[jesflorid]

I use a folding utility knife and 1” PVC pipe to trim hulls. Take your fired hull to Home Depot and select a short length of pipe that will give a snug fit on the brass head. Cut the PVC pipe to desired trim length, keep the cut square.

Insert the fired hull into the trim, lay pipe flat on cutting surface, and penetrate the plastic with the tip of the knife then 3 cuts will complete the trim. This method avoids beveling the pipe over time as free holding does.

Same piece of pipe will trim an assembled hull, but the sized head will allow the hull to rotate under the knife. Alternative is another piece of PVC pipe with smaller ID.

 

[gbrendemuehl]

The hulls do very in length and the long ones create a swirl. The short ones leave a hole and the average produce a nice shell. Thanks for the comments, I have plenty of time.

Neither swirls or small holes impact performance. If looks are important to you, here is a link to a product that might work for you

 

[SteveS1965]

if i had to start trimming hulls that would be the end of reloading for me

 

[MAH66]

If it doesn't improve performance, it's not worth the effort. This chap is over-thinking the situation. To the factories, these hulls are one-use items. They have no thoughts for the hulls beyond the first firing. Factories crimp their new shells using a combination of heat and pressure to set the folds so they don't open in the box. Any point behind making "perfect" crimps is lost on the on the sheer number of other variables that will effect the ballistic performance of a plastic hull. As was previously noted, the shoulder depth of the crimp is important for delaying the movement of the shot payload until the powder charge has developed its working pressure; the appearance of the folds is of little consequence. And, did you notice that 2 of his "perfect crimps" had holes in the center? This is a result of trimming the end of the crimp to make it "square" but removing the plastic that originally closed that hole in the process. Shells will continue to fold along the original crease lines where the factory process left memory in the plastic. Not so perfect from where I sit.

 

[derbyacresbob]

How many guys that reload would want to trim their Rem STS and Nitro hulls shorter so they reload just like the Win AA HS hulls?

If you don't like having 10% of your crimps having a hole in them you can trim all the hulls so 100% of the reloads have holes in the crimp.

 

[Nebs]

Ah gee, sorry Nebs. Did not aim to pee in your Wheaties and ruin your day. I would have sent the poster a PM, but cannot because he does not have enough posts or something. His avatar would not allow me to send him a PM. While his question seems like a waste to you, I never have felt it was my right or anybody else’s pass judgement how someone wants to waste their own time. Maybe perchbone could start a post about the need for a shell catcher on a semi auto loader or maybe shot hardness? How about choke tubes?

You're right, I edited my post to make it clear that it only my opinion that this endeavor is a colossal waste of time.

 

[Rick Barker]

Fine, but OP did not ask for opinions, he asked for help. You are still passing judgement. Shame on you. It is the OP’s time to waste.

 

[Nebs]

Fine, but OP did not ask for opinions, he asked for help. You are still passing judgement. Shame on you. It is the OP’s time to waste.

I did help, I said trimming's a waste of time and told him another way to fix the problem.

PS: This is the Internet, opinions are what it does, whether asked for or not. And I don't see the word "moderator" anywhere in your avatar. Just where do you get off telling me I should be ashamed of my self? No one asked for your opinion!

 

[Rick Barker]

I did help, I said trimming's a waste of time and told him another way to fix the problem.

PS: This is the Internet, opinions are what it does, whether asked for or not. And I don't see the word "moderator" anywhere in your avatar. Just where do you get off telling me I should be ashamed of my self? No one asked for your opinion!

I am not the one passing criticism about another’s choices and that is my observation. I doubt the op cares about your opinion. The reason this forum exists is to share information. That is what the op was looking for, information. I have no doubt you know a lot about reloading and we value your knowledge, but you come across like a person with a sour attitude for those who do not think or do as you do. Makes you look like a snob.

 

[Geoff_L]

For a different perspective - I trim in small batches for field loads for a 16 gauge Model 1912. It has a lengthened 2 3/4” chamber but retains the original short 2 9/16” ejection port. That means fired hulls over 2.72” tend to stovepipe on ejection.

