Feedback about the Giraud trimmer

[jlow]

I’ve been using the L.E. Wilson trimmer now for quite a few years. Mine is setup to run with a drill together with a carbide cutter. I’ve had some problem with the drill bit interface bending in the past but that seemed to have gone away. Works reasonably well but I have never been able to totally avoid occasional chatter when the cutter has to take a pretty big bite. I realize that they sell now a clamp which will fit on my stand and perhaps that would make it go away.

So thinking about the above upgrade makes me wonder if I should just upgrade to a Giraud as I have heard so many good things about it. One big advantage of this setup is of course it will not only trim but also chamfer and deburr. My hands are only getting older with clear signs of arthritis and so I am thinking the Giraud trimmer would allow me to reload longer.

I Watched Eric Cortina video again last night on the Giraud trimmer. I noticed that he was getting very consistent trim with his brass with what seems like little effort. However, he mentioned that the Giraud shell holder have some play which is not present with his custom holder made with chamber reamer. This all makes good sense to me but my question is if I don't have the chamber reamer for all my rifles, can I expect the same degree of consistency he was getting if I just use the Giraud Shell holder that has some play?

Not looking for ultimate speed, just reasonable speed but most important precision and accuracy. Any constructive feedback (positive or negative) on this trimmer based on actual experience is welcomed.

 

[Slickrick0999]

In my experience with mine, yes works great.

 

[Cujo]

Precision will be just fine. As you know, the Giraud indexes off of the shoulder. Once a piece of brass is sized, your trim lengths will be very consistent. There is a little bit of play in the case holder once you FL size a piece of brass. It's no biggie.

The only drawback for me is that it cuts the case mouth to a sharp knife edge. I have one of the hand crank 3-in-1 case cutters too and the cut would be perfect. The drawback was the inconsistent case length. That was partly due to how much I would tighten the casehead in the fitting.

Also, adjusting the cutter on the Giraud can be a bit tedious. You'll have the cutter centered to where you want it. You then tighten the allen and it skews the cutter just a bit. Once it is set though, you never have to worry about it. Just purchase extra cutters for the different calibers that you have.

That being said, get one, you'll really like it. You'll incorporate it into your reloading steps because it is just so quick and easy to use.

 

[bcott]

I have had my Giraud trimmer since Jan of 07. I have trim bushings for: 20 Tactical, 20/250AI, .223, 6XC, 6.5x55, 7/08. Been very happy with the work performed. I have not noticed any play that would affect the trim/chamfering/deburring capability. At 79 I will take any labor saving device, that works, that is available.

Carl L.

 

[waltk]

I have the trimmer. If your arthritis isn't too bad and you're able to use it, you'll love it.
It is a terrific power tool. How often do you see one for sale? It can be a bit difficult to adjust but once it's set up you can fly though brass. You won't regret it.

 

[jlow]

Thanks for the response guys!

Cujo – yes, my headspace is generally pretty dead on and so I am not worried about it causing a problem. Based on my own experience with cases, I actually think indexing on the shoulders is the correct thing to do. One potential problem with indexing on overall case length as per the Wilson method is it could potentially be skewed by distortion to the case head i.e. in the situation with a gas gun hard extraction or a hard tight FL sizing that cause a hard extraction from the sizer. I have seen enough cases that no longer fit in the case holder to know that this does happen.

I have indeed noticed that because of the nature of the cutter, the case mouth will always be a sharp knife edge. The only thing I am not sure about is although when I hand chamfer and deburr, I never do it to the extend that cause the sharp edge as I have always been told that to do so would be over doing it. However, I have to admit that I don’t know specifically the disadvantage if any of the sharp knife edge finish?

I know about the tedious nature of cutter adjustment and my plan is indeed to buy the extra cutters and not worry about it.

 

[Slickrick0999]

I have cutters and case holders for my .308 and 6ppc best way to go!

 

[savageshooter86]

I'll never sell mine. I use to hate trimming cases(LE Wilson was what I started off with) and chamfer/debur. Now I enjoy it and laugh at how easy it is. Super fast. And trim length variance at worst is less than 0.0005. Most are dead on

 

[jlow]

Looks like I will be spending some money...

 

[adamjmac]

Have it, love it. I only trim new cases. I don't have the full kit, just the 308-specific attachment for a hand drill (it was $90). I wired a drill to a 12v lead battery so it can run full speed for hours. I prop up the drill on my cheapo gun vise so it faces upwards, and then trimming a case is a matter of holding the case firmly and pushing downward. It can be tricky to hold the case without hurting your hands but with some practice its alright.

