Picked these up from a local gunsmith...
Attachment 301768
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Picked these up from a local gunsmith...
Attachment 301768
With a little clean-up, I bet that they will still get the job done.
those are very nice, still have a lot of paint. Those have a big hopper which is nice for BP. You may want to make a baffle from plastic or something. Nice snag! You can upgrade that to the screw adjusts by swapping out with a more modern 55.
I've got this one, AND period correct powder to use in it. It has a sort of micrometer adjustment mechanism on it. I suppose maybe 1950's?? jd
Attachment 301771
Max a picture of them laid out side by side to show details better would be helpful, but it appears you have a pair of the earliest Ideal powder measures (the #1). They operate like the basic #5 that succeeded them. I have one that came without the original reservoir and cap, but with a short length of brass drain pipe and it still works great.
Hoodat, your #5 Micrometer came out in the late 1930s IIRC, and I can’t find any evidence they came back after the War. About 1949 (give or take) the #5 was discontinued in favor of the #55 which soldiered on for over 60 years.
The micrometer feature was adapted to the #55 and, along with its clones was popular with bench rest shooters and other precision reloaders until Harrell developed his now ubiquitous line of micrometer powder measure.
That was a very abbreviated history of the Lyman and Ideal powder measures. You might check over on ARTCA.com for more details.
Froggie
Sweet ! Never seen one of those before. I have the #5 and various #55's .
Thanks for the info Green Frog. I didn't realize it might be that old. They sure look cool. It works pretty good also. jd
I will get a better pic, just been busy with a new piece of machinery that was recently acquired.
Hoodat,
I wouldn't be without one for loading IMR 4759 at the bench for schuetzen matches with my 32-40. I've never found any measure of any age meters these "sticks and twigs" anywhere near as well. Other measures are more accurate for other powders, but none of them like 4759.
Froggie
maxreloader,
I should have mentioned that the main time I use my venerable #1 like yours. It just "seems so right"! ;)
I just went back and blew up your one picture the best I could... I need to see the one on the left from a couple of different angles. It may be the less common #2 if the projection toward the camera has a hole for a small, conical reservoir. This was used back then for duplex loading, and is a very desirable variation.
Froggie
Love these old Ideal powder measures! I have a #1, #2, #5, and the duplex #6 measure. On the #5 I have three as they had three variations made at their two locations, plus two variants at one plant.
Man these are like something impossible from a dig site, like finding the Antikythera mechanism. Almighty google doesn't even know these exist. Anyone have any info?
They’re pretty well known on both this forum and the ARTCA Forum as well.early Ideal Handbooks and other sources also cover them in detail. There were 4 major variants of this design, standard, duplex, shot and powder, and shot and duplex powder. All were very cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brimstone
Froggie
I recently acquired an orange Ideal powder measure. Its branded " No. 55 IDEAL POWDER MEASURE" ,
"L.G.S. Corp (Middletown abbreviated) Ct. U.S.A."
It is adjusted with a slide, has a thumbscrew to secure the brass slide....It is not screw-adjusted, like my other 2 55's.
Also, the drop-tube is secured with a thumbscrew...not threaded.
Please share any info you might have.
REDD
REDD
That measure dates to the first year or two of #55 production. Relatively speaking they are harder to find, but like the others variants they are made to be used and don’t seem to attract much of a premium from collectors.
Froggie
Mr. Froggie,
Thanks a heep for sharing your info......
REDD