Lee auto drum

[steelholder]

Anyone have issues with inconsistent charges? Im using power pistol and it throws different charges, for example an 8.4 in one and a 6.8 in another, same motion and speed,

[bruce381]

tighten drum? or watch fortune cookie45lc on ytoob he has a review of how accurate even with stick powder this is.

[bruce381]

here it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojTC6gyNH_A

[God Bless America]

Might be better off with the pro auto-disc.

[RiskyBusiness]

ive read a lot of people saw a difference when wiping it down with graphite. Also play around with the tightness on back screw, some powders prefer it a little loose or really snug and then theres some powders where just suck at metering but you should never have those large variances you're having, theres something really wrong with your drum set up if thats what you're getting. should only be seeing ~0.3 at the worst in differences when set up properly.

[rice_man]

That's a huge difference. As already mentioned something is not right. Is it consistently off on the low side or high side? Or is it off in both directions? Are you only experiencing this with the Power Pistol or have you seen it with other powders as well? A lot of variables to consider when you troubleshoot. Try eliminating some of them.

[RiskyBusiness]

also helps if you mark the location when the drum is fully at rest and when its fully rotated when dumping. This will help you visually on whether you're getting the correct amount of rotation of the drum. Use a marker or thin strip of tape on those two spots. Fortune cookie on YT has helpful videos on the auto drum

[steelholder]

ive read a lot of people saw a difference when wiping it down with graphite. Also play around with the tightness on back screw, some powders prefer it a little loose or really snug and then theres some powders where just suck at metering but you should never have those large variances you're having, theres something really wrong with your drum set up if thats what you're getting. should only be seeing ~0.3 at the worst in differences when set up properly.

That's a huge difference. As already mentioned something is not right. Is it consistently off on the low side or high side? Or is it off in both directions? Are you only experiencing this with the Power Pistol or have you seen it with other powders as well? A lot of variables to consider when you troubleshoot. Try eliminating some of them.

also helps if you mark the location when the drum is fully at rest and when its fully rotated when dumping. This will help you visually on whether you're getting the correct amount of rotation of the drum. Use a marker or thin strip of tape on those two spots. Fortune cookie on YT has helpful videos on the auto drum

tried it with some CFE pistol today and saw the same type of issues.

6.0
6.1
6.4
5.9
6.2

Ill try messing with the screw and marking the path of the arm on the drum.

[hambam105]

A YouTuber was showing the world how great the Lee powder dispenser is and in passing excused the
annoyance of it leaking powder....Okay. Then I remember having the powder leaking Lee comment a few
months ago here on Calguns.

When did it become common to accept leaking gunpowder dispensers?

[RiskyBusiness]

A YouTuber was showing the world how great the Lee powder dispenser is and in passing excused the
annoyance of it leaking powder....Okay. Then I remember having the powder leaking Lee comment a few
months ago here on Calguns.

When did it become common to accept leaking gunpowder dispensers?

when it only cost $30 compared to a dillon unit of $100 and that still can leak stick powder. If Dillon is supposed to be the best of the best why did it become common practice to accept the annoyance of leaking powder?

[RiskyBusiness]

tried it with some CFE pistol today and saw the same type of issues.

6.0
6.1
6.4
5.9
6.2

Ill try messing with the screw and marking the path of the arm on the drum.

when you do this i suggest using a new piece of brass for every test drop because the powder thru expander is meant to aggressively pull off the brass and cause a bit of a shake for any remaining powder to fall thru. If you're already using a belled case then you wont get that shake so you'll be getting mixed results afterwards. Not saying this will solve your problems, just a tip. also look into graphite spray for the drum, even dillon suggest this for their unit.

[God Bless America]

A YouTuber was showing the world how great the Lee powder dispenser is and in passing excused the
annoyance of it leaking powder....Okay. Then I remember having the powder leaking Lee comment a few
months ago here on Calguns.

When did it become common to accept leaking gunpowder dispensers?

Many years ago, apparently.

[hambam105]

Am I the last to know about this situation?

When did Dillion gun powder dispensers start leaking? Seriously.

Post #9 is more about a question regarding Lee equipment that I do not use.

It appears to me that the Lee metering device in question has an endemic problem
that apparently the owners are aware of & willing to accept.

I was looking for confirmation or denial for my observation from those that use said equipment.

Relax. You don't need my approval for your choice of reloading equipment.

[jhansman]

I did at first, when I purchased the Auto Drum with my LCT press. It took me a while to understand how the drum dispenses powder; initially, I could not get Trail Boss to throw at all. Eventually, with trial and error, I was able to get every powder I use (from stick 4198 to very fine W296) to throw consistently, with no more than .1 gr variance. I still hand measure my target loads, as those must be dead on.

From suggestions I've found online, I've dismantled the drum, cleaned all parts that move and contact one another, and adjust the tension on the screw that holds the drum together as needed. No more leaks or fluctuating throws. HTH.

And please, let's no let this thread turn into yet another Lee bashing rant. Patience, practice, and understanding work a lot better in these matters than condemnation from non-owners.

[bigbossman]

I have several of the Lee disk powder measures, each permanently mounted on the powder-thru expander dies of calibers I shoot frequently. All of them meter well, with no spilling. I have been using them since the mid-90's.

Two exceptions:

1) 700x does not meter consistently at about 3gr or under.
2) Stacked discs and a fine ball powder like W748 has some leakage.

I only use the Lee 1000 press and disk powder measures for pistol loading, so I do not stack discs and have no issues. I use 4gr of 700x for my 9mm, so no issues there, either.