Best Manual Case Trimmer – Top 5 Choices Of 2021

Roading ammo is an elaborate task. It takes time and effort, and we are sure you would take any opportunity to ease it. This is why case trimmers are popular. 

Best Manual Case Trimmer

Upon prolonged use, cases tend to get damaged. They can get dented or stretched because they are going through a lot of wear and tear – a mini-explosion! In order to ensure that they are the right size before you reload your ammo, you should use a good case trimmer and trim it appropriately.

Benefits Of Using A Case Trimmer

You can always trim the case without the use of a tool but it will be hard. Also, there are certain benefits that these tools bring with them that we cannot match. Some of them are as follows:

• Case trimmers are accurate and provide precision cuts
• They enable fast work and save a lot of time
• They help save costs because you will be able to reuse casings and not buy new ones each time
• Case trimmers are easy on the rifle and the brass, causing no damage to them
• The finished product is usually of high quality

Best Manual Case Trimmer – Expert’s Choice

There are different types of case trimmers on the market such as fixed-adjustable, precision, shoulder-indexing, on-press, lathe, and trimmers for electric drills. We shall focus on the best manual case trimmers in this section.

1. Hornady Cam-Lock Trimmer 050140

Hornady is a top competitor in the world of case trimmers, manufacturing excellent choices for us to pick from. This Cam-Lock Trimmer is one of them. Let’s take a closer look at its features:

• The trimmer uses removable shell holder heads to be able to cut the case precisely and restore the original length. 
• It works well regardless of how thick the cartridge rim is.
• This is a micro adjust cutter, which provides a precision of up to .001 inches. This means that you can lock the lever and make 0.001-inch changes with ease.
• The cutting head is replaceable.
• It promises high accuracy and durability.
• The tool has 7 pilot sizes.
• It works with fired cases up to 50 calibers.

2. RCBS Trim Pro-2 Kit

If you are looking for a kit with a spring loaded shell holder, this is the one to go for. It has many happy users and is priced quite fairly. Below are a few highlights:

• It is sturdy and durable, having been made of very high quality materials.
• Its spring-loaded shell holder is of universal application. This implies that you don’t have to stick to one type of holder to use this trimmer.
• It comes with 9 pilots right from .22 to .45.
• The case trimmer works with all standard pilots.
• It trims precisely and quickly without any problems.

3. Lyman Universal Trimmer

The Lyman Universal Trimmer comes with 9 pilots and can handle various calibers. It has a few exquisite features that we love such as the following:

• It comes with fine and coarse adjustments.
• It has a power adapter too that you can buy separately.
• The case trimmer has a patented chuck head with universal application.
• It supports calibers from .17 to .458.
• It is quite a good choice for serious reloaders and shooters.
• You will find that precision is a given with this case trimmer because it has pinpoint accuracy.

4. Lee Precision Cutter and Lock Stud

The Lee Precision case trimmer is made in USA. It is multi-functional with a few excellent features. We have discussed some of them below:

• It is manual as well as compatible with electric drills. This means that you can connect it to an electric drill or you can use it by hand.
• The case trimmer has been designed for all cases less than .475 diameter base.
• It comes with a ¼-inch shank.
• You can use it with any shell holder with no problems.
• It is affordable. In fact, it is one of the best budget options out there.

5. Lyman Products E-ZEE Trim Hand Case Trimmer Set

Here’s another quality product from Lyman. It is made in USA and has the following specifications:

• It is quick and accurate, allowing easy trimming by hand.
• The case trimmer comes with precision machined pilots that guarantee accuracy.
• You don’t have to worry about the brand of shell holder with this trimmer. It works with all of them.
• It has solid steel construction and is CNC-machined for added precision.
• Its pilots range from .223 to .308.
• This is a complete set with trim-to-length pilot, case locking, cutter head, and adapters for power & hand trimming.

Conclusion

It really doesn’t matter which one of these manual case trimmers you go for because all of them are of great quality and get the job done with ease. Your final choice should depend on the price, construction, and pilots available. These parameters will make comparison easy, enabling you to zero in on the right choice. If you have any further doubts, you can always reach out to us.