Lee Auto Drum Powder Measure - Now Available

[golfhack]

Just ordered it from Titan Reloading ($35), now in stock. Could not resist, looked too interesting - two infinitely adjustable drums included (large/small) for charges ranging from 1-80 grains. Case activated measure, looks like I can directly install it on top of my existing powder-through expanding dies. I'm currently using a modified Lee adjustable charge bar, which works OK, but it has a bit more variation than I'd like with small pistol charges. Curious to see if this will work better.


There are videos from Lee Precision up on YouTube now too!

Has anyone else tried it yet?

[dragon813gt]

I've been waiting for this since they announced it. I checked for availability on Wednesday and it wasn't showing in stock yet. I doubt anyone has one since they are newly released. I ordered one along w/ one set of extra drums. I'm hoping it doesn't leak H110 like my PAD does. If it doesn't leak and throws consistent charges I will be extremely happy.

[44Vaquero]

One of our members (Lee Reloading and Casting Equipment Group) on FB has posted a review and video. It looks very promising!

[Mike67]

Just ordered one myself. I've been using an RCBS Uniflow case activated on my Classic turret it's a bit heavy but works. I think this new Auto Drum will be less stressful on the auto indexer.

[Bzcraig]

What the heck, it's just money, right?

[VHoward]

For $36, it's worth a try. I'd be interested in your opinion on the quality of the unit when you get it. Die casting quality especially. For $15, you can get extra drums so you can have one set for every charge you have. Lee seems to be cashing in on their Classic Cast line. They have an awesome product in their Classic Cast single stage press which I have one of. Every bit as good as the RCBS Rockchucker.

[golfhack]

Received it today. Below is the picture from the box:


148984

It ships with the small drum already installed. Two adjustment keys are included, one for each drum. Nothing really to put together - all I had to do was remove the Pro Auto Disk unit from my Lee Classic Cast Turret and screw in the Auto-Drum. Fit and finish is typical Lee - the die cast body is pretty rough and the open/close valve for the hopper was loose, even after I tightened the screw. Plastic parts look/feel cheap - but as long as it works I don't really care.

I had some TiteGroup on hand, so I used that for the initial testing. Very quickly ran into my first issue - the disconnector. Lee ships the unit with the disconnector already installed. Even though the measure is case-activated, you have to ALSO manually press the disconnector button EVERY time to actually dispense the powder. I guess this is a safety "feature" but it is easy to forget to press the button. I think this actually dramatically increases the risk for squibs. Thankfully, the manual includes instructions for removing the disconnector, which is pretty easy to do. Once removed, it works just on the case activation.

The powder hopper seemed to have quite a bit of static electricity (need some dryer sheets), but I went ahead and tested anyways. These are my measurements for 10 consecutive charges (I cycled the turret before each charge):

3.82 gr
3.80 gr
3.70 gr
3.70 gr
3.72 gr
3.76 gr
3.82 gr
3.80 gr
3.70 gr
3.84 gr


I suspect it will do better once once I clean it out and wipe it down with some dryer sheets, but it seems at least as consistent as using the Pro-Autodisk adjustable charge bar. And, I did not see any evidence of powder leakage (I get a small amount of leakage with the auto disk). Admittedly, Titegroup is probably not the toughest test for a powder measure.

The adjustable drum is a NICE feature to have - I can quickly change charge settings by simply turning the adjustment key. Lee also sells the drums separately so you can pre-set the drums and simply swap them out as needed. However, when installing the drum you have to be careful not to over-tighten it. Found out that if I tightened the clamp know too much, the drum would not consistently rotate back to the same position. Not a huge issue, but something to double-check and verify when installing a new drum.

I did find one thing I did not like. To change powders, it is easy to unscrew the hopper and pour the contents back in the container. However, it leaves a significant amount of powder in the measure body - see photo below:

148990

With the auto-disk, all I have to do is cycle through a few times to empty the remaining powder. With the auto-drum this would take forever. I ended up just unscrewing the powder measure and pouring the contents back into the container. A bit inconvenient.

