powder measure for pistols

[Rich/WIS]

Forster-Bonanza I bought back in the late 70's. Fixed rotors and designed for either hand held or mounted operation. Picked up a few spares for my son and son-in-law with a selection of rotors for common charges of Bullseye. Nice feature is the base is heavy and it stands on it's own.

[farmerjim]

The Lee ppm is probably the best in the world. However you will need to lap the drum to keep it from leaking ball powders. The lee auto drum is just a version of the ppm to use on progressives and turrets. It also needs lapping to keep ball powders from leaking. They are both solid +/- .1 grain after a 1 hopper break in. The break in coats the insides with graphite to kill static charges.

[snowwolfe]

The Redding 10X is as good as they get. Sold my RCBS and bought a 10X and its bigger brother and am very happy with the decision.

[charlie b]

For pistols I use the Lee auto disk on the press. I have a set of micro disks as well as the adjustable charge disk (which is handy for the 9mm loads). they work well with powders like AA #5 and #7. Flake powders don't measure well, but, are good enough for medium power loads in the .357 and .45acp.

[Alferd Packer]

I have Lyman 55, 2 Rcbs duo measures, 2 Dillon's and a LEE auto disk with extra small disk and an adjustable cc sliding accessory measure.
I still use LEE measures have old and new cc scoop set plus many homemade scoops.
Anymore, I use an adjustable powder thrower for rifle 308, 30 06, 303, 3030, .223 etc .
For pistol, I usually custom make a scoop.
last few years have been catsneeze, mousefart loads.
Soft cast bullets.
From .223 to 45/70.
Just for fun.
it's all been fun!

[Outpost75]

It's easy enough to make smaller volume Rotors to fit the RCBS Little Dandy. I had two made which were marked 000 and 0000 to meter 1 grain and 1.5 grains of Bullseye, and also a brass one for 38 grains of 3Fg Goex. Fellow who did mine hangs out here, but I won't put his name out, as I'm not sure that he wants it.

If anyone wants the business they can post an item in Swap & Sell and I'm sure they could sell a few.

[Bmi48219]

Lyman 55 + baffle will do fine. I use all 3 slides for a straight measuring chamber. Takes some set up and judicious use of rapper but less than .1 grain variation consistently.

[gunther]

Redding makes an accessory small micrometer measuring chamber for some of their newer measures. Look for them at Midway or Midsouth. A RCBS small rotor micrometer setup is my go to for pistol charges. Redding is very similar. If you are using Trail Boss, a large cavity rotor RCBS or Redding is the ticket.

[AlanF]

Harrell's Schuetzen pistol measure is top-self equipment.

[Jtarm]

My RCBS Uniflow has been going strong for 40+ years.

[LeonardC]

Most of the time I have to say: "I wish I'd bought X when I could have."

This is one of the few times I can say: "Thank goodness I bought the Lyman Accumeasure and rotor set when it was available." I use mine all the time for handgun loads.

[Baltimoreed]

I like the old 450 and 550 Dillon measures, also use the RCBS uniflow with a micrometer adjustment to develope loads. These work the best for me.

[jetinteriorguy]

I use the Lee Pro Disc for most of my handgun loading. Once I’ve worked up a load, I find a cavity that throws a little short, then take a tapered reamer and slowly enlarge the cavity from the bottom until it throws the required charge. Then I mark this cavity and keep it with the turret for my Lee Classic Cast turret. This is such a simple reliable setup and it throws extremely accurate amounts.

[Green Frog]

Missed this earlier somebody observed that they couldn’t get RCBS rotors with small enough chambers. I would suggest you look at the current RCBS offerings and you will find rotors #0 & 00. They throw small enough charges of Bullseye for my midrange target loads in 32 S&W L.

At one time, Pacific and/or Bair offered “blank” or undrilled rotors. A machinist with just a lathe and drill press could easily turn these out for any of the measures using fixed charge rotors. Of course you also have the option of filling and redrilling existing rotors if you have spares. I believe I’m repeating something from friend Outpost75 here, but it’s worth repeating and expanding on.

For completeness, don’t forget the adjustable Little Dandy rotors from Bailey Boat.

Froggie

[Livin_cincy]

To understand fully, you are wanting to load pistol in small batches using loading blocks throwing each charge by hand ?

[Alferd Packer]

Lee microdisk works real well in the auto disk powder measure.
Also you can make your own custom dippers. I have dippers I made more than 40 years ago from fired .22 short cases soldered to a piece of wire or to a finishing nail pounded flat for a handle to epoxy or solder to cartridge cases.
just pick a case size that most fits your load and fill the case with a weighed load of your choice.
Then mark on the case the fill height and dump out the powder saving that load.
Then just file or sand the case down to the marked height.
Deburr the dipper and Attach the handle.
Now to fine tune the dipper you dip a careful and level off the dipper with a business card or just give it a side wise shake to level.Then you dump this on the scale.Should be too heavy.
File or grind off just a touch and dip another load and level it.
Dump it on the scale.
Keep doing this and you will learn how to make accurate dippers for other loads in a short time. You will also learn how to level the dipper to dip and dump charges one after another.
My one grain Bullseye dipper is from a .22 short case soldered and filed so its tiny, but it measures everytime one grain right on the money.
No adjustment needed .
2 grains= 2 dips
3 grains = 3 dips
A weighed check shows exactly what I want.
One grain for 25 auto.
Never any adjustment.
I have a box full of dippers for other powders.
Well worth the time and effort.
If you get the LEE set of plastic dippers you can wad a small bit of compressed paper to jam in the bottom of the plastic dipper to modify them for a custom load
of your own choosing.
Even a bit of masking tape sticky side down will take up space in a dipper.
just use more tape.
Making a custom dipper from scratch and cutting it down is best.
Pick up .22 cases and .25 and .32 and .380 or 9mm cases at the range.
Aluminum cases with a paper clip straightened and wrapped around the rim indentation will hold the case as a handle.
You take it from there.

[Dan Cash]

Your Lyman is the go to measure. 1.5 grain bulls eye every time but you have to run it right.

[Boogieman]

the Lee pro auto autodisc with a double disc kit and a microdisc will work from small pistol to medium rifle. I use it for 32S&W to 30-30. Lee made a manually operated one called the saftydisc, I put a Pro update on one with an adjustable measure for working up loads. Lee stopped making them but they still turn up used.

[toallmy]

the Lee pro auto autodisc with a double disc kit and a microdisc will work from small pistol to medium rifle. I use it for 32S&W to 30-30. Lee made a manually operated one called the saftydisc, I put a Pro update on one with an adjustable measure for working up loads. Lee stopped making them but they still turn up used.

Yep I agree but now lee needs to make a triple disk kit so I can load 3006 as well .

[Polymath]

I had an issue with 32 ACP not throwing the proper charge of BE. Even with the smallest disc on my Lee Turret press. So I took a soda straw and cut it to length. (thickness of the disc) shoved it down the hole to make the hole smaller hence less powder and Bob's your uncle.