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Thread: Anyone use an iron or plastic frame & drum powder measure with BP

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Anyone use an iron or plastic frame & drum powder measure with BP

    I am in the market to get a powder measure / dispenser for Black Powder.

    RCBS has got one with an iron frame, brass drum and aluminum powder hopper.
    But it looks like it has a very crude metering screw which puts me off the unit as I like the precison micrometer adjuster found on the dispensers for smokeless powder like the RCBS & Redding units.

    All the iron frame, iron/plastic drum units are not recommended for use with BP by their manufacturers.

    So has anyone used their iron frame dispenser with BP?

    Would or could a micrometer adjuster be fitted to one of these brass drum units?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    triggerhappy243's Avatar
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    not sure if you understand, but impact and friction on bp is a sure trip to the E.R. this is why the mfg, advises against the use of such a device. using a beam scale would be safer.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The old Belding and Mull measures were BP rated. Hornady, Lyman, Harrels and MVA all have powder measures desighned fo BP use.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    The Lyman 55 comes either in a reg. unit or one made for BP with brass hopper.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    The old Belding and Mull measures were BP rated. Hornady, Lyman, Harrels and MVA all have powder measures desighned fo BP use.
    I have a belding measure. how can i tell if it is a bp rated one?

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I think my Lee PPM has dropped 250-300lbs of BP during the past 30+ years.
    Does that count?

    Does this help you?
    http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_...ks/sparks.html

  7. #7
    Boolit Master dikman's Avatar
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    Me too, I've been using a PPM with BP with no issues. Manufacturers are saying not to because they don't want to be held liable if someone does something stupid.

  8. #8
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    I use a cast-iron Ideal #5 for black powder loading. It has a system of slides on the drum for metering. I check-weigh all my charges before pouring them into the drop tube and seldom is a given throw more than 0.5gr off the charge I've set it for. I toss back any charges over this line, but otherwise make no effort to get an exact weight for each charge. A friend did some bench testing with his .45-70 at 600 yards and found it took 3 grains difference in charge weight before he could see a significant difference in elevation.

    Static electricity collects on any nonconductive surface that touches or rubs against another surface until there is enough of it to spark. A "black powder rated measure" therefore has mostly conductive parts: brass rotors, iron bodies, aluminum hoppers, etc. to drain off any static electricity that forms.

    This rating is mostly liability lawyer stuff, since it would take an enormous amount of nonconductive surface (like water droplets in a rainstorm) to generate a static spark big enough to set off black powder. You may notice the lack of reports of exploding powder horns at Mountain Man re-enactments, although each has a pound of powder sloshing around in it for a weekend.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by triggerhappy243 View Post
    I have a belding measure. how can i tell if it is a bp rated one?
    If it has an aluminum or brass hopper, it is ok for BP, and I think they were always made of one or the other. The charge tubes are made of brass.

    Quick-Measure also makes a BP measure; I just got one and like it.
    Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA-Life, ARTCA, American Legion, & the South Cuyahoga Gun Club.

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  10. #10
    Boolit Mold
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    I have been using my old LEE PPM to charge 45 Colt loads. I haven't been blown up yet. I do spray it with anti static spray every now and then just for giggles. I am going to use it for my brass 12ga hulls next.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Black Dawg ammo quit loading because a full Dillon powder measure on a 1050 blew up severely burning one of the owners sons.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    I've used the Lee Perfect PM for BP charges as well and found it to be extremely accurate with FFg (Diamondback brand; 70 gr.). I decided to try it after seeing several of them in use on the line at a very safety conscious ML club in upstate NY a half dozen years ago.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    If you have an older Lyman 55 powder measure with the threaded plastic reservoir the aluminum reservoir for the black powder measure will screw right in and you will have a black powder measure.Most of the parts in a Lyman 55 that make contact with the powder are brass.The 55 was originally designed for black and bulk powders.The measures are frequently available on eBay at reasonable prices.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    How about rust forming on the iron frame dispensers?

    I read the PDF instructions for some iron frame dispensers and they all recommend an oil wipe down on the rustable metal parts after use. Now you got to remove the oil when you want to use it. These iron frame types of dispensers are startling to look like a pain to use with BP.

    I tried a LEE PPM but the charge weights thrown were all over the map, the PPM vibrated a lot in use. I blame my heavy hand and the flimsy mounting bracket. This plastic LEE unit should have a more solid mounting bracket. Setting up a none varying charge weight on the LEE PPM was impossible for me, do to my skill on the dump handle. I had more stable charge weights with the LEE dippers scale and trickler. The Quick-Measure unit looks interesting it's valve system reminds me of a sleeve valve engine.
    Last edited by greenjoytj; 08-31-2017 at 10:16 PM. Reason: Spelling & grammar two skills I lack.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by greenjoytj View Post
    how about rust forming on the iron frame dispensers?

    I read the pdf instructions for some iron frame dispensers and they all recommend an oil wipe down on the rustable metal parts after use. Now you got to remove the oil when you want to use it. These iron frame types of dispensers are startling to look like a pain to use with bp.

    I tried a lee ppm but the charge weights thrown were all over the map, the ppm vibrated a lot in use. I blame my heavy hand and the flimsy mounting bracket. This plastic lee unit should have a more solid mounting bracket. Setting up a none varying charge weight on the lee ppm was impossible for me, do to my skill on the dump handle. I had more stable charge weights with the lee dippers scale and trickler. The quick-measure unit looks interesting it's valve system reminds me of a sleeve valve engine.
    one of the reasons i like the climate. Humidity has trashed soo much, because people do not know. I guess it is just a cost of living.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master dikman's Avatar
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    First thing I did with the Lee PPM was pull it apart and rub graphite on the moving parts. Second thing was to make a better, more rigid support for it.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It's the fear of the unknown and lawyers that make life a PIA. Tests have proven that it's all but impossible to ignite BP with a static spark. The spark just doesn't have enough heat. BP is really hard to ignite without high heat.
    Information not shared. is wasted.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Ive never found rust in the cast-iron hopper of my #5, but I do find a certain amount of deposit or oxidation on the brass drum. This can be scrubbed off with fine steel wool and a slight amount of WD-40. It doesn't seem to pit the brass rotor; it just makes it sticky to crank on.

    I wipe off the steel wool particles, but leave a slight amount of WD on the surface. Enough to smell, but not to see. I have had no trouble with powder sticking on this.

    Of course, I empty the hopper and drum after each loading session. This cleaning and wiping I only need to do about every six months or so. I try the handle before filling, and if it is sticky, I disassemble and clean the drum.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master



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    I have been using the stock Dillon measures for BP for 10 years now, also the plastic bottles on my MEC shotgun reloaders, with no explosions. Can anyone tell me or ANY home reloader who has blown up a measure with plastic parts, ever? I mean someone you actually knew. One incidence does not a severe situation make. GOEX blows themselves up every few years, and they are experts using the latest equipment, or at least I should think they do. BP sometimes blows up. I would bet it wasn't the plastic hopper on the Dillon that caused the blow up, more likely a primer getting smashed. You do a few million cartridges and eventually something will mess up. FWIW I think a Lyman 55 should work well for you.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by BeeMan View Post
    The static electricity risk has been tested and debunked multiple times. Here is one. http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_...eignition.html
    folks have also used a simple grounding wire to ground the thrower to a water pipe

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check