So to trim the hulls to a workable length, I followed a post on another forum and pounded an exacto knife blade into a 5/8” wooden dowel rod. The rod goes into the hull, the rod gets manually spun, and the blade shaves a few hundredths off the hull. It works satisfactorily but I would only go to this trouble for older guns with hull length issues.

 

[jsraney]

Swirls are good. Holes in the middle not so good. But, then you could use some candle wax or scotch tape to hold the shot in.

 

[Geoff_L]

And if you do trim and the cut isn’t quite square, you will still have an ugly crimp.

Here is another idea - sort your hulls by length, and adjust and load them in separate batches.

 

[single stack]

I use break blade utility knife to trim 20 gauge shells to use in a 2-1/2" chambered gun. I roll crimp them so I'm not too worried about perfection.

 

[paul Harm]

First off, over the years I've reloaded over 40, maybe 50,000 GCs and have never found the need to trim ANY Remington hull. They all reload just fine. If you somehow find the need to trim, a band saw or a single edge razor stuck in a wooden dowel at about a 15 degree angle will also work. MAH66, I didn't know manufactures spin the hull when crimping. I know when I'm fold crimping shells I've cut down I don't spin them and they stay fold crimped just fine. They don't open back up even after a year or two so I'm assuming they never will. If the crimp is concaved just ever so slightly the folds interlock and won't open. When roll crimping cut down shells, the tool is spun, not the shell. Hey single stack, what a clever tool you made up for cutting OS cards - the used metal part of a shell. Your RCing tool looks like one from Precision Reloading. I find them better than the ones from BPI.

 

[Rick Barker]

Ballistic Products has s Me low cost trimming/dismantling tools.

ExactaTrim Gauge Adaptor for Trim Dr (*select gauge)-ballisticproducts.com

Trim Doctor II Shotshell Case Tool-ballisticproducts.com

Last link is a tool that does it all, dismantle and trim, but designed to shorten cases at least 1/4 inch and no less.

 

[paul Harm]

Sorry Rick but I don't think it's low cost when anyone can make one for the cost of a single edge razor blade and a dowel that just fits. I also bought a plastic cutter plumbers use for something. Got it at Home Depot for around $8. It's like a pair of pliers with a sharp cutter where the jaws are. I had forgot about that one. It to works great and a lot cheaper.

 

[Rick Barker]

Sorry Rick but I don't think it's low cost when anyone can make one for the cost of a single edge razor blade and a dowel that just fits. I also bought a plastic cutter plumbers use for something. Got it at Home Depot for around $8. It's like a pair of pliers with a sharp cutter where the jaws are. I had forgot about that one. It to works great and a lot cheaper.

I did not post that bit of information for your private consumption. I posted for the OP and others as an FYI. I have made my own dismantles as well, but then not every is gifted as some when it comes to DIY. I do think it is low cost when some other dismantling tools are a lot more and this one will not only dismantle, but trim 1/4 inch for those who want to make sorties or card over crimp. That is two tools for the price of one where it would require two manufactured devices to do the same job for a lot more money.

 

[Jack R]

I am not the one passing criticism about another’s choices and that is my observation. I doubt the op cares about your opinion. The reason this forum exists is to share information. That is what the op was looking for, information. I have no doubt you know a lot about reloading and we value your knowledge, but you come across like a person with a sour attitude for those who do not think or do as you do. Makes you look like a snob.

well stated and agree 100%..had my own disagreement with him and was called stupid a while ago..guess who's going on ignore

 

[paul Harm]

I didn't take it for my " private consumption". Being a reloader means I like making things more than shotgun shells - maybe the items used to make them, like my own shotgun shell shorteng tools. It doesn't take much to hammer a single edge razor blade into a dowel. I too was posting for the OP's information and anyone else who reads this thread. BPIs tool cost 32$ - a bit more than a razor and dowel. Lighten up - just because I don't agree with you isn't the end of the world. How about if I blow you a kiss, and we make up ? XXX

 

[Rick Barker]

You don’t owe me a kiss or an explanation, Paul. I’m in a bad mood.....been going on now for a couple years. Like I said, the BP product is low cost compared to others on the market and you are not making your own.