I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

[jefferson101]

I kid. I'm not in the manufacturing business. But I do think it would be useful.

Why don't they make the resizing/decapping die with a small step at the max OAL for the cartridge it's made for? It'd leave enough of a mark that you would know if it needed trimming and where to trim the thing to without having to measure every one of them.

TTL is the slowest and most boring part of reloading, IMO, and I think that'd speed it up a bunch. Just grab 'em and trim to the end of the mark.



Exact size of the step would take some experimenting. I'm thinking about .010" or a bit less would be all sorts of enough.

Note that I realize that wouldn't work for pistol cartridge dies that one uses for multiple variations on the same diameter (.38/.357, for instance.) But most of my dies are specific to one particular round, and it would be useful there.



Dear reloading manufacturers. If you like the idea, and it would work, please steal it. As noted, I ain't in that kind of business.

[Steve Marshall]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

The "mark" would tend to close the mouth of the cartridge making it even more difficult to trim.

[brainard]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

I suffered with this problem for years. I finally had enough and jut trimmed .010 off of ALL my 357Mags. Never a problem since. Now the cases wear out before they get too long. ... just a thought. Not a recommendation. .... Load at your own risk. If you blow yerself up ain't my fault. ... just sayin

[CMV]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

I don't nor do I know anyone who trims pistol brass. Maybe some calibers need it, but none that I shoot do. they just don't grow like centerfire rifle.

You can go through a boatload of cleaned brass with a vernier caliper in no time at all to sort what needs trimmed.

Then there's the X-die for people insanely opposed to trimming...

[jefferson101]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

I don't nor do I know anyone who trims pistol brass. Maybe some calibers need it, but none that I shoot do. they just don't grow like centerfire rifle.

You can go through a boatload of cleaned brass with a vernier caliper in no time at all to sort what needs trimmed.

Then there's the X-die for people insanely opposed to trimming...

You apparently don't shoot necked pistol ammo much. My 7.62 Tok brass, and the .357 Sig brass, and the .400 Corbon brass all grow just like rifle rounds do.

Straight cases are usually not as bad, but still have a tendency to get long on the third or fourth pass through the chamber.

I've gotten a tendency to toss the long stuff from .40 or .45 or 9x19 if it's long, because I can't be sure if it's already been trimmed once (or twice) or not. But I'm a bit more conservative with the brass that I don't have 50 pounds of in reserve....

[kARL]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

I have very very seldom come across a 9mm, .38 or .380 case that was exact.
I trim them all, only have to do it once with a Lee trimmer, but it is either right or it is not, and right is better.

karl

[CMV]

Re: I may have had a bright idea here. Should I patent it?

I shoot .357SIG but have recently started reloading for it so none if it is on it's 2nd reload yet. None needs trimmed after first firing + first reload firing.

I don't get the either it's right or not bit. "right" is a range. I'm not nearly anal enough to get all my brass to within .0001 of a certain size. New brass (generic) isn't. So if you mean by longer than min & shorter than max is "right" I'd agree. Now for COAL, I'll get picky, but I'm not going to chase thou's going after trim-to lengths if I'm under max length.

I don't shoot revolvers either. Maybe there's a need there because you'll keep brass a lot longer - not getting flung all over the place or dinged up from ejection. I know for stuff like .380, 9mm, & .40 I'll lose, step on, or otherwise have no-go brass long before it grows past max length from multiple firings.