Hornady Cam-Lock Trimmer 050140 - Reloading Case Trimmer Accurately Restore Fired Cases Up to 50 Calibers - Unique Brass Trimmer with Micro Adjust Cutter, 7 Pilot Sizes, & Large Diameter Cutting Head

I bought this because I was having problems setting the crimp on .223 and 300 blackout rounds. I was getting wrinkled necks due to inconsistent case lengths. I have the Lee handheld case trimmers, but that only gets you below the maximum case length. If your cases run the gambit between the maximum and minimum case lengths then this trimmer will get you to a specific and consistent case length. This trimmer works fantastic, once adjusted it trims to the specs you set and most importantly it is consistent. It can be a pain getting it set to the length you require. Essentially it is trial and error. Once I have the appropriate length set I pick one case from that length to be my standard case. I put that up and use it to set the lathe up when I am doing a run of that case length. There are some good videos on YouTube on set up and use of this and other Hornady equipment. Probably the most informative and knowledgeable video publisher is the Hornady Reloader's channel. The machine is really well made and looks and feels to be durable enough to last a lifetime. It is comfortable to use as you can then the cutter head with the palm of your hand. There is a power adapter so you can use a cordless screwdriver, not drill, screwdriver. Users have complained that the adapter breaks when they use their cordless drill. The reason is because a cordless drill is to heavy. My only modification is that I put an o-ring between the cutter head and lathe body. It can take quite a bit of force to extract the pilot that fits into the mouth of the case after trimming the case. I didn't like the metal to metal slam that can occur between the cutter head and frame once you get the pilot free, so the o-ring acts as a cushion. Just my preference, probably not hurting anything. One major complaint is that only Hornady shell holders will work with this trimmer. The reason for that is that Hornady knows the dimensions of their shell holders, specifically the collar thickness. This known parameter allows for you to be able to use their Universal Trim Length Gauge when setting up the trim length on the cutter.

I upgraded to this after using the lee case length gage trimmer. This is definitely easier on my my hands. I used four 5/16 - 18 carriage bolts to hold it on my bench. All i can say is that it rock solid and highly repeatable when trimming my cases. it comes with all the pilots needed for the most common cartridges, but is does not come with shell holders. If you hare using Lee equipment, be aware that LEE SHELL HOLDERS WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS TRIMMER. I can't say about others like RCBS or Dillon, I just went to Academy and bought a Hornady #16 for my .223 cases. Set up was easy, I just used a case of known length and pushed up against the cutter just barely touching. I tightened the end with the cam lock and made small adjustments until i go the length I was wanting. I tighten the 2 locking nuts on the cutter/spindle tight, but I can still turn them both with some effort for the .001 adjustments. I do put a couple drops of 3-n-1 oil on the chamfered part of the spindle. I don't know if it needs it, but I use it anyway. You will see the area I am referring to if you buy this. I can trim 200 cases in about 2 hours and that includes a couple cold ones during breaks. And no, I don't drink when actual loading, so calm down. If I were a Hornady engineer, the only change is would make on this trimmer is a way to connect a cordless drill to the spindle. I think on low speed it would really make this quick. Great trimmer, but since its Hornady, it's over priced. I still give it 5 stars overall rating, but it is probably 25 bucks over priced for what you get.

