Mystery "Little Dandy style" powder measure rotors

[Jackpine]

Hoping someone out there can give me some help. Years ago I acquired a Pacific powder measure, which operates like a Little Dandy, but is smaller in scale. It came with a couple of brass rotors and I have put it to limited use, mostly because I was limited to what I could drop and you are obviously handicapped if you change powder lots and the new lot is more or less dense. For some reason (probably because I am not real bright) I assumed they took the same rotors as the Little Dandy, but never verified this.

Anyway, a little while back I visited a gun shop while I was traveling and came across some brass rotors in the used section for half price of new and decided to buy them. When I got home I discovered they did not fit. The ones for the Pacific model that I have measure .685 inch diameter, 2.125 OAL. The stop slot is .150 wide and cut half way thru and the measure hole is drilled at a right angle to the bottom or flat of the slot. The new ones which I acquired are .625 diameter and 2.0 OAL. The stop slot is the same size, BUT the measure hole is bored parallel to the bottom or flat of the stop slot.

I have since found the Little Dandy rotors measure .800, so I do not know what the ones I have acquired are for, maybe a Forester?

Hoping someone out there can tell me what these will fit.

Thanks,

Jackpine

[Char-Gar]

Let me ask the obvious question.....have you tried the new ones in your Pacific powder measure?

The Pacific powder measure was made from the 1930's until the 1980's by several different makers. During this time the rotor length and stop cut design changed at least three times but all will work in a Pacific measure of whatever vintage.

[Jackpine]

Char-Gar,

Either I am really missing something or you did not read my post before you replied. The newly acquired rotors have a diameter of .625 and the Pacific unit that I have has rotors that are .685. Don't think trying them will make them fit.

Jackpine

[texassako]

They should be for the Bonanza Bullseye pistol measure. Pictures are dead for some reason, but there is even one for sale in the S&S section http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?258516-WTS-WTT-Powder-measure-J-Bullets-Dies-Shotgun-Wads-Lead-Shot

[Char-Gar]

You are not missing the point, I did. I don't do numbers and tend to skip over them and read words.

[Wayne Smith]

Char-Gar, don't worry. I have to work to concentrate on numerals, I am numerically dyslexic. I have to look at the ordinal position of each numeral to make sense of a number. Sometimes it's just not worth it! In short, you're not the only one.

[Jackpine]

Texassako,

Thanks for the info. I checked the sales listing and I could not get the pics to open either. I did a search tho, and found someone on another site that was actually looking for rotors for a Bonanza measure. I contacted him and hopefully he will confirm that the measurements match what I have.

Just as an aside, Bonanza, before the sold out to Forster, long with Gopher shooters supply was located in southern Minnesota and owned by the Purdy brothers. There father had started the business, originally selling gun related books out of his basement and it expanded into quite an operation. I shot handgun silhouette in the late 70's and into the 80's with the older brother Keith and great deal and was in the Bonanza operation a couple times that was run a brother named Dean, if my old memory is not fooling with me. I still use a Co-ax press quite a bit and have several sets of their dies with a sliding, spring loaded seater. They had a powder scale that was produced with then, some "new" kind of space age plastic, I think. Anyway, I remember the ad pictured "Dad" a pilot, probably self taught, standing in front of his airplane with one of the scales, that they had tossed out of the airplane at operating altitude, somehow found and recovered, and was showing it undamaged.

Just a little trivia, that no one probably really cares about!!

Thanks,

Jackpine

[Guesser]

The Bonanza "Bullseye" Pistol Powder Measure was the best of all the designs. The rotors were calibrated to Hercules Bullseye powder. A cross reference chart was issued with the measure for use with different powders. I use 3 of the measures and have a collection of the rotors altho I am missing a couple numbers. I made up my own cross reference charts for more modern powders. A great handy little tool; so much easier to use than the big, awkward RCBS and Lyman thingys!!

[Char-Gar]

Char-Gar, don't worry. I have to work to concentrate on numerals, I am numerically dyslexic. I have to look at the ordinal position of each numeral to make sense of a number. Sometimes it's just not worth it! In short, you're not the only one.

Yep, that is the way things work for me. Frequently the last two numbers in a series jump around and exchange places. Cussed little things! Unless it is something important I don't take the time and effort to make them stand still.

