DoctorThunder
Plinker
- Apr 2, 2013
- 61
- 8
Had a few minutes to test out the Lee Precision Auto Drum powder measure tonight. I ordered the powder measure and an extra set of drums from titanreloading on Friday and it arrived USPS today (Monday). They had the best price and reasonable shipping, so happy with the service from them. The measure comes with a large and small drum in the box, and the extra set of nylon drums includes 2 large and 2 small drums. The literature claims you can throw any between 1 and 80 grains with infinite adjustability. The hopper is removable and is the same red plastic material as the auto disk measure.
The metal body seems solid enough and the plastic connecting arm seems to be of decent quality as well. Setup was fairly easy. The clamp knob on the side unscrews easily to release the nylon drum for easy switching between drums.
The drum is easily removed and has grooves on the inside so it's difficult (if not impossible) to misalign.
Inside of the metal assembly
By default, the disconnector button is installed and must be pushed down prior to each charge being dispensed. This is to eliminate the possibility of double-charging a cartridge. This seemed like the cheapest part of the assembly and the most likely to break. I see the usefulness of the disconnect button, but I got tired of the extra step of pushing it down each time I needed to throw a charge.
Lucikly, the disconnect button is easily removed by removing the screw and pushing the connecting rod out to its furthest point. If you want to run this in a turret or progressive configuration, you'll want to get rid of this ASAP.
After pushing the rod out, put the screw and washer back.
After installing the drum, the charge is adjusted by inserting the key into the metering rod and turning in or out. Each half turn is 1/10 grain (.01cc), which after adjusting the rods, seems pretty accurate. Getting the rod dialed in was quicker than I thought.
Prior to testing the accuracy, I wiped everything down with a dryer sheet to reduce static and powder sticking. I loaded up some HP-38 to test my standard 9mm and 45ACP load of 4.2 grains. I dialed the 4.2gr charge in and tested 10-12 loads until I was sure it was consistent. I weighed using a Frankford Arsenal DS-750, which has served me fairly well for the past 2 years. I tested 25 loads, all of which weighed in at 4.2 grains until I got bored with the process. I could have done more, but I felt pretty confident it would continue to throw consistent loads.
Cleanup wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The hopper is removable, so that made dumping the remaining powder a lot easier than the auto disk measure hopper because it doesn't require you to unscrew the entire assembly. I'd recommend keeping an air compressor handy to clean out all of the parts, even if you've wiped everything down with a dryer sheet. Powder will stick.
Overall, I'm really happy with the measure. It allows quick and infinite adjustability, which the auto disk measure does not. I'm pleased with the accuracy and the overall quality and would definitely recommend it.
The metal body seems solid enough and the plastic connecting arm seems to be of decent quality as well. Setup was fairly easy. The clamp knob on the side unscrews easily to release the nylon drum for easy switching between drums.
The drum is easily removed and has grooves on the inside so it's difficult (if not impossible) to misalign.
Inside of the metal assembly
By default, the disconnector button is installed and must be pushed down prior to each charge being dispensed. This is to eliminate the possibility of double-charging a cartridge. This seemed like the cheapest part of the assembly and the most likely to break. I see the usefulness of the disconnect button, but I got tired of the extra step of pushing it down each time I needed to throw a charge.
Lucikly, the disconnect button is easily removed by removing the screw and pushing the connecting rod out to its furthest point. If you want to run this in a turret or progressive configuration, you'll want to get rid of this ASAP.
After pushing the rod out, put the screw and washer back.
After installing the drum, the charge is adjusted by inserting the key into the metering rod and turning in or out. Each half turn is 1/10 grain (.01cc), which after adjusting the rods, seems pretty accurate. Getting the rod dialed in was quicker than I thought.
Prior to testing the accuracy, I wiped everything down with a dryer sheet to reduce static and powder sticking. I loaded up some HP-38 to test my standard 9mm and 45ACP load of 4.2 grains. I dialed the 4.2gr charge in and tested 10-12 loads until I was sure it was consistent. I weighed using a Frankford Arsenal DS-750, which has served me fairly well for the past 2 years. I tested 25 loads, all of which weighed in at 4.2 grains until I got bored with the process. I could have done more, but I felt pretty confident it would continue to throw consistent loads.
Cleanup wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The hopper is removable, so that made dumping the remaining powder a lot easier than the auto disk measure hopper because it doesn't require you to unscrew the entire assembly. I'd recommend keeping an air compressor handy to clean out all of the parts, even if you've wiped everything down with a dryer sheet. Powder will stick.
Overall, I'm really happy with the measure. It allows quick and infinite adjustability, which the auto disk measure does not. I'm pleased with the accuracy and the overall quality and would definitely recommend it.
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