Shotshell trimming for roll crimping

[JL McGillicuddy]

Ok, I have everything to go over to roll crimping my BP shotshells.  (Both 12ga and 10ga.)  Been having trouble getting full length star crimped hulls to shuck out of the gun after firing.  So for that reason (and others) I decided to roll crimp. 

I took the advice of the shooters that said that the easiest way to trim shells for roll crimping (and cheapest) is to use pvc pipe and make a guide for cutting the hulls.  I have the right size pipe for both gauges of hull (and spares in case I screw up the cut.) 

Now, here's what I am needing from those of you that have gone this road before me.  Can someone take a picture of a hull pre cut and the same type of hull post cut so I can see how much the average trim is?  I have a heap of 12 gauge STS hulls coming and some AAs to use until those get here.  I have Winchester and Federal 10 gauge hulls.  All the hulls I am using are once fireds, so that is what I am trying to figger out the cut length on.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!
Jack Lee

[Dick Dastardly]

When I need to cut a bunch of plastic hulls I use my band saw.  It'll work faster than anything else and easier too.

DD-DLoS

[JL McGillicuddy]

Ah, yes, but you see, I have no band saw.  Not a bad idea, though.  This way, we can spend a bit of time cutting hulls whenever we have time to spare.  And the parts for the cutting guides ran me less than five bucks.  (Spending all my money on lead and powder and such.)

What I am thinking at this point is to cut the hulls just at the upper fold line below the creases of the star crimp.  That sound right to anyone that has done this before? 

I may just have to experiment as I am trying to get some loads up to test prior to this weekend, but I was hoping to maybe get lucky and find someone that can help point me at the right length. 

If it matters, I am loading 68gr of 2f under 1 1/8oz shot in my 12 gauge and am planning to try 110gr under 2oz for my 10 gauge loads.

Thanks!
Jack Lee

[Springfield Slim]

Cut it whatever length works for your intended load. I settled on 2" finished length.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

JL;  I am one of the proponents of the PVC pipe trick;  Cause I am too far away from DD's shop or I coulda used his bandsaw!

Here is how I set up my system;  First I carefully hand trimmed one case to 2 1/2 inches with a box cutter.  I used a dowel inserted inside to support the case, and a pipe cutter to mark the first cut.  Then I set the trimmed case along side the pipe, marked, and cut with a hack saw.  I left a little to trim to the exact length.  I inserted the case into the pipe to get the exact length and worried it down to what ended up as 2 7/16 inches ( 62mm).

In use, stick a case in the PVC gauge, press it down on something a bit tacky, like a mouse pad, and run a box cutter around what sticks out.

How much of a fired case gets discarded?  It looks about 1/8th inch or a bit more on newer cases.

Why 2.1/2 inches? 

1.  Because that is very close to the chamber length of old guns, and I didn't want to lose too much capacity.
2.  RTS and AA cases thicken up very quickly the more they are shortened, and
3.  that length makes perfect crimps on regular shotshell reloaders using my JAM-ROLL system.

The resulting loaded round is one short&curley over 2 1/4 Inches

[hellgate]

JL,
I found that my hulls that did not use a shot cup would not shuck but if they had some kind of shot sleeve they would come out fine. The bare shot scrubs out the crimp folds and the hulls would hang up.

[Tequila Jim]

I loaded a couple shells- powder, wad, shot, over shot card. used my scroll saw to trim.
Then formed the roll on the drill press. Took off bout an 1/8in. Regards, TJ

[Adirondack Jack]

My quick an dirty method was to look at the folds on a fired shell, and note that about 2/3 of the way from the end to the fold there is a crossways mark that WAS the transition from a rolled end to the pleats.  Chop em off there (about 1/4" is what yer taking off) and yer good to start a roll crimp.  Whatever ya do, make yer jig consistent so they are all the same.  that way yer built-up column always works.

[44caliberkid]

I take off about 1/4 inch, trimming them to 2 1/2 inches, because some of my antique shotguns have 2 1/2 inch chambers.  I use a piece of dowel rod (I think 3/4 or 5/8) that slides inside the hull.  I have a little groove cut around it.  I slide it in the proper distance, then cut around the hull with a razor knife, letting the blade follow in the groove.  I usually do this on Sunday afternoons while watching the football games, so I'm not concerned with speed.