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Quick, someone talk me out of a Giraud trimmer

TheGerman

TheGerman

Oberleutnant
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Jan 25, 2010
    10,607
    30,204
    the Westside
    #1
    Have always liked the idea and have heard how easy to use, fast and accurate they are. I've never to date ordered one because I just keep saying to myself, its just a trimmer.

    Well, after trimming a metric ton of fucking 308WIN cases all day yesterday, I went from 'not needing' one, to thinking about it, to thinking about it some more, to waking up and dreading doing more cases and saying to myself, if I had a Giraud, this wouldn't be an issue.

    The only downside for me is I have a few Dillons, and have the trimmer, but for some calibers I don't want to use the Dillon FL sizer to have to trim and then re-run the round through a bushing die afterwards.

    First world problems.
     
    #4
    Are you only trimming 308 with it? If so or just 1 or 2 additional calibers just get the triways and save yourself 500 bucks.

    If more than that go for it provided that the case holders for the calibers are available.

     
    #5
    spife7980 said:
    Are you only trimming 308 with it? If so or just 1 or 2 additional calibers just get the triways and save yourself 500 bucks.

    If more than that go for it provided that the case holders for the calibers are available.
    Click to expand...

    I hate drill trimmers lol

    But I reload for 5.56/223, 308, 6.5, 8mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, 300WM, 338LM.

    Just trying to figure out if its worth it, or if I should just try and figure in using the Dillon trimmer on a prep toolhead for the calibers I don't use the Dillon for.
     
    #7
    TheGerman said:
    I hate drill trimmers lol

    But I reload for 5.56/223, 308, 6.5, 8mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, 300WM, 338LM.

    Just trying to figure out if its worth it, or if I should just try and figure in using the Dillon trimmer on a prep toolhead for the calibers I don't use the Dillon for.
    Click to expand...

    Just lay off the spa treatments and Gucci-flage purchases for a few weeks and you'll have paid for the trimmer. Oh yeah, and buy an MRAD. In the long run it's all cheaper than hot crazy chicks. Spirit Animal out.
     
    #8
    TheGerman said:
    But I reload for 5.56/223, 308, 6.5, 8mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, 300WM, 338LM.
    Click to expand...

    I dont see the trim dies available for 7.62x54R, or 338LM or the 6.5 creed but thats coming soon according to the site.

    However giraud has them all as possibilities. Based on that I would get the giraud just out of convenience and not having to worry about being able to do those non supported cartridges in some other manner plus it chamfer and deburrs too. It will be a huge investment with the trimmer case holders and cutters though.

    However you probably already have dies for the others in the dillon system so thats a huge overlap in tooling costs. If you think you could get a good return in selling the dillon tooling I would go giraud in a heart beat but Ive never used a dillon anything so I am biased.
     
    #9
    I have the Giraud Tri-away trimmer for .223. Believe me, that thing paid for itself, in the cost of my time, the FIRST time I used it. It turned a three night job int a couple hours. So you won't hear me trying to talk you out of it.
     
    Last edited:
    #10
    Mine will be here next week, so can't tell you how it works. they do have 6.5 creed. I actually ordered one for 6.5x47 and 6 creed. I imagine the 6 and 6.5 creed shell is the same as its the same shoulder. just to adjust the cutter for 6mm vs 6.5mm.

    like you. I do lots of brass at once, and spending hours hand trimming, then chamfering and deburing takes a long time. to do it all in one quick step to get the level of accuracy that the Giraud gives is def worth it to me
     
    #11
    Have been using one for several years now and one of the most used tools in my shop. I reload for several calibers and have separate cutters for each one. Use Forster lock rings on the case holder and makes changing between calibers a snap. You won't regret purchasing one.
     
    #12
    I don't have one (yet).

    But when I was young and poor, my time was of less value to me and I would go through a lot of extra hassle and effort to save a buck. Heck, I kept a 1974 Fiat Spyder running for years.
    As I got older, and better off, I often surprised myself at how much money I would be willing to spend to free up some time.

    Hope this helps.:rolleyes:
     
    #13
    Dillon 1500 auto trimmer, FTW!

    I just got the 650 press and this trimmer and I should have bought this YEARS ago. No way to explain how awesome this thing is, no way I can go back to the old way.
     
    #14
    Once you purchase and use a Giraud trimmer you'll be hooked. You'll wonder how you ever got along without it. How many Giraud trimmers do you see for sale? If you don't want to go the full boat you may want to consider his Tri Trimmer(?) that you insert into a drill press or hand drill. Check out his website. Save your money and purchase one. You will not regret it.
     
    #15
    Strykervet said:
    Dillon 1500 auto trimmer, FTW!

    I just got the 650 press and this trimmer and I should have bought this YEARS ago. No way to explain how awesome this thing is, no way I can go back to the old way.
    Click to expand...