[Jackpine]

Guesser,

Can you measure one of your rotors and compare it to the figures I left in my first posting, so I can verify that the rotors I have are in fact for the Bonanza unit. That way I won't have to Guess!!!!!

Jackpine

[ReloaderFred]

There was also the Bair powder measure that used the same system. I'll have to measure my rotors and let you know the sizes for those.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[ReloaderFred]

The Bair rotors also measure .685" in diameter, and the one I measured was 2.191" long. The cut is 1.126" from the non-knurled end of the rotor. That would appear to be nearly the same as the Pacific rotors.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[lawdog941]

Does it look like this...

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/manuals-discontinued/metalic-reloading/tools/Pistol-Powder-Measure.pdf

[Guesser]

Bananza rotors are 2.007" long
.623 dia.
slot is .123 wide 1.075 from the non knurled end

[Jackpine]

Well I got it figured out and what I have are in fact Bonanza rotors. Thanks to all, especially Dusty Bannister, for your offline correspondence and verification of the pictures.

Jackpine

[Rory McCanuck]

...Bonanza... They had a powder scale that was produced with then, some "new" kind of space age plastic, I think. Anyway, I remember the ad pictured "Dad" a pilot, probably self taught, standing in front of his airplane with one of the scales, that they had tossed out of the airplane at operating altitude, somehow found and recovered, and was showing it undamaged.

Just a little trivia, that no one probably really cares about!!

Thanks,

Jackpine

I've heard of that story before. Did the scale look something like this?

121959

A decent scale, but you have to literally hold your breath to use it.
The slightest breath on it sends the beam swinging.
Yet sometimes adding powder to the pan doesn't move the beam.
Maybe time for another deep cleaning.

Sorry for the thread wander, guys.

[Green Frog]

OK, so in addition to the Little Dandy rotors that are still in production, we see the Bonanza, the Forester, the Pacific (which is probably the same as the Bair) and another unmentioned entry into the field, the Lyman Accumeasure. And with the exception of the Pacific/Bair none interchange with any of the others. [smilie=b:

I've got a complete set of the Lymans, all but one of the Little Dandys (loaned brother my #9) and about four for the Pacific (along with 4 of the measures!) I'm thinking about firing up the old lathe and making some rotors for the Pacific so I can get rid of some of the extra measures. Before I reinvent the wheel, does anybody know of a source for these ready made or with pilot holes to drill to spec? :?:

Froggie

[3006guns]

No, but if you ever find a source please announce it on here. I have one of the little Pacifics (an inheritance) and only two rotors. I've toyed with the idea of making new ones too............:)

[Green Frog]

No, but if you ever find a source please announce it on here. I have one of the little Pacifics (an inheritance) and only two rotors. I've toyed with the idea of making new ones too............:)

I've got enough brass stock to make maybe a half dozen or so rotors. If I get off my aged, lazy @$$ and start making some, would you be interested in a couple of blank (cavity spotted only) or finished rotors?

Froggie

[3006guns]

Actually, I have the same problem you do.......my aged, lazy @ss and a lathe! :) Guess I'd better get busy and not expect others to do my work for me......

[Wayne Smith]

Froggie, I don't have a lathe. I have a Bair Pistol Powder Measure and inserts for the 38/357 range of powder drops. I would love to have some for the 45ACP. I also have a blank, undrilled, if you need one to copy.

[Green Frog]

Wayne IIRC, yours is the one with a sliding bar and bushings that have different sized holes drilled all the way through from top flat to bottom flat, right? What We've been talking about here is rotors similar to the ones currently used on the RCBS Little Dandy. If your Bair takes the former style, they seem to still be available, but it would take a totally different setup for me to even drill those. The few rotors I see in the style of the Pacific Pistol Powder Measure go for big bucks and are pretty scarce on the ground anyway. If yours takes the rotors like mine and if my lazy @$$ and my tired lathe ever get in gear at the same time, I'll put you on my list... let me know.

Regards,
Froggie

PS Are you going up to the"Nation's Gun Show" at Dulles this weekend? I hope to be there Saturday.

