Lee Auto-Drum powder measure

[jekemi2005]

I know, everybody loves to bash Lee and sometimes for good reason. Recently I purchased one of their new Auto-Drum powder measures. I have powder measures from Dillon, Hornady, RCBS, and Lee. When it arrived I watched several YouTube video's and set it up. Within a few minutes I had it on my Lyman turret press ready to load 9mm. It works great. It's smooth, the load weights were spot on every time, and when I was finished I just twisted the hopper and cut off the powder. The other nice feature are the nylon drums. You can purchase several of them and set them up for precise loads for specific calibers. I labeled them and changing out the drums takes less than a minute. My only criticism is that the hopper doesn't fit as snugly in the cast fitting but it hasn't been a problem. For $37 bucks it is great value. While it isn't as heavy as the high-priced spread powder measures it works extremely well. I'm not necessarily a Lee guy, I like some of the products they manufacture but the Auto-Drum powder measure is a winner.

[brtelec]

I just had an opportunity to use mine for the first time about a week ago. I could not be happier with it. I was loading 308 on my Loadmaster using IMR 4064 and I was amazed how accurate it was. Now this certainly is not benchrest or long range ammo I was loading, but it was well within the acceptable range for my Ruger Scout.

[jmort]

"The other nice feature are the nylon drums. You can purchase several of them and set them up for precise loads for specific calibers. I labeled them and changing out the drums takes less than a minute."


Excellent measure and the Quick Change Drums make it even better.

[dragon813gt]

I seem to be the only one that has had zero success w/ it. I bought a second one hoping the first was just a lemon. It works better but still inconsistent and leaks. It seems that if I purchase it then it's not going to work.

[Bzcraig]

Mine has been spot on so far, easy to adjust (after reading Dragon's initial review, I choose not to set the drums up yet and put it through it's paces first) and I like it much better than the pro auto disk set up.

[Silverboolit]

When I got mine a few months ago, the first thing that I did was to put some graphite powder on the drums and run them with no powder in them. I lubed the linkage/teeth inside the housing as well. It has been performing excellently and I am quite happy with it.

[rondog]

Didn't think I needed one when I first heard about them, but the more I read the more I think I need one now.

[just bill]

I, too was a little skeptical about this little gadget. If it handles the rod type powders like it did in the youtube, it would be worthwhile as an addition. Got a a big blue older powder thrower for my single stage and a big red with 3 different powder thru configurations both have worked fine on bullseye, 2400, 820 nd unique, however I'm interested in Varget, since rumour has it doesn't meter well. Seen any info on that.

Bill

[farmerjim]

Mine has worked well with all powders. The only problem I have had was the Lee 9mm powder through die could not be adjusted so that it would not over flare the cases. I turned down the flare end of the die and used a M die before the powder drop. Problem solved. This does not happen on 38 or 45 cases, just 9mm.

[KenH]

This seems to be out of stock in most places, even on Lee website, says "coming soon"...... OR - maybe I'm just missing something. Ya'll have talked about it so much it seems like I just gotta have one :)

[jmort]

Here get it now

http://www.titanreloading.com/powder-handling-equipment/lee-autodrum-powder-measure

[KenH]

Thank you sir - you just cost me $123! Couldn't stop at just the power measure..... there were all those little extra thingys I wanted {g}

Ken H>

[rondog]

Called a reloading specialty shop here in Denver today to see if he had any, and he said "a whut? You mean the Auto Disc? Never heard of an Auto Drum powder measure."

Sigh.....

[opos]

I've loaded for a very long time...low volume loader so just did the old dip and trickle powder charging with my scale...I'd had a (nameless) measure a long while ago and never could seem to get it to where I didn't end up dumping a charge into a scale pan and then trickling to get it topped off..so why even bother?

When the auto drum came out it looked interesting...would fit my Lee dies and was inexpensive..I think Richard Lee is a pretty innovative guy and just thought I'd see how it worked..it works great!

I only load handgun cartridges with it...I'll still dip and trickle the bottle neck rifle loads but for the handgun stuff It is dead on and simple...Only issue is an "operator thing" and that's remembering to turn off the hopper before taking things apart to put it away..and also being careful of the large amount of powder left in the unit when the hopper is removed.

