Trim brass every time?

[dennishoddy]

I have at least two unopened boxes of Lapua 308 brass and A BUNCH of mixed headstamp I acquired at an estate sale, but I’m still using the same couple hundred Lapua I started with in 2006. They’ve never been cleaned or trimmed, and I can’t even start to tell you how many times they’ve been loaded. My loads are relatively mild, and as long as accuracy is good, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.

As long as they are shot in the same chamber, neck sizing is all that's required, but I'd think there would be a time when the brass stretches to the point it needs trimmed.

 

[retrieverman]

As long as they are shot in the same chamber, neck sizing is all that's required, but I'd think there would be a time when the brass stretches to the point it needs trimmed.

Probably will, but evidently, I’m not there yet.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

It obviously depends on the brass. I don’t trim every time. Especially on stuff like revolver brass I’ll reload several times without trimming.

 

[dennishoddy]

It obviously depends on the brass. I don’t trim every time. Especially on stuff like revolver brass I’ll reload several times without trimming.

Don't remember ever trimming straight walled brass, ever.
I don't keep track of how many times each brass has been reloaded, as I'm a range whore for brass pickup, so there is no telling how many times the stuff I reload has been fired. It's pistol. As long as it's not cracked or deformed it shoots.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Don't remember ever trimming straight walled brass, ever.
I don't keep track of how many times each brass has been reloaded, as I'm a range whore for brass pickup, so there is no telling how many times the stuff I reload has been fired. It's pistol. As long as it's not cracked or deformed it shoots.

I do like to occasionally trim it for a nice uniform crimp

 

[dennishoddy]

I do like to occasionally trim it for a nice uniform crimp

I put a light crimp on .44 mag with cannelured bullets, but most pistol rounds use a tapered crimp that's built into the die. Example, 9mm, .40, .45.

 

[Rustygun]

Never have trimmed pistol straight wall brass. I shot 4000-5000 rounds of 9mm a year and never trim brass. Now rifle I set my case trimmer and run 5hey through. Some times very few are long enough for the trimmer to remove anything.

 

[BrassGoblin]

I just make it a part of the process to chuck it in the trimmer (lee press kind) it only takes a second to spin the handle. But I only load 100 at a time.

 

[Targetshooter]

I shoot .32-20 through a Ruger Blackhawk and have to trim the brass after each firing or the cylinder will lock up.

 

[magna19]

Same here. I have probably 10K .223 cases in reserve from range pickup. Every one gets ran through the trimmer I built just as fast as they can be measured.
Don't even pick them up any more after firing. Probably never shoot up what is in reserve.
Every so often when getting bored, I'll run a couple thousand through the trimmer and put them away with a note inside that they are ready to size, prime, and load.

Shouldn't you resize those cases first then trim.