What equipment do you use for Case Prep?

[Papa Charlie]

I have been contemplating getting a Lyman Case Prep Express to make the work a little easier and not have to change out tools so much.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ty=1&itemGUID=&destination=/user/wishlist.jsp

Do you use a case prep tool and if so what kind? What do you like about it and what don't you like?

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

I use RCBS case prep center. I have upgraded the inside and outside chamfering tool. You have to be careful with the outside cutter. If you don't get the case centered, the blades can grab and cut/twist/knick the neck wall. I have had this machine probably about 10-12 years.... never ever had an issue with it.

 

[jimmymac]

I have been contemplating getting a Lyman Case Prep Express to make the work a little easier and not have to change out tools so much.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ty=1&itemGUID=&destination=/user/wishlist.jsp

Do you use a case prep tool and if so what kind? What do you like about it and what don't you like?

I've owned that one for a couple years now Charlie. I like mine and would buy another. My hands don't hurt as much as they used to when I did everything manually. That was my main reason for the purchase.

 

[AZROY]

I use RCBS case prep center. I have upgraded the inside and outside chamfering tool. You have to be careful with the outside cutter. If you don't get the case centered, the blades can grab and cut/twist/knick the neck wall. I have had this machine probably about 10-12 years.... never ever had an issue with it.

 

[AZROY]

What is your source for the outside deburring tool?

 

[Sniper338]

i had the rcbs care prep center when I started.. got rid of it because of lack of consistancy. never know if your holding a case straight enough, how deep you cut, brass came out chamfered more on one side of the mouth than the other. no go in my book.

 

[jackson1]

I must cheap. I use an old cordless drill. Chuck up what ever tool I need and am good to go. Use my Wilson cade timmer for internal champhering. Wish they would make a tool for external work, but I guess that would be difficult for any thing over 30 caliber.

 

[BenPerfected]

I have been contemplating getting a Lyman Case Prep Express to make the work a little easier and not have to change out tools so much.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ty=1&itemGUID=&destination=/user/wishlist.jsp

Do you use a case prep tool and if so what kind? What do you like about it and what don't you like?

I start by seating the primer and leaving the primed brass in the hand primer tool. With the brass still in the tool, my initial inside/out chamfers are cut by hand. The final touch up chamfer is completed on the turning center with the brass still in the priming tool. It is much easier to hold the priming tool w/brass square when touching up the chamfer in the turning center.
Ben

 

[Shynloco]

I have and use the Lyman Prep Center ONLY for my AR reloading and NOT for centerfire Precision Rifle reloading. IMHO, the prep center does a good job..... HOWEVER, Precision Reloading and shooting requires more careful and meticulous case preparation including cleaning, shoulder angle measurement, case length measurement and the often mundane steps of chamfering, deburring, bullet seating and finally, a run out check on a finished cartridge. But it is also a personal preference thing where I recognize some feel a Case Prep Center is good enough. I just don't happen to be one of those reloaders,

Alex

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

What is your source for the outside deburring tool?

From Midway but I cant find it on their website..... maybe they don't carry it any more.

Found it at Cabelas.


http://www.cabelas.com/product/RCBS...VlFcNCh02mgRzEAQYASABEgKtl_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Ed in North Texas]

I have used the Lyman prep center for a couple of years now. Didn't care for their tools, so bought RCBS (or maybe Hornady*) tools which fit their hand holder. These screw in to the Lyman and last lots longer than the Lyman tool for removing military case crimp.

I batch process brass, at least 100 cases and usually much more. Decap with a decap die (Lee), pin clean, if military remove the crimp (used to use the RCBS swage set, but the reamer is much, much faster), trim as needed (chamfer on the Lyman center, both inside and outside tools are on the center). Can unify primer pockets too. Just finished converting all my .308 commercial cases to .300 Savage. .308 will be all 7.62 now. Lyman Universal with drill adapter and carbide cutter. I should have cut the cases with the little HF chop saw, but since I only had 170 cases didn't bother to get it out and just used the DeWalt 20V to hog off the brass. They are all annealed as of today.

* Been a while since I bought the other tools, I'm over 70 and I'm not where I can check and see if I kept a package with a brand on it. IOW, I don't remember. Haven't worn them out yet.

 

[Rsadams]

I LOVE my Lyman case prep center!!! This time of year Cabela's puts them on a good sale , keep an eye out...
They accept other companies tools and the only thing I would say is the inside deburr tool is very sharp the outside not so much.. That's my ONLY complaint but it works fine or it could be changed very fast if wanted.. Once you have one you won't go back.. Easy way is read the reviews on all of them..

