Gear Review: ‘World’s Finest Trimmer’ from Little Crow Gunworks
We had a chance to try out the new power case trimmer head from Little Crow Gunworks. Dubbed the “World’s Finest Trimmer” (WFT) by its inventor, Dale Hegstrom, this device proved fast, precise, and easy to use. When compared to a Hornady Lock ‘N Load hand-crank trimmer, the WFT processed cases twice as fast, and delivered a more uniform cut length with our test brass.
The WFT features a steel shell-holder, aluminum body, and steel drive shank. You can chuck it into any electric drill or power device that can handle the 3/8″ shank. Unlike most case trimming tools, the WFT indexes off the shoulder datum. This permits you to trim cases very quickly, without fiddling around with rim-grabbing collets, or shell-holders. Watch the videos to see the WFT in action.
WFT is Fast and User-Friendly
Mark LaFevers, our tester, was easily able to trim five (5) cases in under 30 seconds. It took quite a bit longer to trim five cases with the Hornady trimmer he used for comparison. Mark noted that, after just a 20 or so manually-trimmed cases, his arm would start to fatigue. By contrast, he could effortlessly trim 100 or more cases with the WFT. For older folks with a bit of arthritis, the WFT makes life easier. Mark observed that the WFT produces a “nice, square, clean cut”, while offering a “very fast cycle rate”. He tells us, “once you get the hang of it, you probably can trim your brass two, if not three times as fast.”
Mark really liked the WFT tool, and a WFT will be replacing his hand trimmer for big jobs. One downside is that, currently, the WFT is cartridge specific — you normally need to have a different tool for each cartridge type you trim. And there are no swappable inserts allowing you to trim different cartridge types with the same tool. However some WFT versions WILL trim different cartridge types within the same “family”, such as .270 Win and .30-06.*
Hi-Rez Video Shows “Trim-Off” Challenge between WFT and Hornady Trimmer
You should definitely watch the five-minute video below. Mark trims five cases with the WFT, and then five more with the Hornady tool. He times the operation of each device and then measures the trimmed cases. The total variation (in length) of the WFT-trimmed cases was .001. With the Hornady tool, there was a much larger spread: .007″ (seven thousandths). Mark cautioned: “Normally the Hornady tool does a bit better than this — the variance won’t be so large. But getting better results (with the Hornady) might require trimming, measuring, then trimming again. In the video I was trying to move pretty quickly and the measurements were all taken after the initial trim. Possibly, if I slowed down when using the Hornady trimmer, the OAL measurements would have been more consistent. But that just further reinforces the point that the WFT is faster.”
NOTE: If you have a fast connection, we suggest you select 720p (HiRez) and expand to full screen.
In the video below, WFT creator Dale Hegstrom demos his device and shows how quickly it can trim a large quantity of brass. Note how the WFT is attached to a common rechargeable power drill.
“World’s Finest Trimmer” Costs $69.95
The Little Crow Gunworks “World’s Finest Trimmer is available for $69.95 from various vendors including Creedmoor Sports. WFTs index off the shoulder, not the base. The case fits tightly into a steel bearing which has been machined to a specific caliber. This decouples the stationary case from the spinning cutting blade and body, giving you a smooth, exact cut each time. While the WFT makes a nice, square cut, we do recommend chamfering inside and outside after the brass is trimmed to length.
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Tags: Brass, Brass Prep, Cartridge, Case Trimmer, Little Crow Gunworks, Power Trimming, Reloading, WFT
Neat little tool, great price point, and a time saver for sure. I wish it did an inside and outside chamfer at the same time as trimming, I would have got one, but, for now, I’ll just stick to my current system.
Looks like a nice trimmer for fast work!!!
When indexing off the shoulder instead of the bass, you will get inconsistent lengths.
Donovan,
It’s the same system as the Gracey & Giraud bench-mounted trimmers have used for years – just hand-held. The consistency of trim length is as good as the consistency of the sizing of the cases. If the headspace varies a little, the case trim length will vary correpsondingly… but still pretty dang close. Not *quite* as precise as a Wilson trimmer, but ‘close enough’ that I use my Giraud whenever possible. This might be a good option for someone starting out and not wanting to spend the $$$ on a bench-mounted trimmer, or who wants to trim one caliber in particular in bulk.
Monte
Nice idea, I’ll stick to my Lee trimmer. It’s still caliber-specific, but I do have the option of modifying the mandrel (ex, I used a 7.62×39 mandrel to make suitable for 6PPC, turned the diameter down, and trimmed .010″ off the end).
Or get the same style trimmer (indexes on shoulder datum) from Possum Hollow for half the cost…
Got a one-off Wildcat that isn’t stocked? Send him a sized case and he’ll make one for you.
I call it the poor mans Gracey. Its fast and works well. You dont want to push the case in to hard or it will try to rip it from your fingers. Need to wear eye protection too as the fine brass shavings can really fly. If it chamfered and deburred it would really be a big time saver. That said I have one in .223 and it cuts a square neck and very consistent overall case length. Would recommend.
But is it as good as the Forster inside and outside case trimmer?
When trimming for consistency and precision in length, always index off the bottom of the case, with the primer removed.
The case`s if sized or fire formed are all the same length to the datum to base. So sizing off the datum line works well. The Foster with the carbide 3 in 1 cutter does a great job. I have both trimmers, since the Foster does all three operations Id say overall its at least just as fast.