Processing 223 brass

[Davisje011]

I have a Dillon 650 with a 1200 trimmer and a GS Custom Swager.

I tumble, lube, then:

Decap-resize, swage, trim. All at the same time.

Without having to touch my brass.

I just throw it right back in the tumbler to get the lube off and load.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

I'm currently in the middle of processing about 3500 223 brass. I've finished all my '06 and 30-30 processing. I use the Lee trimmer and a chamfering reamer in my drill press. I trim them all, then put the reamer in and deburr, then reverse it and chamfer inside the mouths. Every piece of brass gets the same treatment. With the press set at about 1000 RPM, things go pretty quickly. I wear mechanics gloves so no blisters. Yes, it takes longer than buying the Dillion trimmer and using it, but I shoot way more pistol than rifle these days.

[freonr22]

why not try 3000 rpm/

[noplay6978]

I just bought the lyman chamfer and deburr station for around 40 bucks. It also comes with a swaging tool too. It looks like like a pencil sharpener and it works pretty well. I use the lyman trimmer (POS), but if I talk real nice to it, it doesn't fall apart. I put the rcbs primer pocket brush in my cordless drill and it cleans pretty fast. IMHO, I think the lyman chamfer deburr swager station does a pretty good job for 40 bucks.

[devster55]

^^^ thanks I will look into that. Where did you get it?

[Ken Woodford]

Trimming is the worst thing I have to do...I just hate it.

I do all my loads on a single stage so yeah it takes time. Last summer I bought 1200 empty cases. I completed all 1200 a stage at a time. I.E. I decapped all, swaged all etc until I was done.

FYI my trimmer is a lyman universal...hand crank. I bought some washers and mounted the cam lock to my drill press and the cutter in the chuck. That eliminates out a ton of time not to mention wear and tear on my wrist and hand. Now if I can get a deburring tool to fit in the drill press.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

why not try 3000 rpm/

In case of a FUBAR, I want something left that looks like fingers.

Seriously, I tried it faster and just wasn't comfortable with the speed.

[milotrain]

Giraud or send your brass out for processing. I recently had 3100 cases processed and it was around $200 for processing and shipping. For the time saved it was huge, I don't love reloading but I can enjoy it if I start with very pretty brass that I don't have to process. I still process some brass in small quantities but the $200 price was before my processor had to raise his prices. When I run through all of this current stock I'm getting a Giraud and a stainless media tumbler.

[HK35]

Is that CGN member Tiller?
He worked for me.

Yup, tiller. He does good work.

[CK_32]

When doing 223 bulk I usually do a step a day until finished.

Take a few breaks in between. Bulk stuff is when motors come in handy big time

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Giraud or send your brass out for processing. I recently had 3100 cases processed and it was around $200 for processing and shipping. For the time saved it was huge, I don't love reloading but I can enjoy it if I start with very pretty brass that I don't have to process. I still process some brass in small quantities but the $200 price was before my processor had to raise his prices. When I run through all of this current stock I'm getting a Giraud and a stainless media tumbler.

$440 for one cartridge? WOW! I'd have to shoot a bunch of rifle ammo to justify that kind of cost. To each his own I guess.

[milotrain]

No it's $440 for the device. $75 for each additional cartridge. Granted you have to shoot a fair amount to justify it, but most competition rifle shooters do.

[devster55]

I think I will be patient and just do all of it by hand. I just need to get a crimp remover for the primer pockets

[milotrain]

If you are going to do it all by hand look a the LE wilson trimmer and the primer pocket reamer that you can buy for it. If you are not processing once fired military brass then you usually don't have a crimp you need to remove.

[devster55]

Yeah I have some lake city brass