I purchased the Hornady trimmer as a replacement for an older RCBS trimmer that a friend gave me when I began reloading. I find the Hornady to be a huge improvement over the RCBS as its method of holding cases is far more consistent and effective. To use the Hornady, you must (1) buy Hornady shell holders for the particular cartridges you reload and (2) you must also keep a spare case of desired trim length to set-up the trimmer. Both of these requirements are trivial. Shell holders are not expensive and you always have need for them in reloading. When I use my spare case to set-up my trimmer for trim length, the process is simple and quickly done and the trimmer holds it's settings giving uniform, consistently trimmed cases. I also thought of buying the Redding trimmer with micrometer which is over twice the price of the Hornady. However, I concluded that there is not a real need for a micrometer in trimming.....IMHO that level of exactness is not necessary for this reloading step.....what is necessary, is that you set your trimmer to give you a length that is in the minimum to maximum case length range (usually a total of 10/1000"s) and the trimmer is consistent and produces cases of the same trimmed length over and over......if you trim 9/1000", 8/1000", or 7/1000" off your cases instead of exactly 10/1000", it doesn't matter as long as you are within the length range set in your reloading manual and your cases are trimmed consistently. That extra money can be spent elsewhere in reloading where a micrometer may matter more.....like a competition bullet seating die for example. I'd also suggest that you review this trimmer on YouTube as there are some good examples of how to use the trimmer properly and avoid some common mistakes in use and set-up. I'm very happy with this trimmer and find that it suits my needs and has made this part of reloading more enjoyable for me.

Good unit but a bit fussy to set up. I like that the unit is very sturdy and seems to have a nicely machined finish. Inserting the cartridge case is not difficult and the cam lock mechanism works nicely. Gross adjustment can be made with the spindle that holds the case holder. The lock on this spindle is very secure and it won't move once locked down. You must use Hornady case holders though as others don't work. In my case I tried a Lee case holder and the fit was loose and the hole that the cam lock must clear is too small. Based on other comments, I feel you will have to use Hornady case holders if you purchase this unit. They are not expensive but may cause duplication with other equipment you already own. The cutter head and spindle are also adjustable. This is the fine adjustment that Hornady describes in the product literature. The problem here is that the threads on this adjustment are far too course to be called a fine adjustment. Even very minor changes to the adjustment nut causes (in my case) some .010 change in trim length. This is too much to be called a fine adjustment and is the reason for less than 5 stars. It is difficult to loosen the adjustment nut and not have it move relative to the spindle changing the trim length with no real feel for how much it moved. This causes a bit of a trial and error situation. More experience with the unit may make this easier, I don't know. I did not have trouble with repeatability once the cutter was set and all the nuts were locked down. I can hold about +/- .002 without too much trouble. You can feel and hear when the cutter stops cutting and some skill will need to be developed to use this trimmer correctly. It is not foolproof in my opinion. You need care and patience in setting the cutter up.

Was getting into center fire rifle ammunition reloading and according to the experts needed to be able to trim the case length. Have set up with a new case; but, have not really needed at this point. Regardless, selected this one for the cam lock feature. It is stand alone and doesn't require tying up a hole in a press (like the Lee or comparable does). Seems to work fine and matches the color of my Lee Press. Arrived on time and in good condition. Would recommend.

Just as described like new condition half the price of new. Very satisfied.

This thing is built and works like a brick shi*house! It is very accurate and consistent. It sets trim lengtg of the face of the case around the primer pocket, the shell holder simply pulls the case back onto the bar. It does NOT index off of the case rim. Leading to very accurate and consistent trim lengths, less than a thousandth of a imch variance for me. It is expensive but worth way more than their charging for it. Oh and you bunchof whiney babies about the "proprietary" shell holders.. yall reload ammo for firearms but cant figure out all you gotta do is run a drill bit through the center hole on other brands shellholders to make the hole a bit bigger? Maybe you aint got no business reloading ammo. . make some soap...

I tried just about every form of trimmer from the basic Lee cutter and lock stud to the WFT. I got tired of the inconsistency of the other brands. This one hits it right every time. All trims are perfect. Best of all, I can do this in my bedroom or livingroom in from of the TV. No drill noise, no drill press, Just a perfect trim to the 1000th of an inch. You can easily lock the case into the trimmer, trim and remove in about 5 seconds per case. This is what I settled on after trying everything else. You will need to order the Hornady shell holder for the brass since the other shell holders will not work since the center hole needs to be the right size. I got a six-pack of the most common shell holders for $14 on Amazon. The pilots are included with this kit. The only con is that it does not come with a base. You will need to mount it to your bench or create a base so you can move it around. The base does not need to be that large to be effective without clamping it down. See attached photos.