Opinion of Lyman Acculine case trimmer

[Pistolero]

This one uses regular shell holders with a pin that come up through the bottom to hold the
case. Looks a bit iffy to me, but maybe it works great or maybe not. Seems like small primer
brass may be OK, but that the pin might push up into the primer pocket on lg primer brass.

Anybody ever use one and if so, how well does it work?

Bill

 

[462]

Bill,

I had one but didn't like having to turn the handle to lock and unlock a case, so I now use Lyman's universal trimmer. There's no need for shell holders, as cases are locked solidly in place by spring-loaded jaws that are mounted in a lever-operated chuck -- a much easier and faster method.

 

[Ian]

I have one like 462's, collecting dust. If all the primer pocket chamfers are exactly the same, it works pretty well. But if not, the length can vary quite a bit due to how the ball bearing seats in the pocket. This comes into play when using mixed headstamp brass, particularly some military brass which has had the crimp swaged and some commercial with various chamfers/radii around the primer pocket entrance.

 

[JWFilips]

If all the primer pocket chamfers are exactly the same, it works pretty well. But if not, the length can vary quite a bit due to how the ball bearing seats in the pocket. This comes into play when using mixed headstamp brass, particularly some military brass which has had the crimp swaged and some commercial with various chamfers/radii around the primer pocket entrance.

Aha! That explains it! I could never figure out why my Universal Trimmer Case lengths were alway jumping back & forth. Sold mine and got a used Forster which works much better.

 

[462]

I prefer Lee's system because of its ease of use, but the adjustability of the Lyman trimmer has its merits.

 

[Ian]

The Lee is pretty darn accurate because it clamps the mandril stop tight against the case head, and the trimmer length is fixed. Unfortunately, the trim length is fixed, unless you shim the pilot in the holder to allow longer trim-to lengths.

I use the Forster, but it isn't absolutely perfect either, the length depends on the collet clamping the same way on the case rim every time, and different diameter rims or a burr on a rim will affect trim length....but usually it is a non-issue because rarely do I see variances more than +/- .001".

 

[Brad]

Wilson all the way.

 

[Ian]

Next one I buy will be a Wilson. My late FIL gave me his Forster with neck turning attachment years ago (it was a little rusty) and I bought mandrels and such as needed. It has served me well. Money was tighter then and I was grateful to have anything that could turn a neck for basically free.

 

[Pistolero]

Interesting. I am very satisfied with my Forster trimmer, and reasonably satisfied with
a Lyman which was given to me by a friend. Lyman chuck is slightly problematic, but not
a real serious issue.

Looking at the Wilson online, it looks nice but I think would need a fortune in those special
dies, doesn't seem very cost effective for someone who trims a lot of different cartridges.

I saw an Acculine on sale for cheap on eBay and wondered if it was any good... doesn't seem
like anyone is too fond of it.

I am upgrading my vacation home reloading tools, looking for deals since I load only a small bit
there usually, so not needing the very best tools, but also not looking for junk just because it is cheap.
I think I'll see if I can find a used Forster for a reasonable price. I really like the collet system
on that one.

Bill

 

[Ian]

The Lyman isn't junk, Bill, it just has that little quirk you should be aware of. A 45° chamfer tool to uniform overly-square primer pocket entrances of mixed headstamp lots of brass can help solve the problem, or just use uniform lots of brass.

 

[JWFilips]

Ian,
How is the Forster Outside neck turn attachment? I had the lyman (for the universal) and adjusting it was hit or miss!
Jim

 

[Ian]

The Forster is tedious to set up, and the setup is difficult to duplicate exactly if you change caliber and then change back to a previous one. The threads on the cutter are very coarse so a tiny bit of movement can = a huge amount of metal removed. However, once set up, it works very well and is easy to use.

 

[JWFilips]

Yes The coarseness of the adjustment of the cutter was the same with the Lyman! Not that it didn't work but It messes up a few cases to get where you need to be. Also the feed system (Threaded nut) was tedious

 

[Brad]

Wilson isn't bad. One die does all 06 based cases.

 

[Pistolero]

Oh, OK. It looked like there would be one of those dies for every cartridge, which could
rapidly get pretty expensive. Sounds much better. What is the big attraction to the Wilson? You
seem quite taken with it.

I got a nice looking Forster on eBay for 1/3 new cost with the #1 collet and a .35 guide pin. I will turn out
.22, .30, 7mm and maybe .45 pins on the lathe and will be set to trim cases quickly at my dacha.
I like the Forster, very quick and consistent grasp of the case rim and the system works smoothly. This
was my first lathe type trimmer, a big improvement over the Lee hand trimmer systems, which work
well, but are quite slow and rub your fingerprints off after a few dozen cases!

I have used the Dillon power trimmer for .223 in quantity and that is pretty amazing. I have two
friends who purchased them and they let me borrow them periodically to trim large quantities of brass,
so not needing to buy one of those.

I have the big Lyman trimmer (forget the model name) with the lever actuated "universal" case
holder with the ball in the center. It works pretty well but periodically the mounting nut for the
case holder works loose and the whole thing rotates, meaning you can't lock a case in until you
get the correct socket and reorient it and lock it down again. Also, it slips off rims occasionally, not
enough to be a real problem, just enough to be a low level irritant. I keep the Lyman set up for
7.5 Swiss and the Forster for .30-06 so I can quickly load match ammo for the Vintage Sniper and
Swiss matches that we run. Both the Forster and the Lyman are both a bit on the
fiddly side to get set properly, so that is why I tend to leave them dedicated for longer
periods to the cartridges that I load the most during the shooting season, when a hundred round
batches are the norm and at least 4-5 batches, minimum, are needed through the season.

I used the Forster outside neck turner attachment a few times and it definitely was a bit tedious to get it cutting
JUST BARELY all the way around the neck, but once set it worked well. Haven't done that in
a long time.

Bill

 

[Brad]

The Wilson uses the case body for centering. It cuts the mouth square to the case. It does not use a shell holder on the head. This means the case mouth is far more square to the case. It also uses the head of the case for setting length. Not the extractor groove bit the actual case head. Again, better consistency.

What really attracted me was the fact it is the trimmer used by so many BR guys.

It does take some getting used to. Lots of thumping. A case is slid on the case holder, tapped on case head to seat in holder. Place on trimmer, hold in place and trim. Remover case holder, tap case mouth on bench to remove from holder. Repeat.

I have a Sinclair holder for move than has a little clamp device to hold the case holder in place.

The Wilson is a marvel in simplicity. No gimmicks or gadgets, it just works. It isn't even painted or blued, it is a simple design.

 

[Pistolero]

OK, makes perfect sense. Sounds like a pretty good system, although the chambers still seems a
bit inconvenient, although not the expense that I thought it might be since so many cartridges
break down into a relatively few families of parent cases.

The Forster still does very nicely, the alignment pin keeps the case square to the cutter, so
that isn't an issue, and grabbing the rim all the way around gets you a good grip and it never
slips, unlike the occasional slip on the Lyman Universal trimmer, which is not the same thing as
the Acculine, which in no longer offered, I think.

Always good to learn about other reloading tools. Not enough time to try out every
possible one.

Bill

 

[Maven]

Bill, While the Wilson set would be my first choice for a case trimmer, I use my Forster most often and have been very happy with how well it performs. Also worth looking for is the CH/CH-4D case trimmer, which is a clone of the Wilson and can use the same shell holders. Add an extra nut and lock washer to the bolt to ensure no variation in [trimmed] case lengths.

 

[KHornet]

I am and have been for a long time satisfied with the Lee's. True, they are not adjustable, but I find that to be an advantage. I also find them fast!