Lee Adjustable Charge Bar Question...

[87iroc]

Just got it this week(some may remember I just reloaded my first 50 last weekend). Anyway, was just out futzing with it not trying to load anything just seeing how it works. It appears its mostly worthless on my Lee Pro Autodisk Powder Measure(I think thats the right name) below about .4 cc or maybe .5 cc?

I was hoping I could get down below .3 cc with it for my titegroup but it doesn't like it at all. I get a few flakes of powder and thats about it. It doesn't start filling good until I get it opened up a bunch. I can look down through the hopper and see it isn't lining up very well. I guess it does say that 'flake' powder won't do well below 0.4 cc so maybe Titegroup is considered a flake powder? It seemed like I was up closer to 0.5 cc before it started filling well at all.

Anyway, thought I'd ask. I can use my regular disks just fine but won't have the fine adjustment I had hoped for, but was hoping maybe I could have some more adjustment down low with it...maybe not.

Thanks,

 

[DoctorThunder]

I haven't been able to get the charge bar to work with small loads using flake powder through the Lee Pro Autodisk Powder measure. There's just not enough space at the front for the powder to flow though. I've read some suggestions on modifying the powder measure, but I've never wanted to take it that far. Some have suggested widening the hole at the front of the powder measure to improve the powder flow. Sounds like that could create other problems. Good luck.

 

[Sirshredalot]

The adjustable charge bar works well....but not for "small" volumes(less than 5 grains) like you have experienced. I think it is more of a flaw with the auto disk than the bar its self. Just the nature of the lee...the cavity can only get "so small" before you get drastic inconsistencies. Not knocking the auto disk though.

Certain powders that are bulkier/higher volume work better with the adjustable bar than others.....works great for .357 and 13.5gr of 2400.

I modified mine so that I can have an adjustable double disk set-up for loading .223.

God bless
-Shred

 

[parson]

I saw this quite some time back, but I haven't tried it out. Looks like it ought to work.

Adjustable Charge Bar Fix, courtesy of NickA - 1911Forum

 

[87iroc]

Looks like it takes and throws the thimble readings off, but you just dial it in on weight then run with it at smaller amounts.

 

[parson]

Right. I've never used the readings on mine. Always just zero in with scale.

 

[87iroc]

Interesting...thanks for posting. I may do that to mine.

If they'd shift the center off some they'd nail the lower readings...BUT I think they don't do that because of the fact that at the high end it would be tough to get it to 100% drain into the casing.(It appears to be an easy fix in my mind...but would require them to change tooling on the charge bar so you could adjust one direction for small loads and the other direction for larger loads)

 

[thankjun]

I bought the charge bar for the same reason-to drop 2.4-2.8 gr of Titegroup. I am a newby at reloading so I made several runs of 10 drops at the various settings to check consistency. Each drop was measured on my electronic Franklin Arsenal Reloading scale. Results are below. I found it very inconsistent for such small drops. Then I read in the latest Lee Reloading Handbook that it does not work well for some powders below 4.0 gr.

Lee Adjustable Charge Bar
Load #	Run 1 (gr)	Run 2 (gr)	Run 3 (gr)	Run 4 (gr)	Run 5 (gr)	Run 6 (gr)	Run 7 (gr)
Setting	0.27 cc	0.60 cc	0.30 cc	0.30 cc	0.30 cc	0.30 cc	0.30 cc
1	1.3	6.5	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.2
2	1.9	6.2	3.2	3.2	3.4	3.1	0.7
3	0.9	6.3	3.2	3.1	3.2	2.2	3.4
4	0.1	6.5	2.9	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.1
5	1.6	6.3	0.3	3.3	3.3	3.2	3.3
6	1.2	6.4	3	3.2	3.2	3.2	1.8
7	0	6.3	2.4	0.2	3.3	3.2	1.9
8	3	6.3	3.1	3.4	3.3	0.2	3.2
9	2.3	6.4	3.1	2.8	3.1	3.3	3.3
10	0.1	6.2	2.7	3.3	3.4	0.4	3.2
average	1.24	6.34	2.71	2.89	3.26	2.52	2.71
min	0	6.2	0.3	0.2	3.1	0.2	0.7
max	3	6.5	3.2	3.4	3.4	3.3	3.4

 

[dleak]

may i suggest scrapping the auto-disk & moving up to the lee "perfect" powder measure ... i had same problems & that fixed "most" of them ... not really "perfect" , but a significant step n that direction from where u are !!!