Overall, I like the auto-drum and will use it for loading 9mm and 300 Blackout (can use the small drum for both). The auto-disk will now be dedicated for 45 ACP. If you already have the Pro Auto-Disk and it is working well, then the auto-drum is probably not necessary. However, if you want more granular control over charge weights and want to be able to pre-set charge weights by purchasing additional drum sets, the auto-drum is worth taking a look. For $36, it seems like a pretty good deal.

[VHoward]

Thanks. That was pretty good for a quick evaluation. I bet if you ran an entire hopper of powder through it the first time without using those charges for actual loads, the charges would get more consistant. On the Lee PPM, Lee specifies to run an entire hopper of powder first, then it will measure consistantly. I did that with my PPM and it does work. A wipe down with a dryer sheet won't hurt.

My hope is that it will measure real fine powders without much leaking.

[daboone]

This Auto Drum PM looks to be of the same metering design as the Classic PM which is a substantial improvement of the old PPM. Based on the tests I did on the Lee Classic PM I'm confident it will dispense/meter consistent charges of both flake and extruded powders (like Unique and IMR 4895) if the sector/sun gear mechanism work as advertised.

I'm thinking it will be an unbeatable PM for the 550B and the LM progressive presses as it has a chain link reset with each cycling of the ram.

[Gunslinger1911]

Hi guys, there is a thread for this measure in Our Town also, I'll post what I posted there.

Hello all,
Got in a little T&E on the new measure.
All in all, I like it.
Clean it well, a little "oily" in the guts.
LOTS static - drier sheet fixed that.
The little collar that you turn to attach to the die is smaller than the one Lee sells for the Pro auto disk.
For me, the "disconnector" has to go (on a Dillon 550), easy to remove, I may play with the chain activator in the future.
The powder shutoff is a nice touch, but it leaves about 70g 231 in the measure (Pro auto disk leaves maybe 10g).
Tried it with 231 and WC820 (very fine pull down powder), no leakage anywhere I could see.
See results below.

Conclusion ? I think like most of Lee's products it's about 95% engineered - screw collar too small, 70g left when removing the reservoir.
Don't get me wrong - I love Lee products, I use their dies exclusively, have lots of their stuff, you just need to be willing to tinker with some of it.

I like it, I may leave the Pro on the 45 acp tool head and use this for most everything else.


231
5.8
5.8
5.8
5.8
5.7
5.8
5.8
5.9
5.8
5.8

WC820 Cranked on the volume adjuster quite a bit
14.8
14.8
14.8
14.7
14.6
14.8
14.7
14.8
14.8
14.7

Not bad !
These are after 3 cycles to "settle" everything.
I tried to cycle the press as if I was loading - ie the same "bounce" every time.

[Electric88]

Thanks. That was pretty good for a quick evaluation. I bet if you ran an entire hopper of powder through it the first time without using those charges for actual loads, the charges would get more consistant. On the Lee PPM, Lee specifies to run an entire hopper of powder first, then it will measure consistantly. I did that with my PPM and it does work. A wipe down with a dryer sheet won't hurt.

My hope is that it will measure real fine powders without much leaking.

I have had the same experience with my Lee PPM. If the auto drum works well with ball and flake powders (which it looks like it does) I'm going to pick one up soon

[jetinteriorguy]

I received mine on Thursday but haven't had a chance to try it yet. Right now I'm getting caught up on my .223 supply but unfortunately mine was missing the rifle drum. I have an email in to Titan and am waiting for my reply. I may have to set up for some wadcutters for my .38 just to try it out. I cleaned it thoroughly and sprayed all interior surfaces down with graphite lube so should work nice. The design seems well thought out and well made. Right now the most difficult metering powder I use is 700-X so maybe I'll just try throwing some charges to test how it works with it.

[dragon813gt]

I tried mine out this morning. I am not pleased at all w/ it's poor performance and leaking. I typed up a review in Open Office but when I tried to copy and paste it here the formatting was screwed up. When I get home from hunting I will post it.

[1bluehorse]

Mine showed up today. After a through cleaning and then running a hopper full of powder through it I did tests of ten powder drops using BLC2, Herco, and IMR 4198. It's as consistent with these powders as any other measure I own. (actually much better with Herco than others I've used) my other measures are a Lyman 55, a couple Uniflows, Lee PPM, and Lee Auto discs. Zero leaking. BLC2 is a pretty small grain powder and no issues at all. I think it's a good buy especially if you're looking for a case activated measure that will throw powder charges large enough for Magnum rifle cases. I got mine for running pistol rounds on a progressive press.

