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Thread: lee auto drum powder feed

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    8th March 2016
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    lee auto drum powder feed

    Last week i decided to go to the next level on my single stage lee press. I got the powder thru die, the lee auto drum and the factory crimp die. I am initialy disapointed in the plastic used in this mechanism. Right off the bat i may have stripped the drum attachment threads. I can be a little rough but i believe this is all on lee. The screw that holds the drum in place is to small to engage the hole in the drum securely. Just a slight over tightening and your done. I corrected this by replacing the screw with one a bit larger and protrudes from the clamp knob twice the original length. I put a nut on the inside of the knob and also added a flat washer because the nut interferes with the seating. The plastic rod on the side of the dispensor also flexes on operation. It dispenses powder adequately and i am curious how long it will last. The accuracy is at this time is moderately better than the lee perfect powder measure. I also now am using the factory crimp die to do the final crimp and sizing. I have no rejects now on my reloads.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
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    Interesting. This seems to be a new product from Lee -- I wasn't even aware of it. It looks interesting, but not interesting enough for me to abandon my Auto Disc Pro powder measure.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Last edited by Hawkmoon; 28th June 2016 at 20:37. Reason: typo


  3. #3
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    25th June 2016
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    Lee makes some really good, cleverly-designed, simple products at a great value for reloading.

    I still use a Lee hand press, which only costs around $30, and works great. I replace it every 5 years, because they loosen up. But, it's easy to store. I mainly reload rifle calibers. I use dies from Lee (rimmed cartridges), Redding (rimless), and Forster (7.62 x 54R).

    For power measures, I started out with a Lee powder measure, and wasn't satisfied with it's accuracy (I weigh each charge). I then moved to a Redding competition powder measure, and it's great. Very accurate, and easy to change to a new charge weight with the micrometer-style adjustment. To get much better than the Redding, I think you'd have to spend double or triple that for something from Sinclair Intl., etc.
    "Only accurate rifles (and 1911's?) are interesting", (Col. Townsend Whelen)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    8th March 2016
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    After several hundred rds the Auto drum powder feed I feel is well worth the purchase. Once it got broke in it is feeding consistently for what i need. I am sure is not bulls eye quality but for general plinking it is doing a fine job. No powder leakage with titegroup. The screw issue needs to be addressed but that is easy and you got a cheap reliable powder feed.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    27th April 2009
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    Byron, GA
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeoulMan68 View Post
    Lee makes some really good, cleverly-designed, simple products at a great value for reloading.
    I agree. I have many Lee products. Among the most useful are the shell holder set, de-capping die and various bullet molds.

    For power measures, I started out with a Lee powder measure, and wasn't satisfied with it's accuracy (I weigh each charge). I then moved to a Redding competition powder measure, and it's great. Very accurate, and easy to change to a new charge weight with the micrometer-style adjustment. To get much better than the Redding, I think you'd have to spend double or triple that for something from Sinclair Intl., etc.
    I use four different powder measures; Lyman #55, RCBS Uniflow, Hornady Lock-N-Load and a Redding Bench Rest Measure. All are good measures but the Redding makes it easy to reset specific charges using the micrometer adjustment. The Hornady has replaceable inserts that can be set for specific charges and changed with the push of a button.

    Three presses are mounted to my benches; RCBS Rock Chucker, RCBS 4x4 semi-progressive and a Hornady Lock-N-Load fully progressive press. I've had the Rock Chucker and 4x4 presses for nearly 40 years and 31 years respectively. All three do Yeoman's work.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    19th April 2010
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    I bought the Auto Drum powder feed this spring. I use it exclusively on reloading 9mm. At first, I didn't see any better precision than I was getting out of my Lee Auto Disc Pro, but after a time, it seemed to become more consistent. I like the fact that the Auto Drum allows you more flexibility in tweeking your loads as compared to the Auto Disc Pro. I've got some extra drums now and will eventually be setting up different drums for charging different calibers.

  7. #7
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    1st December 2016
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    I currently have 3 Autodrums. Never had a screw stripping problem yet. But you can over tighten them. I find them to be more consistent than my auto disks and have replaced them permanently with the AutoDrums. Also purchased extra sets of "drums" and just mark the powder and loads on them and put them on a peg board til needed. Doesn't take long at all to dial one in from scratch. Use them on both my Classic Turret and my Loadmaster.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    2nd June 2007
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    I don't know, but my Perfect Powder Measure is all plastic, feels like junk, and throws almost perfect throws with any powder I have given it. The metal auto drum should be at least as good.
    >I can be a little rough
    Right there is the cause of most problems. The "problem" Lee has is their use of polystyrene. Inexpensive, but not known for toughness. Keeps cost down, but it is a brittle plastic that is attacked by many common chemicals.
    The next major cause of problems is NOT reading everything Lee includes in the instructions and considering even a "hint" to be a command.
    Plastic parts and threads always call for being careful. Primary reason I moved from the Auto-Disk to the Pro Auto-Disk—elimination of the polystyrene hopper with threads directly in the plastic.
    I didn't see if this was done, but if you call Lee, they'll probably take care of it for you
    NRA Life Member

  9. #9
    Join Date
    2nd December 2004
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    The plastic '"perfect Powder Measure' is rather notorious for leaking with fine ball powders.

    The plastic deforms enough to not be uniformly closed around the rotor.

    I have a Culver measure but mostly use one of my two Uniflow measures.

    Nicely mated cast iron on a steel rotor.

    One is large rotor, one small.

    You lose the zero on the micrometer head when changing rotors.

    Easier to just have one of each.

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