In the standard calibres we have to trim because, as the case gets longer with the brass flowing forwards, the case will end up too long to actually chamber in the rifle. ... So, we trim the case back to a set distance to give us clearance in the chamber.

Do pistol cases need to be trimmed?

Generally speaking, pistol brass does not need to be trimmed. If you're loading for accuracy and you want to trim revolver brass so you get a uniform crimp, is about the only time you might consider trimming pistol brass.

Do 9mm cases need to be trimmed?

9mm brass tends to get shorter over time as its reloaded. You can trim it if you want, but about the only end would be to get uniform bullet seating. Might be more time effective to just sort the stuff you've got by length, then reload it in batches by case length.

How many times can 9mm brass be reloaded?

Back to your question, Barry, 5 times is good for 9mm brass. You could push it a couple more times, provided you never loaded to max pressure at any point (this overstresses the brass), and since you use Berry's and/or HSM, you don't max press plated bullets anyway.

Do straight wall cartridges need trimmed?

Straight walled cases do not need to be trimmed as often as a shouldered case but they do need it occasionally.

Quick Tip: Is Case Trimming Necessary?

39 related questions found

Do you have to resize brass every time?

When you resize a piece of bottlenecked rifle cartridge brass, you definitely need to lubricate it first. ... While outside the scope of this article, if you intend to use your cartridges in the same rifle, every time, you don't need to resize the full case.

Does neck length affect accuracy?

Usually the case length doesn't have much effect on accuracy as long as all cases are the same length. That is why the general rule of reloading is to trim all cases to the same length as the shortest case you are going to load for that cartridge.

What length do you cut brass?

Brass is better a little too short, rather than too long. I always trim mine to . 005 -. 010" under SAMMI.

Does length of bullet matter?

Cartridge overall length, or "COL", is important to safe functioning of reloads in firearms. ... This allows for the cartridge to be longer than the standardized 2.260" SAAMI maximum overall length. These cartridges can be safely loaded to a length that has the ogive portion of the bullet just touching the rifle's lands.

Is uniform case length important for accuracy?

Yes it is better for uniformity to have uniform brass length, but how much is something the rifle has to tell you.

Do you have to trim rifle brass?

There is no set rule as to how often cases should be trimmed to length. Some calibres will need trimming more frequently than others. If you are using a 'pokey' load, and by that I mean a load that is near the top end of the pressure range, brass tends to flow more and so the cases will need trimming sooner.

What is the difference between neck sizing and full length sizing?

Neck sizing works the brass less than full length sizing. By neck sizing, you keep from working the body of the case and in some situations may get an extra firing before needing to trim. But eventually you will have to full length size so you can extract the brass without beating on the bolt handle.

What is case neck lengthening?

Case lengthening produced by repeated full-length resizing will shorten case life. Continuous working of the brass between the chamber and die stretches it, eventually producing cracks in the case and finally complete head separation. Hot loads, even if necks are trimmed as called for, speed up this process.

How many times does a 9 mm shoot?

The 9mm pistols have a higher capacity, so pack more rounds for the fight. Again, assuming you're using Glock pistols, a fully loaded Model 17 (9mm) equals 18 rounds.

Can spent brass be reused?

The brass casings are reusable. ... "Reloading is basically taking your empty brass that's already been fired and then putting all the components back into it to make it so it's just like new again," Petersen said. "So you can shoot it again, but at a much reduced cost."