LYMAN
CASE PREP XPRESS

I bought this VLD inside chamfer tool to replace the corresponding part on my RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center, which was worn out. It is a great upgrade to quickly prep cases for reloading. Impressed with the quality of the steel used, the aggressive cutting blades, and perfect fit to the existing female threads of the prep center. I gave this item a four star rating because I have used it only a limited number of cases as of yet.

I bought this and the Lyman inside VLD chamfer tool to replace the factory original corresponding parts on my RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center. Both are a prefect fit, cut consistently, and great steel used in the basic construction. I gave it four stars because it has not been used on many cases as of yet. I expect both to be better than the original RCBS parts with the Prep Center.

I've just received this and have only used it on three occasions but it is very helpful for case prep. You still have "finger fatigue" if you remove military primer pockets using only the Primer Pocket Uniformer. I learned to use the Inside Deburr tool LIGHTLY on the pocket first and then the Uniformer and it works like a charm!
I can't say how durable it is but it seems well made.

The Lyman unit has more than adequate power/torque, unlike some other case prep units on the market, plus a solid exterior case, plus a decent selection of threaded tools. I've prepped several thousand cases without a hitch. I have no complaints or criticisms.

I purchased this unit after looking at a couple of different ones. I used it to prepare some 257 Weatherby brass, and it went very well. All the brass was at least once fired so it took a little work with the primer pockets. The unit worked very well. I primarily use RCBS equipment, but this Lyman unit was worth the change. The service from Sinclair was excellent. I would recommend this to anyone.

Very helpfull when doing Trimming or working with new brass. Reakky speeds things up.

This thing is great. I have been doing all the case prep by hand (except trimming the length). It is sooo much faster it is crazy. I'll never reload without it again.

This prep station really saves time and your hands. If you are going to prep NEW brass,, this is the way to do it. And then later,(after so many firings) after you have trimmed your brass, this is so much quicker to chamfer the case mouths. When cleaning the primer pockets this machine does a good job. When Your loading for a Match or the Dog Town, time is money. and this thing saves time. I wish that the degree on the OUTSIDE chamfer was at a little different angle like my brand X hand held chamfer tool.(As it quickly Knocks the burr off) But I can dance with what brung me. I use this machine and keep going.

Recent purchase on sale :) but was shipped without any accesories. A call to brownells resulted in me recieving the needed kit. After setup I wanted to use my Lyman flash hole remover to better prep new brass. I realized all I needed to do was unscrew the wooden handle and screw the 8/32 threaded shaft into the a back station.

Unit is very powerful but makes a little clicking noise that I am getting use to.

Good outweighs the bad.

Easy to use after trimming brass to remove the burr. Simply place case mouth lightly on inside chamfer tool then place the case mouth inside the outside chamfer tool to remove trimming burr. Removes military primer crimp easily after you remove the old primer. Place the decrimping tool into the primer pocket and press down a second or two. What's nice is all the tools are included and are easy to replace if you have to being threaded on 8-32 thread. The same thread used on most cleaning rods. The unit feels solid and doesn't bog down under use Nice on off switch on the back. Just don't know how long it will hold up as I have only used it for a hundred rounds or so.

military primer pockets can be frustrating to cut out. The Lyman case prep express makes this chore a pleasure. Inside primer pocket cleaning, quick and easy. Case mouth de-burring inside and out...simple. Case mouth brushing station make it a snap. If you are a reloader this tool will save time and put more finished ammunition in your hands. I use it for 9mm, 40cal S&W, 45ACP,306 Winchester, 300 Savage, 300 Win Mag. It has a convenient tray to catch filings, and everything you need is in a compact tool.

Just what the doctor ordered , no more fumbling around picking up each tool to chamfer and debur , no more power drills !! Knocks the dirt out of the military primer crimp with the reemer tool. Still have to handle the cases so you hands do get a little stiff if your doing a lot of cases but pick it up once ,set up your 5 stations and Bang Bang that one is done !!
If you do any kind of volume you need this .
Product seems well built , fairly quiet , and just grinds away . real clean also, everything falls on the tray and you sweep it into the supplied waste basket . Perfect !
They thought of it all on this one . Also have their tumbler , another winner .

I bought this 2 days ago to help with 223 case prep. First impression is very nice. Everything I could want! Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that was not the case. The number 1 problem with this prep center is that it turns too slow.

Having the chamfer tools (ID and OD) spinning at the same time was convenient, I'll give it that.

I found the primer pocket cleaner to be useless. If you're uniforming the primer pockets, which you should be doing since brass expands when you fire it and the primer pocket is not exempt, the uniformer will scrape all the crud out anyways.

So now it's down to 4 useful tools instead of 5. I don't count the case neck brushes since I tumble after brass prep anyways to make sure all the brass shavings are out, and have no use for them. The chamfer tools are a given benefit, and you're left with the primer pocket uniformer and military crimp remover.