[VHoward]

OK. So tracking said it would be here Monday. I got it today on Saturday. I set it up on my single stage for testing it out. Really dislike that double charge prevention feature, but it can be disabled. I also don't think much of the quality of the plastic parts. I wonder what the life span of this measure will be? The main body is cast aluminum. The outside is finished OK. The parts that matter are finished well. The performance is very good. This measure proved to be very accurate and consistent.

Powder was Accurate Arms #9
Target charge was 12 grains
Results of 10 charges thrown
12.0
12.0
12.1
12.0
12.0
11.9
12.0
12.0
12.1
12.0

I then measured 10 charges all together and it came out 120.1 grains.

I then went ahead and cycled this measure until there was half a hopper of powder left to see how much leakage there would be. AA #9 leaks the most for me and there was a very small amount of leakage with this measure. The leakage was 1/4 that of what I get with the Dillon measure.

I am pleased with the measure over all. Now to see how long it will last. The plastic parts just feel brittle to me.

I did all this without dis-assembling it to clean with anything or treating it with graphite. Straight out of the box onto the press and tested.

[mwells72774]

I wonder if someone could 3D price the weak parts with a higher quality polymer

[r1kk1]

The leakage was 1/4 that of what I get with the Dillon measure.

I never had one leak with #9, or 110/296.

I remember a Vectan powder that was as fine as 7f. That 1 lb caused me grief.

Take care

r1kk1

[FMJ3]

Initial testing with HS-6 not as good as expected.

Powder drop accuracy was on par with the autodisk, but it actually leaked more powder than the autodisk. Looks to be migrating through the labyrinth groove the drum rotates in. Tried tightening that until it started impacting the return rotation of the drum - still leaked.

Everything is cleaned and wiped down to reduce static. Tried dusting a bit with mica as well.

I'll have to play with it a bit more when I get time.

[flashhole]

I've been a huge fan of dippers for lots of years but the Auto Drum write-ups have been pretty favorable. Just ordered mine today from RS reloading along with the rifle charging die kit (both long and short dies). They have the two-die kit on sale for $11.99.

I plan to use it for 221 Fireball, 223 Rem, 40 S&W and 45-70. My expectation is it will work well with the powders I use.

Has anyone purchased more than one and outfitted multiple presses? They're sufficiently inexpensive to have one for each dedicated setup. If it works out well I will likely pick up a second unit and have one for small drums and one for large drums.

[35remington]

Does this measure not have a shutoff valve included to separate reservoir from drum like the Perfect measure does?

[FMJ3]

Does this measure not have a shutoff valve included to separate reservoir from drum like the Perfect measure does?

Yes it does. Twist to shut off and just lift the hopper off.

It does seem to leave about 80 grains of HS6 in the measure in my case - I just cycle a case thru there about 8-10 times to clear that out.

[35remington]

That's what I was going to suggest to the earlier poster that said it left powder in the measure. While that's a fair amount (80 grains) if pistol size charges are metered and it needs a lot of actuations of the lever to completely remove it, it's better than spilling it. Shut off the measure's valve, dump the powder, then remove and dump reservoir.

With 45 ACP sized charges of HS6 you'd have to activate the lever something more than a dozen times. With 32 ACP sized charges I could see it getting a bit tedious. With rifle charges it would be no big deal.

[flashhole]

Received mine today along with the Rifle Charging Die Kit (one die each for small and large cases). I ordered it from FS Reloading on the 28th and it arrived on the 30th via USPS. $8.80 shipping and handling. $35.00 for the Auto Drum and $11.18 for the two dies.

Cleaned it and the dies inside and out with really hot water, no soap, let it all dry then installed it on the Lee Classic Cast Turret press using the short rifle die. The turret was set up with 221 Fireball dies.

I put a primer in a sized case and started dropping and measuring charges of Reloader #7 powder. Didn't take long at all to adjust the small drum to the charge weight I wanted ... then started weighing charges. I did more than 20 drops and could not see a difference in weight on my balance scale.

No leaks but RL#7 is not a fine ball powder, nor is it a long stick powder.

