Replacing a powder drop

[Electraclyde]

OK folks, looking to obtain a new powder drop. Need Consistant accuracy. I have been using one of the early Hornady powder drop scale outfits. It recently died. All of my reloading these days is pistol ammo and my most used powder is Winchester WST which is a flake powder. As a long time back, up I have a cheap Lee manual drop. It is not consistant enough. I no longer load thousands of rounds, possible about 2000 in a year.
What say you. No one around here has anything in stock, so I will need to order whatever I get.

 

[burneyr]

Do you want manual or electric?

I have the Harrell measures in pistol and rifle sizes for quick dispensing of powders that throw well. If it meters good, nothing faster or more consistent. Technique dependent of course.

For electric when my trusty PACT died; I tried the Frankfort Arsenal model, and it's been accurate and runs fine. Many confirmations using check weights to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I think Lyman discontinued the #55 powder measure, but they make something similar.

I have used a #55 since I started loading, and finding New Old Stock or a used one would always be my recommendation. The 55 and the even older 50 have a little "door knocker" on the front, they call it "The Hammer". To use is quick and simple: 1)Lift handle to allow the chamber to be filled by gravity (and the weight of the powder in the reservoir) 2) Pull the handle down 3) your finger is already right there, just flick the hammer up and let it fall (this vibrates the last few flakes or granules of powder out of the chamber.) 4) Repeat over next case.

The oldest type of canister powder is flake type, this measure was designed to do very small charges with that and all other kinds of powder. 32 S&W (short) and 32 ACP are the smallest cartridges I reload and 1.3 grains of anything is small but, 1.3 grains of a flake powder is usually inconsistent! The hammer is the key!

Around 20 years ago I had to return the #55 I had borrowed over a decade before and needed to buy a new one. I spent the extra $10 and bought the Black Powder version. It comes with a two piece "Drop Tube" 24 inches long. The aluminum reservoir is about 10 inches tall and holds a whole pound of Plack Powder or about 3/4 pound of the bulkier smokeless powders.

If you are only going to have one powder drop, a version of the Lyman 55 is the one to have.

If you did larger cases I would also recommend the Redding BR30 which was designed for Bench Rest shooters. Sam technology as the BR3 but the chamber is balanced to intermediate sized cases (think 222 Rem).

Ivan

 

[Skeet 028]

I am bidding on a lot of reloading stuff in an online auction...mainly because it has an exc condition Lyman 55. At one time I had 7 and never changed 'em from what I had 'em set for. About a month ago I got a kinda rare powder measure in an auction...a in the box Ohaus 7250-7400...Have to look at the box. It throws flake(RD,GD,Unique and 4198 for my 222s) just fine. Check ebay for a 55