Hornady Case Prep Trio

[AzDak42]

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-Load-Case-Prep-Trio/

So I've been playing with this one for a few weeks now and I feel comfortable I've got enough volume through it for an initial review. (500 or so cases to date)

- It's nice and quiet. I don't catch guff from my wife in the other room which is always a plus.
- I was initially concerned about how ergonomic it would be, after one of the counter guys at a local reloading store here complained about how he couldn't figure out how to use it efficiently. This proved entirely unfounded. With the unit in front of you sideways, you can rest your hand on the bench and it's perfect. Very comfortable to use for long strings of cases needing work.

- One of the best features? It uses standard 8-32 threads..
This means that the RCBS primer pocket uniformer heads work great. I've used both the large and small, and it sure beats a sore hand from using a manual tool.
- It also fits the RCBS primer pocket cleaner and brushes.

Assuming it has legs and doesn't burn out/wear out anytime soon, it was money well spent. It's made case prep a whole lot faster and easier.

The only downside is they built tool holders into the top. I find I'm resting a hand on top of the until while I'm working and they get in the way if you use them. No loss really.

 

[DrMike]

Excellent review of what looks to be a very handy tool for the hand loader.

 

[Guest]

If it's anything like my experience with the RCBS version, you will soon wonder how in the world you ever handloaded without it! I've come to really love my case prep center. No more hand cramps from cleaning 200 primer pockets and chamfering 200 case mouths!

 

[SJB358]

If it's anything like my experience with the RCBS version, you will soon wonder how in the world you ever handloaded without it! I've come to really love my case prep center. No more hand cramps from cleaning 200 primer pockets and chamfering 200 case mouths!

Same here Dub, I love my little prep center. I do wonder how I did so much without it!

 

[DrMike]

I think I would appreciate the smaller footprint of the Hornady Case Prep Trio. However, the RCBS Case Prep Center is very nice; it has certainly saved me considerable pain for case prep.

 

[AzDak42]

I looked long and hard at the RCBS. The only reasons I went with the Hornady is that my bench fairly tall. I sit at a high stool and working 'down' would be awkward unless I was standing.

Would be interesting to see folks thoughts on it though.

 

[DrMike]

They both fulfil the same function, and the Hornady tool is somewhat smaller and it does appear to be quiet. These are not inconsequential considerations. The Case Prep Center works well, but it does nothing that the Case Prep Trio doesn't do.

 

[tjen]

I have the single not the trio and its great. The trio should be even better because you can finish each cartridge in sted of doing a batch in steps.

I have preeped about 400 cases with mine.

 

[AzDak42]

I have the single not the trio and its great. The trio should be even better because you can finish each cartridge in sted of doing a batch in steps.

I have preeped about 400 cases with mine.

I think there would be a pretty big productivity bump going from the single to the trio. What I've found works pretty well for me, is I run two separate setups.

The first is when I'm depriming dirty brass. I like picking up the piece, deprime it, and then as it comes out of the press, hitting it with the primer pocket cleaner, followed by the uniformer. It then gets dropped in the basket from my sonic cleaner, so it's ready for it's 10 minute bath. I only have to handle each piece once.

After it goes through the sonic cleaner and them tumbler for a polish, it gets setup number 2. In this one, I trim it, run it over the inside & outside deburr attachments, give it one quick pass with the rcbs primer pocket bruss, before it gets lubed and sized. Again, handling each piece only once.

With all the stations setup sequentially, it's way faster than when I was trying to do each step independently.

I should really time myself and figure out how much it's saving, versus handling each piece of brass multiple times.