Power Pistol tried to eat my RCBS Charge Master

[AbitNutz]

Man! Turn your back for a second and it hits the fan.

Due completely to my own fault, I left a half hopper full of Power Pistol in my RCBS Charge Master. It has now been permanently disfigured. The Power Pistol just completely sandpapered the inside of the powder chamber. I had to soak it out with soap and water and then blow dry it. It works fine but it looks like h$ll.

How many other powders do this and why haven't I noticed? Is it because this is my first plastic thing that holds powder? All my powder measures are metal? I mean, I've seen the plastic hoppers get a bit eaten but not to the extent the inside of the Charge Master was attacked.

I was so happy with my Charge Master and now, now she looks like she had severe acne crossed with the heartbreak of Psoriasis....

[dragon813gt]

Pretty much all of them. But I believe the higher nitro powders will react faster. The plastics they use for powder measures isn't the same as the jugs they come in.

[mdhillbilly1]

Man! Turn your back for a second and it hits the fan.

Due completely to my own fault, I left a half hopper full of Power Pistol in my RCBS Charge Master. It has now been permanently disfigured. The Power Pistol just completely sandpapered the inside of the powder chamber. I had to soak it out with soap and water and then blow dry it. It works fine but it looks like h$ll.

How many other powders do this and why haven't I noticed? Is it because this is my first plastic thing that holds powder? All my powder measures are metal? I mean, I've seen the plastic hoppers get a bit eaten but not to the extent the inside of the Charge Master was attacked.

I was so happy with my Charge Master and now, now she looks like she had severe acne crossed with the heartbreak of Psoriasis....I have read multiple Reloaders stating that many powders will damage the plastic if it is left in the container other than the one it came in.

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

[P Flados]

I used to leave powder in my measure on a regular basis.

All of my powders were "traditional". My WW296, WW760 and some HS6 were "newer" than the flake and extruded stuff.

None of my powders ever attacked any plastic until I got Tightgroup. It is one of the "high nitro" powders.

It definitely affects the green plastic on my 70s/80s vintage RCBS measure.

[L Erie Caster]

RCBS sent me 2 hoppers free of charge, to replace the one damaged by leaving powder in it. Just ask nicely and I bet they will replace yours also.

[jmorris]

I bet they won't, if I am reading it right, he didn't just fog the clear tube on the hopper but it ate up the green plastic that is the base of the machine.

That's why they have the little port on the side to empty it and they put "DO NOT store powder in the hopper" on page 1 of the manual.

[AbitNutz]

I get it...I's my fault for leaving it in it....I said so in the 1st post...but man. There should be a solution.

[dragon813gt]

I get it...I's my fault for leaving it in it....I said so in the 1st post...but man. There should be a solution.

Call RCBS. If the part is available they will sell it to you. If not then there is nothing you can do.

[Loudy13]

Now I know what happened to my hopper, use to be just fine and then all of sudden every powder I put into it sticks to the sides and has to be brushed out. Guess I wont make that mistake again.

[gwpercle]

I get it...I's my fault for leaving it in it....I said so in the 1st post...but man. There should be a solution.

How long did you leave the powder in the hopper . The reason I ask is I have never left the powder in the hopper of my Lyman 55 very long...maybe during a 2 hour loading session, It's been used since 1969 and has over the last few years , darkened and now turned frosty, Looks bad ....I was just wondering how quickly the powder takes to etch the plastic.
I need to order a new clear one, but this old one doesn't have the powder clinging problem and I hate to trade one problem for another....sometimes best to leave well enough alone !
Gary

[str8wal]

I've left powder of all kinds in my Lyman 55's for periods of time and none are any worse for wear.

[jmorris]

I get it...I's my fault for leaving it in it....I said so in the 1st post...but man. There should be a solution.

I wasn't bashing on you at all. They made it cheap and knew there would be a problem with storage of powder in them.

They could have made them from metal like their uniflow measures or manual tricklers and they wouldn't be harmed the same but they make them to a price point not a high level of durability.

I agree though, how about make them out of the same material that powder jugs are made from, that would be what kids call a "no brainer".

[AbitNutz]

I wasn't bashing on you at all. They made it cheap and knew there would be a problem with storage of powder in them.

They could have made them from metal like their uniflow measures or manual tricklers and they wouldn't be harmed the same but they make them to a price point not a high level of durability.

I agree though, how about make them out of the same material that powder jugs are made from, that would be what kids call a "no brainer".


I should have paid closer attention to the warnings in the directions but as you said, the darn bottles are made out of plastic and they live, so what's the deal? I mean it's not like the material they make black boxes on airplanes out of. They always seem to survive....what's that old joke? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that black box material?

We're talking about a device that is known to react badly with the material it is designed to use. Somehow that just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

That's like making Orange Juice bottles that dissolve if you don't drink all the OJ in two weeks.

[David2011]

Now I know what happened to my hopper, use to be just fine and then all of sudden every powder I put into it sticks to the sides and has to be brushed out. Guess I wont make that mistake again.

Try rubbing the inside of the hopper with a used dryer sheet. That kills the static charge.

[lefty o]

Try rubbing the inside of the hopper with a used dryer sheet. That kills the static charge.

ill second that, sounds like static, and a new or used dryer sheet rubbed around inside and out of the measure will help immensely.

[lightman]

When I first started reloading a lot of the reloading manuals warned about leaving powder in powder measures and I always heeded this advice. I think there were more worried about any effects that sunlight might have on the powder, but I always made it a habit to empty my measures. Hope yours is still useable or can be repaired.

[Smoke4320]

Try rubbing the inside of the hopper with a used dryer sheet. That kills the static charge.

Leaving the dryer sheet in the empty hopper helps as well

[Walter Laich]

I religiously dumped my powder back in the original containers. After 6 months or so even the Dillon clear hopper would become cloudy. Don't hurt the operation, just darkened the plastic.

[country gent]

Look on the internet plastic tubing can be found that can be fitted to replace to hopper. I fixed a hopper for a friend and found a 6" piece of smoked tube that I could turn the outside to fit the housing. Looked good and the powders clouding didn't show near as much. Some measure copper tubing can be used. a piece of aluminum tube could be machined. If the metal tube is an option look at Online metals for short length and sizes. They have Brass, Aluminum, stainless, Cold rolled and alloys. Not sure about the clear plastics. As to the plastic housing you might be able to smooth it up some with some fine sandpaper and carefull polishing. It shouldn't take a lot, it looks worse than it is.

[fecmech]

I'm one of those guys who leaves powder in the hopper (Bullseye) and the solvents in the powder soften and darken the clear plastics. The opaque plastics and the MEC powder bottles don't seem to be affected. When I finally destroy the hopper on my CH Auto Champ I think I'll adapt a MEC bottle to the measure.

[djryan13]

I did the same thing last month to my chargemaster. Left it then went away for emergency for a bit. Came back, forgot about it. Left it a bit longer. Month or so goes by, called RCBS. Told them I would like to buy new hopper. They sent me free.