jfh
Member.
bump. picture added.
Jim H.
Jim H.
I Don't Trust my Lee Auto-Disk
- Thread starter Capt Roy
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1SOW
Member
jfh:
Mine is mounted like yours.
Sorry to be dense, but how do you 'raise all the dies" and still have them adjusted correctly??
I would like the adjustable powder disc to work as advertised.
I'm loading 'light' 124/5 gr bullets, 9mm, over 3.8 - 4.0 grs (depending on the bullet) vit n320.
Mine is mounted like yours.
Sorry to be dense, but how do you 'raise all the dies" and still have them adjusted correctly??
I would like the adjustable powder disc to work as advertised.
I'm loading 'light' 124/5 gr bullets, 9mm, over 3.8 - 4.0 grs (depending on the bullet) vit n320.
Taroman
Member
I tried the adjustable bar on my AutoDisk Pro and went back to just using the disk (or disks - the double option does work). Most of the time, the hole that throws closest to what I'm wanting is just fine. In a couple of instances, I used a countersink bit in a hand drill to chamfer the upper edge of the hole to give it a bit more capacity.
The purists will scream, but I just use this setup to bust out lots of range handgun ammo and don't obsess about .01 grain. Benchrest is another kettle of fish altogether.
Get done loading and head for the range...
The purists will scream, but I just use this setup to bust out lots of range handgun ammo and don't obsess about .01 grain. Benchrest is another kettle of fish altogether.
Get done loading and head for the range...
RustyFN
Member
For me the charge bar isn't consistant until it get around 4.5 to 5 grains or more. I tried throwing 4 grains of Titegroup and had bad results. With the normal disk I can throw 4.2 grains all day long with no variation. Now with the charge bar and 5 grains if WST it will throw consistant.
jfh
Member.
I've had no trouble with throwing accurate measures--from about 3.0 grains up--but I typically only use ball-type powders (AA#5, Win 231, RamShot's True Blue), and have also had no trouble with cut-extruded powders (various Vihts, Alliant Power Pistol). I think the lowest charge weight I now use is about 4.9 grains (231, 45 ACP). And, that older, aftermarket charge bar works beautifully with H-335 loading .223 (ca. 25 gr., IOW). However, I'm not a TiteGroup user, etc.--so I can't comment on that.
Other than .44 Special, I last did my setups about three years ago--so bear with me. What I am referring to is the need to start over with a re-do of the setup--i.e., get the #1 / Resizer-decapper die properly adjusted, and then key the others off that. I looked again at the Lee setup videos--and it seems to me that their instruction for setting up the #3 die is where a potential problem can occur--e.g., getting the die "firmly touching" may make it lower than the #1 die, due to taking out play in the press.....
The tweaking we do to get minimal crimp may also be a problem source. With my 4-die setup, in which the #3 die seats only, and the FC die is set up to crimp only, IIRC the final adjustments I made to get a satisfactory round had to be tweaked by confirming that no other die body extends further down than the sizer-decapper die. Close, or the same (as measured by the 'same amount of play,') but my Turret is somewhat worn, too. If adjusting dies 3 or 4 changed the #2 flare setting, or the drop-tube slop was not removed, then there might be partial activation. (I think some of my measure upgrade purchases were 'interim'--I now have the extended droptube in all four measures.)
What I do recall for sure is that re-doing the setup solved the problem--i.e., starting over with a good baseline setup with the sizer-decapper, and going from there, and making only minute adjustments while making sure the #1 die was the reference.
When this or related problems have been discussed in the past, on occasion it's been revealed that someone chooses a very low sizer location to tweak the handle stroke. That tweak should be done on the handle attachment (although it may not be obvious, my Turret is one of the originals, updated to 4-die, etc.)
For the record--I never trim my brass, revolver or semiauto. And, I now never use the disks--although that may change as I get further into rifle reloading. However, I have not been building match-grade ammo either.
As I look over the entire range of comments here, it does sound like the weight issues are primarily with low-end charges of a particular (flake?) type of powder. I remember trying Unique, found I couldn't get a reliable weight in the range I wanted, so I simply set it aside. All the powders I use now reliably weigh out at plus-or-minus-one-tenth (that's two-tenths grain total variation) once the measure is settled in--and I usually keep the hopper topped off when it drops to near half-full.
Jim H.
"...Sorry to be dense, but how do you 'raise all the dies" and still have them adjusted correctly??"
Other than .44 Special, I last did my setups about three years ago--so bear with me. What I am referring to is the need to start over with a re-do of the setup--i.e., get the #1 / Resizer-decapper die properly adjusted, and then key the others off that. I looked again at the Lee setup videos--and it seems to me that their instruction for setting up the #3 die is where a potential problem can occur--e.g., getting the die "firmly touching" may make it lower than the #1 die, due to taking out play in the press.....
