Trimming 380 ACP pistol casings?

[Twmaster]

I'm going to buy a basic reloading press this summer. I have an 8x57 Mauser, ~20 empty casings, a box of new Speer bullets and a set of new Lee dies.

As I intend to reload my 8MM stuff I've been looking into reloading some of the brass from my 380 ACP pistol. While reading up some I've run across conflicting comments about resizing/trimming.

I'm aware all cartridges need to run through the resize dies and rifle cartridges need to be trimmed. Some of what I've read says to trim pistol cartridges. Some say no need to trim.

What's the skinny here?

Thanks.

 

[HiPower]

As most auto pistol cases headspace off of the case mouth butting up against a shoulder in the chamber, it would behoove the smart reloader to at least check them once in awhile. .380's probably won't stretch much, but you'll never know unless you measure.

 

[tyromeo55]

I've never trimmed a straight wall pistol case and never will. They will fail before they grow enough to be an issue. But that is just my opinion....

 

[Toney]

Or they will get lost.

 

[Twmaster]

Or they will get lost.

That is so very true. Of the 100 I shot at the range Saturday I could only recover 40 casings.

Thanks for the replies folks. Of course I would be checking the lengths just as a normal precaution.

 

[gl89aw]

I have been loading the same .45 cases for years, I have gotten out of the habit of checking lengths cause I have yet to find a long one, I used to group them by length to get the same crimp but I never noticed enough difference in my groups to make it worthwhile.

 

[Calamity Jake]

Semiauto pistol brass has a reputation for shrinking instead of growing, been loaden for 30+ years never trimed any pistol brass execpt for new to me brass and that is just to square up the mouth.

 

[z06man]

Most pistol rounds don't operate at high enough pressures to heat/squish the brass enough to stretch the case like a rifle. There may be execptions, but they'd be high end magnum cartridges.