Wilson trim length inconsistency

[agr516]

I have recently bought a new Wilson micrometer trimmer and am getting some inconsistent results. About one out of every five cases gets trimmed anywhere from 2-5 thousandths short. I have checked everything from the set screws on both the micrometer head and main screw adjustments to the nut on the turn handle. Everything is locked down and tight. I even wipe down each case head as well as the "case stop" on the trimmer to make sure that a brass filing or some other trash does not get in between the stop and the case head. I will run out 4-5 pieces of brass that are trimmed perfectly and then get one that is cut .002-.005" short. Has anyone else run into this?

 

[TimP]

I have a Wilson trimmer similar to yours and can hold my case length to +/- .0005. I will end up with maybe 1 out of 100 or so that might end up either a little shorter or longer than the rest but never .002 - .005. I measure each case after it has been trimmed and sometime have to re-trim if its a little long. Make sure you index the case holder and be conscious about the pressure or lack of it you apply when turning the cutter. If you can't hold +/- .001 without a whole lot of trouble I would sent it back to Wilson and have them take a look at it.

 

[timeout]

This has been discussed considerably on the forum. Do a search on here. There were several good tips on this in prior discussions.

 

[JohnHenry]

agr516, Following link may be helpful. http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3783770.0

 

[jonbearman]

I think you are increasing your pressure at various times and yes there is alittle flex in everything.You need to turn with even pressure and you will get the hang of it after a short time. Try this,trim a case,then trim another but before you take it out bear down harder on the handle or drill spinning it and it will rake alittle extra.

 

[lrgoodger]

I never had any trouble getting them the same length, but when I measured them, they would measure .0005" longer on one side than the other, which means the cutter was not cutting the case mouth square. Many told me that little difference won't matter, but I discovered that by rotating the case holder to 1/4 and 1/2 turn positions and hitting the case with the cutter again would square it up perfectly.

Also, I started inside chamfering with the Wilson 30 degree cutter (just barely cut the sharp corner off the case). That keeps the neck bearing surface very consistent compared to the rocket shaped tool I was using before. That and getting control over consistent shoulder bumps has improved my groups within the last month.

 

[Phil3]

Timely post, for me. I was having EXACTLY the same problem with my Sinclair Wilson micrometer trimmer with 223 cases just a few nights ago. I found improvement by being consistent in how I operated the crank handle. I can tell by the sound and feel when the cutting is over. But, I also found that my own measuring ability was not always consistent. On top of that, these cases came from an AR-15 which sometimes buggers up the case head edge, making consistent measurements the equivalent off measuring off the surface of a potato chip. Still, consistency in operation seem to help me. Most of mine ended up being too long, and then found out I really didn't give enough cranks or pressure to fully cut.

Phil

 

[agr516]

Thank you for the responses and links. I will do some testing and see if i can get it worked out.

Thanks again,
Agr516

 

[STS]

I think you are increasing your pressure at various times and yes there is alittle flex in everything.You need to turn with even pressure and you will get the hang of it after a short time. Try this,trim a case,then trim another but before you take it out bear down harder on the handle or drill spinning it and it will rake alittle extra.

For the win.