The tweaking we do to get minimal crimp may also be a problem source. With my 4-die setup, in which the #3 die seats only, and the FC die is set up to crimp only, IIRC the final adjustments I made to get a satisfactory round had to be tweaked by confirming that no other die body extends further down than the sizer-decapper die. Close, or the same (as measured by the 'same amount of play,') but my Turret is somewhat worn, too. If adjusting dies 3 or 4 changed the #2 flare setting, or the drop-tube slop was not removed, then there might be partial activation. (I think some of my measure upgrade purchases were 'interim'--I now have the extended droptube in all four measures.)
What I do recall for sure is that re-doing the setup solved the problem--i.e., starting over with a good baseline setup with the sizer-decapper, and going from there, and making only minute adjustments while making sure the #1 die was the reference.
When this or related problems have been discussed in the past, on occasion it's been revealed that someone chooses a very low sizer location to tweak the handle stroke. That tweak should be done on the handle attachment (although it may not be obvious, my Turret is one of the originals, updated to 4-die, etc.)
For the record--I never trim my brass, revolver or semiauto. And, I now never use the disks--although that may change as I get further into rifle reloading. However, I have not been building match-grade ammo either.
As I look over the entire range of comments here, it does sound like the weight issues are primarily with low-end charges of a particular (flake?) type of powder. I remember trying Unique, found I couldn't get a reliable weight in the range I wanted, so I simply set it aside. All the powders I use now reliably weigh out at plus-or-minus-one-tenth (that's two-tenths grain total variation) once the measure is settled in--and I usually keep the hopper topped off when it drops to near half-full.
Jim H.
Last edited:
1SOW
Member
jfh: Thanks for the info.
I use the #3 die to both seat and crimp. That may be an issue with the adjustable charge bar.
FWIW relative to case lengths: ALL range pickup 9mm cases are "short" (< .75xxxx" saami length) by up to .01"some even shorter. I've noticed that after seating and crimping in the #3 die, running the cartridge through the FCD will usually "lengthen" it by ..0005-.0015". 9mm cases seat on the case mouth firmly when the slide feeds it into battery. When fired the case expands to some extent and this may lead to it 'getting shorter' instead of longer like a rifle case.
I've recently 'played' with this case length issue by using the FCD (set no crimp) as the #1 die, then size/deprime, charge/flare, and seat-crimp as the last die. My oals don't lengthen after seating the bullet and the cases are still slightly longer. Additionally, range pick-up Win cases tend to be closer to .75" than most others.
I do have a lot of time on my hands being recently retired. I haven't chrono'd these cartridges yet, but they shoot fine.
I use the #3 die to both seat and crimp. That may be an issue with the adjustable charge bar.
FWIW relative to case lengths: ALL range pickup 9mm cases are "short" (< .75xxxx" saami length) by up to .01"some even shorter. I've noticed that after seating and crimping in the #3 die, running the cartridge through the FCD will usually "lengthen" it by ..0005-.0015". 9mm cases seat on the case mouth firmly when the slide feeds it into battery. When fired the case expands to some extent and this may lead to it 'getting shorter' instead of longer like a rifle case.
I've recently 'played' with this case length issue by using the FCD (set no crimp) as the #1 die, then size/deprime, charge/flare, and seat-crimp as the last die. My oals don't lengthen after seating the bullet and the cases are still slightly longer. Additionally, range pick-up Win cases tend to be closer to .75" than most others.
I do have a lot of time on my hands being recently retired. I haven't chrono'd these cartridges yet, but they shoot fine.
DMF38
Member
Micro-disk
I didn't have very accurate measurements with the adjustable charge bar either, so I stopped using it. But I just bought the Lee Micro-Disk that works just like the black auto-disks, but it has smaller holes. I haven't used it yet but I'm looking forward to trying it during the next week. Has anyone else tried it?
I didn't have very accurate measurements with the adjustable charge bar either, so I stopped using it. But I just bought the Lee Micro-Disk that works just like the black auto-disks, but it has smaller holes. I haven't used it yet but I'm looking forward to trying it during the next week. Has anyone else tried it?
General Lee
Member
Step 1: Clean all components that come in contact with soapy water and DO NOT rinse the soap off
Step 2: Discard the first 2 or 3 rounds they will always be higher weight
Step 3: once you start making the bullets if you stop remember to discard the first couple rounds again.
It should work like a charm when you get in a rythm. If you are stopping to weight every charge I wouldn't consider that a rythm.
Step 2: Discard the first 2 or 3 rounds they will always be higher weight
Step 3: once you start making the bullets if you stop remember to discard the first couple rounds again.
It should work like a charm when you get in a rythm. If you are stopping to weight every charge I wouldn't consider that a rythm.
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