So far so good. Next test is to switch to the large drum and drop charges for the 45-70. I will use either Varget or H-4895. If that works well I will likely pick up a second Auto Drum and have one each dedicated to large and small drums. I think in the long run it will be less wear and tear to adjust the drum capacity with the key than to switch out drums. Not sure how well the plastic threads in the drum will hold up to repeated change outs.

[FMJ3]

Initial testing with HS-6 not as good as expected.

Powder drop accuracy was on par with the autodisk, but it actually leaked more powder than the autodisk. Looks to be migrating through the labyrinth groove the drum rotates in. Tried tightening that until it started impacting the return rotation of the drum - still leaked.

Everything is cleaned and wiped down to reduce static. Tried dusting a bit with mica as well.

I'll have to play with it a bit more when I get time.


Update: I pulled it back apart and cleaned up all the mating surfaces again really good and re-dusted with mica and it seems to be leak-free now.

Did about 100 drops with HS6 and had zero flakes leak this time. I tightened the adjustment knob just a smidge past where the drum is movement free. Drop accuracy was mostly in the +/- 0.05 range.

HS6 is a pretty fine powder - for those unfamiliar with it.

[Catshooter]

Anyone use one with a stick powder yet?


Cat

[flashhole]

Reloader #7 is a stick powder. It's pretty finely cut and works great in the Auto Drum. Here's mine set up on the Classic Turret in Auto Index mode. Cranked out some good ammo today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/GuideGun/IMG_0497_zps9spzdbk8.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GuideGun/media/IMG_0497_zps9spzdbk8.jpg.html)

[mac1911]

I received my new pro 1000 in 223
Last week set up and played with it over the weekend. I went ahead and bought the auto drum for its advertisements of being leak free.
The first powder I tried was H4895 no issues with metering.
Then I switch to W844 it is pretty fine. Again zero issues. Pushed through 250 rounds so far.
The press has had its share of issues.
Biggest issue right now is the loaded rounds do not drop down the chute! Also I,have the quick change base plate and can't find a container that fits well to catch the loaded round.

[Iowa Fox]

Wonder how one of these would work on a Dillon 450?

[Ben]

The flow from the red powder reservoir can be turned off and on.

BTW, I own one and I like mine.

Ben

[twc1964]

Im liking these reports so far. Im getting a classic turret press and this looks to be the ticket for my new toy.

[jetinteriorguy]

I've been using mine for about six weeks now and just love it. I did have to do some experimenting with powders and have found that if using super fine powders such as Accurate pistol powders use the pistol rotors to minimize leakage, then it's not too bad. Using the rifle rotors with the pistol adapter leak bad with the real fine powders. Other powders like BE, HP-38, HS-6, 2400, Titegroup etc. will work great with either rotor. The only stick powder I've tried is 4064 and it works about as good as any measure I've used. Stuff like the Dot powders and Unique and 700-X aren't as accurate but still pretty tolerable. Since I've gotten this I've loaded about 2000 .223's with H335 and a couple thousand more pistol rounds with the above mentioned powders in 9mm, .38sp, .357 Mag, and .41 Mag and have had no problems at all. I run two single stage presses at the same time and can produce a fully loaded round counting all off press prep in about 12 seconds on average because of the ease and speed of the auto drum. It's also very easy for working up loads due to how easy it is to adjust.

[dragon813gt]

I bought a second one. Hopefully it works better than the first one I bought. That one leaked like a sieve and was really inconsistent w/ a bunch of different powders.

[LuckyDog]

Dragon, how did that second AutoDrum work out?

I am getting a classic turret and trying to decide on which Lee powder measure to get.

Loading 380 45 223 308 30.06

[dragon813gt]

Second one has worked fine. I did not pull this one apart and clean if. I did not run a hopper of graphite through it. I did remove a large metal burr on the inside of it. I filled it w/ powder, set the drum and loaded a couple hundred rounds on a 550B. Pretty sure I was using W231. May have been Universal. Regardless it didn't leak and dropped consistent charges. I didn't take off the double charge button or whatever it's called. It will be removed next go around.

[308Jeff]

Would love for someone to try to run some Varget through in the 40gr range to see what happens.

[LuckyDog]

Thank you Dragon.