[Wayne Smith]

Having grown up there I work to avoid Northern Virginia! Yes, mine is the old style that uses the round twisty things with holes in them to dump the powder. Your confusion is that I have both, the Pacific with the slide (Buckshot made me a wonderful steel slide, mine came broken from eBay) and I am making inserts for that AND the Blue Bair with the brass rod you twist to dump the powder. I have my Bair set up by my TrueLine Jr and use it primarially for the 38/357 and the Pacific set up by my Brown Bair press. I'd love to have roters for the 45 ACP/S&W that I currently load on the Brown Bair.

[Green Frog]

Having grown up there I work to avoid Northern Virginia! Yes, mine is the old style that uses the round twisty things with holes in them to dump the powder. Your confusion is that I have both, the Pacific with the slide (Buckshot made me a wonderful steel slide, mine came broken from eBay) and I am making inserts for that AND the Blue Bair with the brass rod you twist to dump the powder. I have my Bair set up by my TrueLine Jr and use it primarially for the 38/357 and the Pacific set up by my Brown Bair press. I'd love to have roters for the 45 ACP/S&W that I currently load on the Brown Bair.

OK Wayne, now I'm more or less caught up. :coffeecom I'm not going to go in business to mass produce these things, but I guess I could make one or two of them for you as I make mine. What is your intended powder weight for the 45s? Will you be using Bullseye™ or something else? BTW, does that slide type Pacific work well for you? I really don't want to start up with yet another system, but I'm curious about yours since it looks like it ought to work well.

Regards,
Froggie

PS, My nieces and their families both live in NoVA, Loudon County and Anacostia, so I don't mind visiting... but I wouldn't want to live there! ;)

[Wayne Smith]

Froggie, I really like it. The inserts are easily made, easily changed, and with the steel slide it has more weight to the throw as well, and I think that is an advantage. I have one insert that throws 1gr bullseye and one that throws 1.2 gr BE.

I'm at work between clients now. I'll have to get back to you about the charges. I now have 3lbs BE and 3lbs Unique, so I'll probably be sticking with BE for the 45's.

I learned to drive up there. It was a madhouse then, but I knew the backroads. Last time I tried to drive up there the roads don't go where they used to! It is even more of a madhouse now. Let's see, I495 was two lanes in each direction then. I66 was two lanes in each direction. The Northern Virginia Parkway was being talked about and planned. I'm dating myself!

[Char-Gar]

I have a black cast iron pre-war Pacific and a post-war blue aluminum version of the same. I have 8 rotors that fit these and I have them all marked with the charges of BE they throw (2.5 - 6.2 grains)

But I am going to have to confess for the record, that although I like old vintage stuff in general and old vintage Pacific stuff in particular, the RCBS Little Dandy is far better made and far smoother to operate. The LD also have the advantage of having readily available rotors for just about any charge of handgun power you would like to use. I use mine for 99.99% of my handgun loading.

[Green Frog]

Just for the record Char-Gar, my Little Dandy gets a fair amount of use (especially since I have all 28 rotors for it) but I like the now-discontinued Lyman Accu-measure even better. It's the one that stays on my combo expander/powder drop die on my All American. I just like the idea of using the little Pacific for loading very small charges of Bullseye... I haven't even used one yet (of the four I now own) but intend to correct that situation ASAP now that cool weather has forced me inside more. The downside of all of this is that the small Pacific rotors haven't been made for years and are now falling into the realm of collectible so the prices are getting out of hand... hence the possibility of having to make some of my own.Froggie

[Green Frog]

Update: I just picked up a Bair measure in like new condition in the box. Flea-Bay strikes again! :mrgreen: Although it had no instructions/papers with it, it did include 8 (eight!) rotors with it. They are each marked with UN and a number, so I guess this particular set was "calibrated" for Unique rather than Bullseye powder, but as usual, I'll check weigh anyway. ;) Now if I could just find the box with all of my Pacific stuff in it. :oops:

Froggie

[lowallman]

Possibly a home made measure

[Green Frog]

Possibly a home made measure
?? huh ??

[Ole Joe Clarke]

The Pacific pistol powder measure uses 1/2" dia. x 1/2" long brass bushings. I made several back in the day, to drop Unique, still have a few drilled blanks. The bushing works better if you polish the OD down about .003" so it will drop in to the slide easier.

[Green Frog]

Joe, that's a different animal altogether. The ones I'm dealing with have a brass (or steel during WW II) rotors similar to the ones currently used for the RCBS Little Dandy. I'd love to find some of those rotors in blanked-out form.

Froggie