L.E. Wilson Case Trimmer Review

I’ve been through a couple of trimmers over the years, a RCBS trim pro and a WFT. Around a year a go I also picked up a L.E. Wilson case trimmer.

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Both the RCBS and the WFT have pros and cons, and have their place. I did a review of the WFT here..

The Wilson trimmer is unique in that it has different cartridge specific case holders. As opposed to the shell holders on more traditional timers, like the RCBS trimpro, which grip the base on of the case. The case holders on the Wilson trimmer balance on the rails of the trimmer between the cutter and support the case so that it makes contact with the cutter on one end and the stop screw on the other. Eliminating case rim as a contact point keeps the case length more consistent.

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Set up and use is fairly simple. Adjusting the stop screw changes the case length and there is a set screw to lock the stop screw.





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To use it.

– Inset a case into your case holder
– Tap it in on a hard surface to secure the case
– Place the case holder on the rails
– Push the cutter against the case
– Keep your hand on the case holder keeping the base firmly against the stop screw
– Run or spin the trimmer while gently rotating the case holder on the rails.
– Stop when you hear/feel the case no longer being trimmed
– Tap the case out of the holder and repeat.

I have the drill attachment for mine and I mount it in the jaws of my vice. This set up is pretty handy for me but there are several different accessories to chose from.

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Review:

I love this trimmer. Compared to the other timers I’ve tried this is far easier to set up and more consistent. I easily get less than .001 variation. It is solid once it is so there is no “drifting” like I experienced with other trimmers, so there is no second guessing. It’s so consistent that I am comfortable only measuring every 10 cases or so. I’ve never found one off more than .001.

There are only two minor “cautions” I have for this trimmer. First, be careful when holding the case holder if you let it jump the rails you can mess up the case or worse cut yourself on the cutting head, so pay attention. Second and this is really minor, keep it out of the humidity it will get surface rust quickly, I keep mine in a ziplock bag and spray it with CLP when I am done.

Bottom line it’s a constant well made tool which makes a tedious process a bit more enjoyable.

A quick video on how to use this trimer

New Hand Loads and Winchester Garand Range Report

With 3 weeks until the National Matches, perhaps imprudently, I’ve decided that I’m not going to use HXP for the Camp Perry again this year. I was able to find enough CCI BR2 primers despite the lingering bottleneck from “the great panic of 2013.”

Before you read on you have to agree to work up your loads properly and not just create the load.

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After trying several loads I had very good results with Hornady 168 grain BTHPs over 46 grains of IMR 4895 and a CCI BR2 primer in a 77 HXP case. I also used a Hornady OAL gauge to stretch the COAL out a bit which may not have had much effect but it made me feel better.

I was very happy with the performance of the new Winchester Garand I’ve made several posts about recently. I will take it to a local match this weekend to work it out a bit but I didn’t have any functional issues and it performed very well. Assuming this continues I think I’ll take it to Perry for the JCG match.

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Worlds Finest Trimmer Review

I have been using a RCBS trimpro for some time with decent results however I was looking for something faster and perhaps more accurate. I’ve been looking at The “worlds finest trimmer” (WFT) from little crow gunworks since Creedmoor started selling them. I like that it indexes on the shoulder this seems to make more sense.

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I really like the idea of this trimmer. It’s design is very clever. It’s basically a drill bit with an assembly around it that holds a ball bearing that holds the shoulders of the case.

I’ve had some mixed results with it. On the plus side it is very fast and once it is set it keeps the brass within .01.

However it is not fun to set. I had a lot of trouble using the recommended method of inserting a case that is the proper size and adjusting the bit to touch the case mouth. In this case the trimmer seems to take around .03 more from the case. Some trial and error I was able to get it where I wanted it and I sure wont be changing it anytime soon .

Overall I would recommend this trimmer for at least casual or bulk reviewers. I am going to keep it to use for larger batches of reloads for the Garand however I’ve since picked up a Wilson trimmer which I prefer to this one.

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RCBS Chargemaster Straw Modification

My RCBS was having trouble throwing loads about .2 too much. The Internet suggested a piece of McDonalds straw will help the powder flow more evenly.

Well It turns out the Internet is right. I tried some of the straws I had in my bar but they were too small. So I took a little road trip to my local McDonalds and acquired a few straws and some weird looks for walking in taking straws and leaving.

I cut a couple of inches of straw, emptied the powder, and suck it in the front of the dispenser. There is really nothing else to it. This did the trick and significantly decreased the overages.

Step one: cut straw

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Step two: enjoy increased accurate loads

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For what it is worth don’t let this stop you from getting a chargemaster they are great tools I can’t imaging reloading without one.

Model 1917 Extraction Problems

In my last post I mentioned problems with extraction of reloads. I am happy to report I found the issue and it was not trimming.

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Yep that’s a gap between the resizing die and the shell holder at full extension. At some point I must have set this incorrectly and was setting the shoulders of the case too high. I’ve properly cranked it down so the shell holder makes contact with the die and problem solved.

Now I have so many rounds to pull 🙁

UPDATE: I don’t think this was the only problem