RCBS Trim Pro 2 Manual

270Buck

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I have just purchased a second hand RCBS Trim Pro 2 Manual. It has yet to be delivered, but should be with me by Monday.

The guy who sold it me sold it with the 3 way cutter in .22 calibre.

It also comes with the whole range of pilots.

I do not reload any 22 calibres. The question I have is, it seems like the 3 way cutter is calibre specific, the RCBS website has various calibre specific 3 way cutters advertised. Is there any way of changing or modifying the 3 way cutter to be used for other calibres? I reload for 243, 270 and 308. Or is the .22 cal 3 way cutter useless to me?

Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but I am not familiar with this product, the 3 way cutter does not seem that popular in the UK.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers
 
It's true that RCBS case trimmers aren't popular .... perhaps they're too expensive. The Lyman Universal is the best value for money around, but those who only have one or two calibres appreciate the simplicity of the Lee apparatus for each. I can't see the point of the individual Lee setups unless you can guarantee you won't be reloading more calibres one day. ;)

Instructions on the manual (you've paid money for !?) are available FOC from the RCBS web-site. All manufacturers offer an online hand-holding service for users now. Try out the tech help below first .............

ATB.

http://www.rcbs.com/resources/#product_instructions

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/High_Capacity_Case_Trimmer_Kit_Instructions.pdf

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/Three_WayReplacementCarbideCutter.pdf
 
RCBS has been lofted on past glory for some time. They are overpriced and usually 'gadgety' with pricey, proprietary components. (About like Hornady) That's why I like the Forster. It comes with a pair of collets that will handle almost everything, case-wise, pilots are simple and inexpensive, and you can convert it to do neck turning and neck reaming for very little money. ~Muir
 
I have an older model but it comes with a range of pilots for the case mouth and a range of collets to clamp the case head in. I just looked at a demo of the model you refer to and it looks like an updated version of mine. Hopefully you will be able to trim all the cartridges you refer to in the original post.
 
Hi,

I have just purchased a second hand RCBS Trim Pro 2 Manual. It has yet to be delivered, but should be with me by Monday.

The guy who sold it me sold it with the 3 way cutter in .22 calibre.

It also comes with the whole range of pilots.

I do not reload any 22 calibres. The question I have is, it seems like the 3 way cutter is calibre specific, the RCBS website has various calibre specific 3 way cutters advertised. Is there any way of changing or modifying the 3 way cutter to be used for other calibres?

The RCBS 3-way cutter is not calibre specific. You just need to obtain the 3-way cutter pilot for the calibre you want. Available from GMK via your RFD. You need to adjust the outside trim blade for each calibre. A more convenient, and more expensive, approach is to buy one cutter head and one pilot per calbre, set it up once and leave it. Unless you switch to a differnt brand of brass that has a thicker/thinner neck wall. An easier way to go about things is to buy the Forster trimmer and their 3-way cutters which are calibre specific. The Forster carbide cutters are set up by the factory and never need adjusting. The RCBS cutter is steel. Due to the kit moster that lurks within me, I have both the RCBS and the Forster. Due to a manufacturing fault with the RCBS outside cutter blade, it doesn't do the job properly. I am to send some high-res close up photos to RCBS but haven't done so yet (low on life's list of priorities).

Neither the RCBS nor the Forster option is cheap. But they do three operations in a single operation, so you only have to handle each cartridfe case once. To me, that's worth the money. The RCBS has a wider choice of calibres than does the Forster, though Forster do the most common calibres and does an excellent job without any setting up involved. When I use the word calibre, I mean calibre (bullet/barrel diameter) and not cartridge name. Oh, one final point. The Forster trimmer body (a piece of extruded aluminium alloy) comes in several lengths to reflect cartridge length. I have one for .308 Win length cases and another for .30-06 to .375 length cases. The body isn't expensive. Forster are available from Hannam's Reloading Ltd. You can order direct (and will pay full RRP) or via your RFD where you might get a bit of discount, who knows?

For the similar money involved, I would recommend the Forster. But if you already have the RCBS ....

-JMS
 
Well ....... after reading that very helpful post my first thought is what a terrible faff the RCBS 3-way cutter is. Case trimming is the most awful chore without fumbling & adjusting complicated gadgetry. Given the RCBS setup rigmarole described I'd be inclined to abandon this job altogether.

I'm not familiar with the Forster alternative but from the posts this needs separate collets for different case sizes, in addition to the calibre-specific pilots. The Lyman has a universal chuck just like an electric drill, so eliminates collets and this step entirely. It can also do other case prep jobs with an adapter & cheap accessory kits.

Now that I've looked at the detail, all that the much touted 3-way cutting function on the RCBS is the basic trimming combined with reaming and deburring of the brass shards off the cut neck. It seems that this function also needs a preliminary setup operation too. Wouldn't it be far easier to use a standard £5 chamfer/deburr tool to do this job afterwards while watching the telly?
 
I don't have the three way on my Forster. I like doing the deburring (NOT CHAMFERING) by hand. I Bought one of the Lee trim dies and like it but for the excessive internal chamfer it puts on the case. I flare all my case necks now instead of inducing a heavy chamfer to aid seating bullets. Saves brass and seems to make for more accurate bullet seating.~Muir
 
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