To remove military crimps the hornady tool can be bought and used in the case prep station and is hard to beat if you don't like the tool that comes with it...

 

[bigbulls]

Brass Monkey works great, just a little expensive, but it does come with all the attachments

 

[jimmymac]

I have and use the Lyman Prep Center ONLY for my AR reloading and NOT for centerfire Precision Rifle reloading. IMHO, the prep center does a good job..... HOWEVER, Precision Reloading and shooting requires more careful and meticulous case preparation including cleaning, shoulder angle measurement, case length measurement and the often mundane steps of chamfering, deburring, bullet seating and finally, a run out check on a finished cartridge. But it is also a personal preference thing where I recognize some feel a Case Prep Center is good enough. I just don't happen to be one of those reloaders,

Alex

Respectfully Alex...Case cleaning, bullet seating and and taking various measurements fall well outside the the parameters of the Lyman case prep center or any prep station for that matter. Those steps are still necessary to one extent or another but they have nothing to do with the function of the product in question.

For primer pocket cleaning, chamfer, de-burr and neck clean operations the case prep station works just fine. It's no less precise than if I did them all manually. I've never messed around with removing military crimp, so I can't speak to that but I have uniformed primer pockets and it did okay.

 

[mikeinct]

I do it all by hand, each case for 3 shooters every month for a season.size, de-prime, wipe clean, measure, trim if needed, clean primer pockets inspect everything... ..About 250 to maybe 300 cases each month...The only power step I'm looking to upgrade to is a McGiver hacked nut driver packed with steel wool..This creation will polish the inside / outside after trimming deburring using a nice Wilson tool....Right now , I use 800 grit wet dry sand paper & wipe each case de-burred & trimmed ..Every neck is lightly brushed out with a homemade nylon brush tool..Every case is inspected, measured ...yes this process of prepping cases takes some time..Mike in Ct

 

[Richard Coody]

i have had all kinds of case prep stations. now i do everything by hand. now if i were prepping 100's of cases i would probably use the rcbs. But now i shoot mostly benchrest and that brass gets TLC. 50 cases would be the most i would do at a time.

i think most who use case prep stations over chamfer and it often doesn't leave a smooth cut. by hand i chamfer and debur every loading. it only takes a little. just smooth up the edges.

 

[Papa Charlie]

I prep at least 100 cases at a time and sometimes much more. My hands get very tired handling the brass once for each step. Total I am handling 300-400 cases in a batch (Multiple Times). I generally do it while relaxing, but I think it would be easier at a station where all the filings would be collected and easy to clean up. Plus I would only be handling the cases once each instead of 3 or 4 times.

 

[Richard Coody]

I prep at least 100 cases at a time and sometimes much more. My hands get very tired handling the brass once for each step. Total I am handling 300-400 cases in a batch (Multiple Times). I generally do it while relaxing, but I think it would be easier at a station where all the filings would be collected and easy to clean up. Plus I would only be handling the cases once each instead of 3 or 4 times.

i can assure you it is much faster with a prep station but your hands will hurt worse. Believe me i know. Take lots of breaks. someone mentioned using a case holder. might slow you down a bit but i do believe it would help the hands

 

[Papa Charlie]

i can assure you it is much faster with a prep station but your hands will hurt worse. Believe me i know. Take lots of breaks. someone mentioned using a case holder. might slow you down a bit but i do believe it would help the hands

Thanks Richard, I enjoy reloading,it is relaxing to me as is shooting. My wife thinks I am nuts, but I love the precision of it. Taking my time and taking breaks is something I do now. I think that having to handle each piece multiple times would be worse than once each, at least that is my hope. Hence the reason for this thread. I would prefer not to spend he extra money. My cases may or may not be any better than they come out now. It would be for convenience more than anything else and maybe a little more comfort.
Don't know still on the wire.

 

[jpx2rk]

I've got a FA case prep center and it's a pretty good deal IMO. Tool heads are easy to change out, can swap out to a better quality if desired. I have used a Hornday & RCBS crimp remover on mine, both worked fine, comes down to personal preference on these. Primer pocket cleaner is ok, chamfer and debur tools are ok for my needs (no competition or high precision loading). The trim function is collet based, fairly easy to adjust/set the trim length, but it seems like I push pretty hard to get the cutting head to trim, and it makes a gawd awful squeal when trimming. I think it's primaryly due to the slow RPM speed on the trim function.

I'm exploring other trim options right now but seem to prefer the old Lee case trimmer from the dark ages. I did upgrade to the round ball cutter model but have not used it yet. Using a small 12v drill, I get no "squeal" in the trim process, it's just a PITA using the lock nut to hold each case. That squeal on the FA during the trim process got on my nerves very quickly.