I have a lot of military brass so I was extremely disappointed to discover that the military crimp remover completely wore out after less than 20 cases. The cutting edges were simply gone. Yes, I'm using brass cases, not steel. Warranty would cover replacement according to lymans website, but to ship it back for warranty inspection plus down time is not worth the cost. It's cheaper to just buy an RCBS military crimp remover to replace it. After buying the RCBS replacement, I realized that it still spins too slow to be of any benefit. You can't tell when it's finished cutting so you end up sitting there for extra time to make sure it's done. Having a powered tool is useless if it doesn't save time. I ended up chucking the RCBS military crimp remover up into a cordless drill and zipping through my cases. Since I'm now removing military crimps with a drill and not on the prep center, the prep center is down to 3 useful functions.

The primer pocket uniformer cuts and uniforms well, but the cutting teeth clog up with brass shavings and you constantly have to brush it clean, multiple times per case, to ensure that it is no longer cutting because it's finished and not because the cutters are clogged. It does not spin fast enough for centrifugal force to make the cutters self clearing when you lift the case up. I took the primer pocket uniformer, chucked it up in my cordless drill, and went to town. Doing it horizontally allows the shavings to fall off thanks to gravity. Another function cancelled, case prep center down to 2 useful functions.

I'll admit, it doesn't take much rotational speed to debur case mouths, but for the cost of the unit, I'm better off to buy an outside neck deburring tool for around $10, chuck it up into another cordless drill, have the ID and OD drills sitting side by side with a hose clamp holding both triggers down to make them both run at the same time, and rock out some brass.

Obviously, the cost of the drills could be substantial if you don't already have them. The way I figure it, you could make do with 2, but would be better with 3. I've got 4 here already not counting my work drills so I'm not factoring in that cost. I'm returning the case prep center to the store. Of course, the case prep center has a nice little tray to catch all of your brass shavings. I will no longer have that, but I have a shop vac.

Overall, I'm just not impressed. I've got nothing against Lyman in particular (except the fact that the military crimp remover stripped out so easily. Shame on you Lyman!) But when doing my homework prior to purchase, it seems that ALL case prep centers spin at roughly the same speed. Why??? Why would anyone want a machine so slow? It has enough power. It has no problem actually cutting the brass. But it's just too freakin slow! Put a faster motor in it, offer an upgrade motor, or offer an adapter to power it with a cordless drill (like you do with your case trimmer) and you'll have a far superior product that would actually be time saving enough to be worth investing in! As it is, it just doesn't cut it.

Just received my Lyman Case Prep Center. After 40 years of case prep by hand this is a wonderful relief for these old arthritic hands. Thank you Lyman, you have allowed me to continue my favorite hobby for as long as I want. Everything is in order, works perfectly and thanks good old Brownells for your speedy shipping.

I was really mad at myself after using this for the first time, for not buying this a lot sooner, it saves a ton of time compared to the hand held tools,and really saves the fingers, really can't say much about the primer crimp remover because I've already removed the crimp with an RCBS primer pocket swager

I purchased my Lyman case prep machine over two years ago to help eliminate "sore hands" from doing case prep work. I still use a L.E. Wilson case trimmer to tune all my cases to proper length. I use to ream the crimped pockets using the same L.E.Wilson system and a hand turned reamer. After 20 or 30 cases my hands were sore and would usually end up with the makings of a blister. The Lyman case prep machine eliminates that and more. After trimming to proper length I use the de-burring devices to eliminate any burrs by chamfering inside and outside the case mouth. Then I utilize the reamer spindle to eliminate the crimp on the primer pocket. Still gets my hand sore after several hundred case preps but it beats the L.E. Wilson hand reamer method. The Lyman case prep machine turns a little slow but it is a well controlled set up. I like the fact that RCBS attachments will fit the spindles so one can use their pocket brushes and other attachments. I've been pleased with my Lyman case prep machine and would recommend it to anyone who requires prepping hundreds of cases at a time.

I reload about 2,000 rounds/yr for target. I reload about 100/yr for hunting, but of course most of that is checking my sights before the hunt.



I find this unit very acceptable. I've had it now for about 10 years. It has developed a bit of a grinding noise recently, and I will see if there is a way to lubricate it. I've probably used it on about 6,000 rounds of ammunition with the original cutters.



For those who shoot military ammo and then try to reload it, the main problem you will find is getting the old primer out and putting a new one in. To remove them, I've used the Lee Decapping Tool, but you have to be careful. Some of the primers are crimped very hard and this decapper will not do it. It works on about 85% of the cases. You can break the pin. Just don't force it and pitch those aside. Then use your main decapper in your die set to do it. I bought a primer pocket reamer. This saves my pocket cleaner on this device. Once I ream it, then I clean it.

I've been de-burring cases by hand and it becomes a pain after using a Sinclair trimmer. This tool saves a lot of time and makes the job much easier.