I did remove the "double charge" preventer thingy...I use a turret press and that just made for something else to have to do..if I were using a progressive I'd re install it...

[Elkins45]

I seem to be the only one that has had zero success w/ it. I bought a second one hoping the first was just a lemon. It works better but still inconsistent and leaks. It seems that if I purchase it then it's not going to work.

I had some weirdness with mine as well. Specifically, the rotating drum wouldn't always return to exactly the same spot on the upstroke or downstroke. That would cause it to either incompletely fill or incompletely empty.

I haven't revisited it to see if there was something I was doing wrong because I bought myself a Hornady progressive and have been enjoying using it. Once I go back to loading lower volumes on the turret press I will get back to the Lee and see what the problem was.

[dragon813gt]

I had some weirdness with mine as well. Specifically, the rotating drum wouldn't always return to exactly the same spot on the upstroke or downstroke. That would cause it to either incompletely fill or incompletely empty.

Same problem w/ mine. It relates to how tight the screw is. If you ask me it's stupid that the tightness is adjustable. Make it foolproof so you bottom the screw out and the tension is set.

[Moonie]

I got mine yesterday and I'm looking forward to trying it. I've had some issues with my auto disk hanging up and I end up with some rounds with no powder. Last week I even had some get past my rcbs powder check die... Not sure how that happened, small charge of clays in a 357 case.

[Electric88]

How does the Auto Drum handle ball powders? Is it prone to leakage?

[websterz]

I have run several thousand rounds of 9mm using TiteGroup. Not so much as a single granule of powder leakage. I also load lots of .45acp with Promo. Both powders meter very consistently, +/- .1 grains.

[claude]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by Elkins45 http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=3508920#post3508920)

I had some weirdness with mine as well. Specifically, the rotating drum wouldn't always return to exactly the same spot on the upstroke or downstroke. That would cause it to either incompletely fill or incompletely empty.






I had that very issue, I loosened the nut holding the drum and it went away. I am just learning the ins and outs of this measure, and will keep posting my thoughts here as I progress.

[Pine Baron]

Okay, I'm intrigued. How well does this perform with Red Dot? Unique? Currently I dump and trickle each charge. It's the most time consuming, frustrating step for me.

[HeadLead]

Just received mine along with spare drums. I bathed the entire unit with graphite and started off with Bullseye.... Spot on @ 5.3 grains over and over. It sits on my LNL AP now instead of my Hornady case activated unit. I'm sold on it.

[kungfustyle]

Man, I must have gotten a bad one. Mine leaked Tightgroup and bound up on both H4895 and 4759. I ended up crushing three 7.62x54r cases, that stunk. Remember that you will need to get a pistol and rifle powder through die they sell them as a kit at Titan. Get a riser if you are going to use taller die or the Lee primer set up on a turret.

[WFO2]

I got mine a few days ago and posted in another thread . Works good for me with Bullseye and Tightgroup .

[rondog]

I've had mine for several months, but just used it for the first time today. Minimal prep, just wiped it a bit with a paper towel and some alcohol. Loaded a box of .45 Colt with 6.2gr of Titegroup and 255gr boolits, gave me zero problems and accurate drops.

Only thing I DON'T like is having to "cock" it every time by pushing down on that "disconnector button". I can see a serious potential to forget that, and end up with a squib.

Am I missing something? I'd think there should be a way for this thing to drop automatically, like my Auto Disk does. I mean, "Auto" shouldn't mean you have to manually cock it every time so it'll drop. But danged if I can figure out how to make it so.

Suggestions? Pretty please?

[dragon813gt]

Remove the disconnector. It's in the instructions: http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90811.pdf

[rondog]

Remove the disconnector. It's in the instructions: http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/90811.pdf

Ah yes, the famous Lee clear-as-mud instructions. I could remove the disconnector and that other little plastic piece, but only just now figured out to pull that "connecting link" thing over. Seems to work fine now. Danged if I understand what moving that screw to the other hole does, but it seems to keep that connector link from moving back from "works" to "doesn't work".

I knew as soon as I asked for help that I'd figure the silly thing out.