 

[lawrence97]

I have a giraud and enjoy using it. The only negative is that the trimming ends so quickly that I wish I could use it longer!

If your resizing/shoulder bump is consistent, you will end up with consistent trim length.

As for adjustability when setting up I found it best to use a die lock ring instead of the supplied ring which can't be locked with a set screw like an ordinary die ring.

 

[XTR]

Compared to other ways to trim... well, the comparison is pointless. You will notice these are almost never for sale right.


The suggestion of using a die lock ring and lock the adjuster is a great idea, esp if you switch between brass for different chamberings.


Two notes.

Setting up the cutting blade is a PITA, it's fiddly. I suggest that you order a cutter for very chambering you want to trim. It's worth it to set and forget (or ever better get them shipped to you set)

Get a glove. (I got this idea from Tracy Hogg) Get one of those cheap nylon gloves from that looks like the palm has been dipped in rubber from the hardware store. It makes the whole process go easier on the fingers. You can trim about 10 cases per minute with this thing holding case after case into the cutters will wear on the index finger and thumb after a couple of hundred cases.

 

[jlow]

More thanks for the additional inputs!

James, we must be talking about a different device – maybe you are talking about the WFT? The Giraud comes with a motor so no drills are needed. No sweat as yours sounds like it is working well.

Lawrence97 – yes the lock ring was covered in the Eric Cortina video and as luck will have it, I got a big batch of that stuff just sitting around.

 

[rardoin]

More thanks for the additional inputs!

James, we must be talking about a different device – maybe you are talking about the WFT? The Giraud comes with a motor so no drills are needed. No sweat as yours sounds like it is working well.

Lawrence97 – yes the lock ring was covered in the Eric Cortina video and as luck will have it, I got a big batch of that stuff just sitting around.

Giraud does offer a cutter head only option...you supply the drive motor...but the caliber options are more limited than the full trimmer version. The cutter head only option can be driven by a drill like the WFT, however, the WFT does not have a 'three way' cutter like the Giraud.

 

[jlow]

Giraud does offer a cutter head only option...you supply the drive motor...but the caliber options are more limited than the full trimmer version. The cutter head only option can be driven by a drill like the WFT, however, the WFT does not have a 'three way' cutter like the Giraud.

Thanks for the info. I send the order in, looks like a couple of weeks wait and that is all....!

 

[Acyr]

You will not be sorry!

 

[Brians356]

So, this Giraud is as fast and easy as sticking a pencil into an electric sharpener, huh?

I'm considering one myself, but I have two comments:

1. If it's indexing off the shoulder, at first I thought that was a potential problem if all shoulder datums were not already sized exactly the same. But after reconsidering, who cares? As long as every neck (not every overall case) is exactly the same length, who cares about cases' OALs being slightly different? Besides, a subsequent proper shoulder bump (or body size if you like) would then render the case OALs as close to identical as matters, because the necks will be set back right along with the shoulders.

2. Indexing off the shoulders is close to ideal for subsequently using a typical neck turner that indexes off the case mouth, as the depth of cut into the shoulders should be very consistent. I find this very compelling.

3. Concern: Chamfers/deburs the case mouth to a "sharp knife edge finish". Yikes! Really? No way to avoid that? If that's true, it's too bad because I'm prepping cases for ammunition, not for hole punch tools. Is it possible to disable the chamfer/debur entirely, leaving that for a separate task?
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[BP1]

Love mine picked it up here from Jim Hardy.It does save a lot of time,especially when you're trimming for six different calibers.

 

[memilanuk]

3. Concern: Chamfers/deburs the case mouth to a "sharp knife edge finish". Yikes! Really? No way to avoid that? If that's true, it's too bad because I'm prepping cases for ammunition, not for hole punch tools. Is it possible to disable the chamfer/debur entirely, leaving that for a separate task?
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The cutter is a vee shapped notch in a triangular piece of carbide... so no, there isn't any way to do it separately. The angle is not that severe, and its not like the edge is honed and lapped so its not *that* sharp. A non-issue in practice.

 

[Brians356]

The cutter is a vee shapped notch in a triangular piece of carbide... so no, there isn't any way to do it separately. The angle is not that severe, and its not like the edge is honed and lapped so its not *that* sharp. A non-issue in practice.

Well, one guy said "knife edge", so different impressions being bandied about. I'm a minimalist chamferer myself. Could someone post (or point to) a close-up photo of the case mouth after Giraud trimming?
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