Pistol brass

[45pro]

Why do i keep reading about pistol brass needing to be trimmed? I thought you didn't have to do that to pistol brass, only rifle?

 

[jtb]

There is an advantage in trimming for roll crimped calibers for more consistant crimp, not so much for taper crimp, .380, 9mm,.40 and .45 acp.

 

[jason867]

It's not absolutely necessary for pistol brass, unless you want to improve the accuracy.

It's a little more important for rifle.

 

[45pro]

It's not absolutely necessary for pistol brass, unless you want to improve the accuracy.

It's a little more important for rifle.

So not important for 45acp and 9mm?

 

[billybob44]

Trim Pistol Brass??

Why do i keep reading about pistol brass needing to be trimmed? I thought you didn't have to do that to pistol brass, only rifle?

It doesn't hurt to trim pistol brass when needed-It also doesn't hurt to clean primer pockets on pistol brass when needed.
IMO both of these steps CAN improve your loads. If I have the extra time, I will clean primer pockets on my hunting load brass==I DO NOT even have pilots for my case trimmer, for most of my pistol brass??
SOOOOO...... .45pro, you have ask the question for enough times, to get the answer that YOU want to hear!!!


YES-YES-YES Trim ALL of your pistol brass!! It will make you FEEL good!! In very rare cases MAY improve the load???==On Hot Rod Magnums, where you want the firm roll crimp in the same exact place on the cannelure of the bullet.


Again, IMO-this is a "Touchie Feelie" improvement, and does not make a damn bit of difference to your loads..My worth..Bill..

 

[XtremeVel]

Why do i keep reading about pistol brass needing to be trimmed? I thought you didn't have to do that to pistol brass, only rifle?

The only time I have trimmed handgun brass was when I buy new unfired brass and I see too much variance in the length.

I like starline brass. So far for me, it has always checked well within the range I like to see for a uniform crimp and never had a reason to trim it.

As other have already said, a roll crimp requires more uniformity than a round requiring a taper crimp.

Up until a few years ago, I used to trim my .357 sig brass because just a few thousandths difference in length would cause the shoulder of the round to buckle when crimping and cause chambering issues. Since then, I have found Lee's factory crimp die to eliminate this issue. it crimps by applying pressure using a collet type crimper from the sides of the neck instead of applying the pressure downward. Since switching to that die, not (1) single buckled shoulder and never trimmed another case.

 

[Slow Hand]

Only 'pistol' brass I've ever trimmed has been .32/20 and it seems to vary a good bit from manufacturer to manufacturer. Comsistant crimp helps a lot on accuracy for the little .32/20 round. I've never really worried much about any of my other pistol calibers, revolver or automatic and have had no issues because of it.

Doug K

 

[bstewrat3]

I like to trim all of my revolver brass so that they all have the same length for more accurate crimps but I agree that it is probably not needed. The increase in accuracy if any will usually go unnoticed. With the brass for semi auto pistols I can see a need for it because these cases headspace on the case mouth so if they are out of spec it can help.

 

[jakemartens]

Why do i keep reading about pistol brass needing to be trimmed? I thought you didn't have to do that to pistol brass, only rifle?

Never trimmed any pistol brass.
All the brass I shoot is picked up range brass, clean it in the tumbler is about it.

 

[HICKMAN]

Never trimmed any pistol brass.
All the brass I shoot is picked up range brass, clean it in the tumbler is about it.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Have noticed 45acp tends to shrink not grow,so I never trimmed 45 or 9mm brass.

 

[clelaj]

I want to trim my handgun brass because I want a reason to buy a trimmer. Must have more tools.

 

[Leo]

I have never trimmed semi auto brass. For lead bullets in a revolver, I trim the brass because if the brass is different lengths, the roll crimp is different shapes. Also with better control of the roll crmp shape, you can stress the brass less. When I shoot serious bullseye competition, I had boxes of brass that had 20 plus reloads through them that were just starting to get neck splits. An over crimped neck will split in just a couple of reloadings.