LnL AP powder measure?

[DssG19]

Can anyone here get this thing to throw a consistant charge? I swear this thing is laughting at me. I'm using WSF and trying to throw 5.0 grns. I get it to throw 4-5 in a row, then I start reloading. I like to spot check the charge every once in a while. When I do it'll be 5.3, WTF? So I start cheching each load 5.0, 5.3, 4.8, 5.2, 4.7,5.3, one time as high as 5.6.. I know powder measures can be off 1/10 of a grain maybe 2/10 +/-. But this thing is dangerous.

When I was using HP38 it was only off at the most 2/10's or so, which I can deal with. Is there a way to accurize this damm thing? Anyone having the same problem? is it operator malfunction(quite possible)? the powder?

How consistant is the 550b powder measure? Mine is on the way. just curious. Thanks

[thorn]

Things to try:

- Rub a dryer sheet on the plastic tube to make sure static isn't causing a problem.

- Take out the rotor and take it apart, and take the entire powder measure assembly off the press. Make sure you've got everything in the powder tubes completely degreased (it comes with the factory full of protective grease that must be removed), so that powder isn't hanging up along the way. I recommend Hornady OneShot to get the grease out and dry lube at the same time. I've tried brake fluid and alcohol and teflon drylube spray... the OneShot gives far superior results with less hassle.

- I've read suggestions of using a bit of powdered graphite in the rotor/tubes to make the powder drop more regularly. If the OneShot routine doesn't help, try that.

Finally, which rotor measure are you using? The one that came with it, the pistol measure, or the rifle measure? It seems like i saw something that said the standard measure was spec'ed to throw 5-100 grains... 5.3 is kinda close on that, so getting the smaller pistol measure might also help as it has a much smaller usable range.

HTH,

thorn

[DssG19]

Thorn is your measure accurate? That thing has loaded 10,000+ rounds and I cleaned it when I got it with brake cleaner. I'm gonna break it down and clean it again, see what happens.

I'm using the pistol measure it came with. Are you talking about the powder inserts below? Do you use these?



http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28/scira03/pistol_rotor.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28/scira03/micrometer_pistol_insert.jpg

[thorn]

I have the one in the top picture, but don't have the micrometer insert the bottom picture. I'm using HS-6, and just set my press up to throw 5.2grs. I threw 10 cases... some slow, some with a bit of oomph, and one with a lonnng delay between raising and lowering the ram. Every charge was right at 5.2.

I've never used the standard rotor which came with the press, so my opinion on it's accuracy @ ~5gr is merely speculation... so my success above might not really help you with the situation you're in at the moment.

Good luck with it tho :)

-edit- dumb suggestion, but i'll toss it out there... if your scale is electronic, have you double-checked & calibrated your scale?

thorn

[MakeMineaP99]

I used the rifle micrometer for pistol, works just fine. A through cleaning and relubing with powder graphite should solve your problem.

[DssG19]

I cleaned the thing out, and it was a little gunked up, and there was powder stuck to the side of the tube. I got It all cleaned and I dryer sheeted the tube. I put it back together and I had the same problem. Funny thing is I think it made it worse, don't know how thats possible.

It's gotta have something with the powder. I've never used WSF and it started with that powder. I'm was gonna try to run some bullseye and see what happens but I needed a break before I started throwing things. Anyway, I'm gotta order that new pistol rotor and see what happens.

Thorn, just curious how come you never used the stock part? did you anticipate a problem? Thanks


BTW I'm using a hornady digital scale, and it seem to calibrate fine with the 10 gram weight.

[thorn]

Thorn, just curious how come you never used the stock part? did you anticipate a problem? Thanks

I'd read good reviews on the pistol rotor, and decided that because i was reloading 9mm i wanted as fine a measurement I could get. It's very possible the standard part would work, but i didn't want to find out it didn't, and then have to order something else, pay more shipping, wait, etc etc.

But the time i started throwing a charge for the first time, i had both parts and just decided to use the pistol version.

So it was more of hedging my bets (perhaps unnecessarily).

thorn

[DssG19]

So it was more of hedging my bets (perhaps unnecessarily).

thorn

Nah I think you did good buddy.

I took the whole thing completly apart, again, and I took it to my brothers father-in-laws machine shop. I ran all the metal through the jet wash which completly cleans all surfaces inside and out. I blew off all the parts with air to get it dry. I reassembled it and brought it home.

I loaded up with WSF and gave it a shot. Much better mostly +/- 1/10, the most it was off was 2/10th's. I'm still gonna buy that upgraded part because it seems to work well for you. I need to get some dry lube too, cause this thing in bone dry.


Thanks alot guys. For some reason I thought the powder measure never needed cleaning, boy was I wrong.

[Oreo]

I did the same as Thorn & ordered that smaller pistol measure right from the start. One look at the standard measure & I knew it would be awful tough to get throws as accurate as .1gr consistently. It might do it, but I'm not taking the chance.

[DssG19]

Ok I ordered the new rotor with handgun insert, and the rifle micrometer insert. It's gonna be nice to have a measure that can throw a consistant charge. Thanks again for the info.