointy. It sounds like if you got lots of money any thing is possible.

Any way Doug pointed out that the Gracey probably had some slop in the shell holder and the deburr and chamfer angle could be over lapping. he also mentioned he had a carbide cutter with a .15k notch in it for the 50 BMG if I wanted an wider notch but it might be too wide to get both a deburr and chamfer.

After adjusting blades ( including the Gracey blades ) and fighting this thing I was frustrated enough that I could live with a trim and chamfer and then deburr by hand so I had Doug send me the 50 cal blade.

I did find some slop in the Gracey case holder but with the 50 cal blade I'm now getting a nice clean trim, a nice chamfer and it just takes the edge of the out side of the neck.

 

[jonbearman]

Gracey makes 2 shell guides and one is for unsized brassI believe and one is for sized brass. Call gracey and double check.

 

[pyrolater]

Gracey makes 2 shell guides and one is for unsized brassI believe and one is for sized brass. Call gracey and double check.

Thats a good thing to know. I'll have to check mine and see which one I have. I normally trim after sizing.

 

[jonbearman]

I do the same thing,if you offset the giraud blade it wont help and the radius really doesnt do the cattine.The radius needs to be less than the wall thickness to do the job and square the case anyway.I just go with it the way it is and close my eyes to the fact that it is pointy.The new instructions for the gracey claim it is easy to set-up the gracey by doing 1 blade at a time,yea,uh huh.

 

[pyrolater]

I checked my cases last night and if I stick an unsized case in the gracey case holder its really tight. I have a hard time turning it.

I think the set up I have going is going to work pretty well for me.

The LC brass has a neck thickness of about 15 thou and the notch on the carbide blade is, according to Doug 15 thou. So.. with a little slop in the case holder I get a pretty decent trim and chamfer.

Its just one of those things that I couldn't bring myself to do (make pointy cases ) if there is a way around it.

I had already got an hourly rate for a gun smith and was about ready to have him make me a properly sized shell holder but this will do for now.

As a little experiment I might have to make up a batch of pointy cases just to see how they shoot and to see how long the cases last.