    Yeah I have a 550 and a 650 and have the trimmer as well. The thing holding me off on the Giraud is I have the Dillon trimmer here and can just make a toolhead for each caliber for prep (like I do for the rounds I use the Dillon for; mainly bulk 55g 223/5.56, 308 for semi auto and 45ACP) but I don't like that their trim die sizes the case as I mainly use Redding dies with bushings. So in order to get what I want in the case, I then have to bump/size with the Dillon and then neck size with a bushing afterwards. Kind of defeats the purpose.

    Only other trimmer I have now (albeit its flawless and accurate as hell) is the Wilson table top trimmer with the case holders. Figured a Giraud would be fantastic for the calibers I use bushings with as I can just toss the damn case in, and done.

    I've always considered trimming as one of those shit things you have to do that really doesn't help you, yet you HAVE to do it. So a lot of times when I want to reload, I see the pile of brass that needs trimmer and I'm just like, fuck that.
     
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    #16
    Well, station 1 only holds sizing dies anyway... I sacrifice the sizing attribute of the trim die by running lubed, dirty brass through it. It gets sized properly during the loading stage after wet tumbling. I may change my process and dry tumble prior to prep, in which case I'll go ahead and properly decap and size prior to trim, then wet tumble and then load (with nothing in station 1).

    You can also contact CH4D and if they don't have a trim die that will suffice, they can modify or make one for sure. If you send a sized piece of brass how you want it to come out in the end, I'm sure they could help you out acquiring a suitable trim die for your use, perhaps a bit oversize so that it won't interfere with your normal sizing procedures (unless you want a trim die that will size it in one go). Problem is that with a trim die, it can't trim the brass until after it's been length sized, hence the built in sizer, so if you do it different you may need different tools.

    There is no faster or easier way though. I mean, it's all automatic, all you do is pull/push the crank! You just have to find a way to make it work for you, and calling CH4D is generally where I start for special and one off stuff. They don't even list all the stuff they have in stock, so call 'em.

    I looked at that Wilson trimmer, that was the one I planned on getting if I didn't go with the Dillon trimmer because it'll also uniform primer pockets and that made it top of the list for me. And it'd do BMG IIRC. If you have both of those, I can't see where a Giraud would be useful but maybe I'm missing something. Good luck! I know trimming sucks (well, it used to) almost as much as tumbling does, which is my current nemesis. Particularly wet tumbling a large quantity.

     
    #20
    Dont get one, it is an aweful piece of crap. Who needs it ? It is so much fun standing there for hours doing a boring repetetive taks developing arthritis and going blind while there is nice weather outside to be enjoyed!
     
    #22
    Don't just get the trimmer. Might as well get the annealer too......

    only thing i dont don't like about the trimmer is that most cases have to be FL sized first or the cases won't fit in the standard case holders. You can send in your fired cases and they'll make you new ones however
     
    #23
    Sweetyzfd said:
    Don't just get the trimmer. Might as well get the annealer too......

    only thing i dont don't like about the trimmer is that most cases have to be FL sized first or the cases won't fit in the standard case holders. You can send in your fired cases and they'll make you new ones however
    Click to expand...

    Totally agree --- trimmer + annealer ... life is so much better
     
    #24
    craigos said:
    Totally agree --- trimmer + annealer ... life is so much better
    Click to expand...

    I was looking at the annealer too. Are those safe for inside on a bench, or should that be like out in the garage?

    I have an almost 500 sq foot reloading/gun room/office and I kind of don't want to burn it down or have it smelling like butane; yet I don't want to make 1 step in the process 'go to the garage' either.
     
    #26
    You won't be disappointed with the trimmer or the annealer. I like that the trimmer doesn't leave brass shavings all over my bench like my old RCBS Power Pro trimmer did. Besides being faster to trim each case, it is also nice not to have to chamfer and deburr each case as well.

    I tried my annealer in my reloading room, but found that if I ran it for any length of time it gave me a headache. I use it out in my shop and don't have that problem any longer.
     
    #29
    Got mine 2 weeks ago in 6.5 Creedmoor. Took about 10 pieces of brass to get the feel for it and my consistency is now less than .002 case to case. Wish I'd got one years ago.
     
    #34
    I don't load in what I'd call "bulk", only 40-60 rounds at a time but I got tired of fiddling with my old case trimmer. I tried a couple of the latest trimmers and they were just okay. I finally decided on the Giraud since I'd read and heard from many precision shooters how great it worked. After using it for the last few months I can say that it is the easiest, most accurate and best of any I've tried. Literally 3-4 seconds per case and they are beautifully chamfered and de burred and +/- .001. Most of that variation is from the inconsistency in the shoulders. It is a truly great machine. My .02.
     
    #35
    ^^^^^^^^ +1. I usually don't trim over 100 at a time either and I'd still not sell my Giraud. I had a Wilson trimmer before it and it was painfully slow and no more accurate than my Giraud.
     
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