lee perfect powder measure???

[JOHN F]

hey guys just got one from TOTW.got itfor production loading of my reenactment cartridges.. problem is , when i read the instructons,it said to NOT use it for black powder because itcould explode?#$????WTH??does anyone use this for black powder loading or is this just legalese CYA stuff.

 

[hawkeye2]

It is for liability issues, you are probably perfectly safe in using it for black powder.

I bought one years ago as I liked the price and the adjustment feature but it didn't work for me. The issue was powder bridging in the micrometer adjustment cavity. 2f, 3f and Cream of Wheat all exhibited the problem and I could not get consistent charges from any of them. I have no doubt it works well with finely divided smokeless powder, just not anything I was interested in. I resolved the issue by giving it to a friend and going back to my Lee Safety Disc measure with a double disc setup. This is every bit as consistent and reliable as any measure I have ever used.

 

[necchi]

All loading companies making these have the same disclaimer, a true Black Powder dispensing unit has brass components.
As mentioned above you may have problems with static cling of BP internally using the measure.

First thing is to use soap and water to wash the plastic parts well and then Wipe it down every once in awhile with a dryer sheet.

The issue at hand;
Static discharge will not set powder off directly, but with the powder drop scales fine particulate can accumulate and as the powder drops it mixes with air,,
It's the powder/air mix that can be volatile. Thus the disclaimer.

Any fine particulate/dust mixed with the proper volume of air can be voltile, Saw dust in cabnit shops,, Seed dust in grain mills

 

[ohio ramrod]

So true about grain and saw dust. I live in an area with a lot of amish cabinet and furniture shops. It seems like about every other year one has a sawdust explosion/fire. They just don't seem to realize the importance of keeping their dust collecters grounded.They feel since they use line shafts, or compressed air motors and engines instead of electric motors they don't have to worry about "electric" sparks. But moving dust particles build up static charges. :idunno:

 

[George T.]

It probably was a CYA statement but if there is any steel against steel I wouls skip it. The old Lyman 55's measures were brass in the moveing parts but I think even they advised against useing them for black powder. I saw them set up at state shoots on several benches though. That was a while back.

Most Lee products are alum. and plastic! Geo. T.

 

[ChrisPer]

I use mine for Black and I like it a lot.

Make sure to follow the instructions - where it says to run graphite powder through the measure before use. This ensures that the plastic has a conductive surface, so static charges cannot build up on it. I got my graphite at the local hardware in the 'little bottles of oil' section.

 

[Bootsctm]

I have this powder measure. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1229/1/LYMAN-55
Been using it to reload all my black rounds for reeactments for some time now no problems. As some other guys said it is made out of steel and brass. Also want to make the note whatever powder measure you use make sure you get it cleaned out good when finished. Was in a hurry and made that misteak once