Question for Giraud Trimmer Owners

[jd65]

Is it recommended to have a cutter head set up for each cartridge / case holder and keep them paired or can one cutter head be interchanged between same caliber cartridges?

I have yet to use a tri-way style trimmer like this and am not sure how different neck wall thickness and variables between brass brands and so forth will affect the end result. I can make an uneducated guestimate but wanted to see how you guys run your Giraud trimmers.
Thanks

 

[Rob01]

I would recommend it just for ease of use. You don't have to though but adjusting the cutter everytime becomes a pain.

 

[spife7980]

I have a cutter for each caliber, not chmabering. I use the same 30 cal cutter from 300bo to 30-06 for example.

If you set it up for the first chambering it may be a smidge different on the second cartridge based on neck thickness and where you have the chamfer/deburr transition adjusted/centered to within that neck material thickness. But it wont be too far off for the second and when you get it fine tuned it will do all of them well. I set my 22 cutter up initially on my 223 but when I went to the thicker 22 creed brass later on in the same cutter I was getting more deburr than I wanted. I slide it out just a smidge and now it cuts the 22creed brass right, as well as the 223 brass. Just took the tiniest bit to actually get it centered-centered to work equally well on both.


That said I use the benchtop model and not the triway. I think its the same set up with regard to the cutter blade and caseholder/body depth relationship, you can screw the body/holder in and out and then off to swap to another chambering of the same caliber without adjusting the blade, Im just not sure if you can swap those bodies onto other cutter assemblies or not. Judging by the lock ring on the cutter assembly it looks like you could, I just dont have first hands on experience with it.

 

[jd65]

That said I use the benchtop model and not the triway. I think its the same set up with regard to the cutter blade and caseholder/body depth relationship, you can screw the body/holder in and out and then off to swap to another chambering of the same caliber without adjusting the blade, Im just not sure if you can swap those bodies onto other cutter assemblies or not. Judging by the lock ring on the cutter assembly it looks like you could, I just dont have first hands on experience with it.

I have the benchtop model coming and trying to figure out how many cutter heads I need to buy.

 

[spife7980]

I have the benchtop model coming and trying to figure out how many cutter heads I need to buy.

One for each caliber. Make it easy on yourself.

 

[straightshooter1]

Is it recommended to have a cutter head set up for each cartridge / case holder and keep them paired or can one cutter head be interchanged between same caliber cartridges?

I have yet to use a tri-way style trimmer like this and am not sure how different neck wall thickness and variables between brass brands and so forth will affect the end result. I can make an uneducated guestimate but wanted to see how you guys run your Giraud trimmers.
Thanks

I use a tri-way for my .308 cases and for the most part, neck wall thickness is not an issue for me as I turn my necks to the same thickness and I don't use any brass that has a thickness that's less. Otherwise, just how the tri-way chamfers the neck depends not just on the neck thickness, but more on the neck's diameter (which is a function of the thickness).

 

[FLIGHT762]

Yes, a cutter head for each caliber. Changeover to another caliber is under 2 minutes. I just finished a batch of 250+ WCC 5.56 cases an hour ago. Set up the Giraud table model. Put the front feet over the edge of the bench (to anchor the unit when pushing the cases into the shell holder). Split the cases up into two evenly filled trays on either side of the unit.

Put a 5 gal. bucket under the bench between my feet. I sit on a padded stool and feed the cases into the trimmer left hand, right hand and drop the trimmed cases into the bucket. I keep a steady pace with 2 seconds on each case. The trimming goes really fast.

I love this trimmer. I've owned the Dillon RT 1200 and the Gracey. I sold them both for the Giraud bench model.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Is it recommended to have a cutter head set up for each cartridge / case holder and keep them paired or can one cutter head be interchanged between same caliber cartridges?

I have yet to use a tri-way style trimmer like this and am not sure how different neck wall thickness and variables between brass brands and so forth will affect the end result. I can make an uneducated guestimate but wanted to see how you guys run your Giraud trimmers.
Thanks

I have the triway in .223 and .308.

They are fast and do the job well. If you go this way then you will need a separate one for each caliber. The triway indexes off the shoulder of the cartridge and the trim length is exactly as consistent as your sizing is.

Trimming military 308 the first time can be tough . Those cases are very often .007-.010" longer than SAAMI maximum. Commercial brass and previously trimmed brass is a breeze.

I can typically trim 100 cases in about 11 minutes. I just recently trimmed 1k Federal cases in just under 2.5 hours, so averaged 9 seconds per case.

 

[El Cid 92]

Yes... I get a shell holder and a cutter head set for each caliber. Then I change the lock rings to Hornady lock rings. Thus changing from caliber to caliber is simple 1 min operation and very consistent from use to use. Saves time, effort, and energy.

Andrew