Brass Prep is one of the most important aspects of loading precision rifle ammunition. And one of the most important steps in brass prep is case trimming! I’ve tested a LOT of different case trimmers, but when I saw the Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer I thought: “I’ve got to try this tool!”. And that’s exactly what I’ll cover in this post: unboxing, setup, trimming, and evaluation of case length uniformity. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
What’s In the Box
The Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer comes with the following:
- High quality plastic hinged case
- Shoulder bushings (6, covering 17 cal to 458)
- Case body collets (3, covering 17 cal to 458)
- Case trimmer
- Instruction sheet
From the Midsouth Shooters Supply product page:
Midsouth Shooters now offers the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Universal Precision Drill Case Trimmer. Like the great trimmer found on the Platinum Series Case Prep and Trim Center, the Frankford Arsenal Universal Drill Trimmer is designed to be used with a standard drill or mounted in a drill press. Unlike conventional trimmers, the Universal Drill Trimmer requires no caliber specific pilots or shellholders. The included collets index off the case shoulder to trim any shouldered case from 17 Remington to 460 Weatherby Magnum. To use, simply install the correct collet, adjust the trimmer to your desired length, then chuck the trimmer into a drill or drill press. Cases are then fed into the trimmer by hand. The Universal Drill Trimmer will trim cases faster than any traditional trimmer you’ve ever used with a little practice.
Specifications and Features:
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- Adjustable collet system works with all case body collet shouldered cases from .17 Remington® to .460 Weatherby®
- Works with almost any 1/2 drill or drill press
- Ultra-hard HSS cutter will stay sharp for thousands of rounds
- Micro-adjustable
- Universal Collet System indexes on case shoulders for precise and consistent trimming every time
Setup
As shown in the video, it’s very easy to setup the Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer:
- Remove end cap
- Select appropriate shoulder bushing, drop into trimmer
- Select appropriate case body collet, drop into trimmer
- Screw on end cap, tighten until case slips in and out easily without wobble
- Set micrometer to appropriate cut depth
- Start trimming!
Trimming
Before you trim, it’s important to size your cases. During the sizing process, the case will elongate slightly, and the shoulders will be pushed back uniformly. Sizing is therefore a “starting point” for case prep. I used the Frankford Arsenal M-Press to size the 224 Valkyrie cases I sized for this story. See my story HERE for more info on the M-Press.
Trimming with the Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer is super easy! You can use anything with a rotating spindle and chuck for trimming including:
- Hand drill (corded or cordless)
- Drill press
- Milling machine
- Metal lathe
I trimmed with my Dewalt 3-speed 18V cordless drill on the fastest setting and that worked great! Once the trimmer is spinning, you just insert the case until it stops and wait until the shavings stop falling out (1/2 second at most). It’s very fast, and I was surprised that the cases didn’t grab at all like they do with some other tools.
Uniformity
What impressed me the most about the Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer is the consistency of case trim length. I tested 12 cases, and didn’t see a variance of more than 0.0015″ – that’s adequate for any precision reloading application! And with a tool that’s quite affordable.
If you are interested in buying the Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Trimmer, you can do so from Midsouth Shooters Supply here.
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Thanks,
Gavin
