Installed a Hornady CAPD & measure onto Lee Classic Turret, result looks promising

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Installed a Hornady CAPD & RCBS measure onto Lee Classic Turret: Success!!!!

Since I really like the Hornady LnL and RCBS Unflow powder measures and how they handle fine grained powders to extruded rifle powders, I wanted to see if it was possible to install one on a Lee Classic Turret press I'd just bought.

I installed my Hornady LnL powder measure with case activated powder drop (the older style CAPD) on my Lee Classic Cast turret press. I was using a set of Lee dies for .303 Brit, a cartridge you might want to use IMR 4895 or some other such powder for.

I installed the CAPD with the original insert for .30 caliber rifles and everything looked promising. I was able to get both the micrometer adjustment and the linkage mechanism to clear the Lee Safety Prime. The CAPD was a tight fit on the small turret, but was do-able and I believe I could set it up to clear the dies and operate correctly with some thought. I had to use a Lee die lock ring, as neither a Hornady lock ring nor a Redding lock ring would clear the other lock rings on the very space economical turret.

The linkage on my older style CAPD is not very much different in layout and dimension from the RCBS case activated linkage kit & the new Hornady CAPD (the one that uses pistol case expansion inserts), I believe it's very likely the RCBS and the new Hornady CAPD will fit and be able to clear as well.

Results:

1. The Hornady measure would work, but it's a larg measure, weighs more than the Uniflow I have and feels a bit heavy on top of the small Lee Classic turret, causing it to feel awkward there when operating the press and the turret is rotating. I didn't finish adjusting it, because I had plans to move the Hornady measure to a new style CAPD and use it fon my LNL for rifle and pistol.

2. I have an RCBS Uniflow, which I had originally planned to combine with my old style Hornady measure if possible and put on the Lee Classic Cast Turret for handling powders the Lee Pro Auto Disk might or does have trouble with.

3. I installed the old style Hornady CAPD on the RCBS Uniflow, then installed the entire apparatus on the Lee Classic Cast press and adjusted it. VOILA!! It worked good!!! The Uniflow was enough lighter in weight than the LnL measure and therefore felt comfortable when rotated during the turret's operation.

I was able, using the rifle drum and a standard metering rod, to adjust out to between 9.5 and 10 on the metering rod and still clear the Safety prime. 10 was just long enough it wouldn't clear the Safety primeI am not familiar enough with the Uniflow's standard measuring rod to know how large that is, but I'm suspecting it is a large enough for most charges I would load on the Lee press.

I was able to adjust the CAPD for proper operation of the Uniflow without problem (for those who have a Hornady perss and a Uniflow or want to pick up a Uniflow at a gunshow, etc cheap, this is an easy adaptation.) and the little Lee Classic Cast turret feels quite comfortable with the Uniflow riding on top.

I think this is a great way to have your cake and eat it to. Case activation power drop with both the Lee Pro Auto Disk (good pistol powder measure) and the RCBS Uniflow (good for rifle powders and powders the Pro Auto Disk doesn't work well with). My apologies for generalizing on the powders, but I'm tired, since I got up at five A.M. to review for a test this morning.

Here are some pics:

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/RCBSUniflowMountedToLeeClassicTurretPress 001.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/RCBSUniflowMountedToLeeClassicTurretPress 002.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/RCBSUniflowMountedToLeeClassicTurretPress 003.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/RCBSUniflowMountedToLeeClassicTurretPress 004.jpg

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Follow up

I am not totally familiar with the RCBS Uniflow, having recently acquired it, so I decided to set the measure up to dispense 48.5 grains of IMR 4895, which is pretty close to, if not a max load for the .303 Brit and .308 Winchester. I measured on an Redding powder measure.

With the measure set to dispense that much powder, the .303 Brit case I was using was filled halfway up the case neck and would definately have been a compressed load and not one I would shoot.

The adjustment for the Uniflow I was using is the standard adjustment that comes with the large cylinder when one buys the powder measure. The setting, when I was finished with my adjustments, was just past four and between four and five on the scale of the adjustment. Obviously, if one wanted less powder, one could screw the adjustment in more to reduce the charge.

With the setting at maximum (or close) charge loads for the .303 and .308, the adjusting "rod" easily cleared the top of the Lee Safety Prime (about 1/2 to 3/4" clearance) when mounted into a properly adjusted for function Hornady case activated powder drop.

Based on the above and having some knowledge of typical 4895 loads in 30.06, I think the RCBS Uniflow with either the RCBS or Hornady case activated powder drop set has a lot of potential as an option for powder dispensing with the Lee Classic Cast Turret press.

Since a lot of folks own Uniflows and they're easily acquired at reasonable prices on ebay or at gunshows, this is a very good way of adding a powder measure capable of doing a good job of handling powders that may be difficult with the Lee Pro Auto Disk as well as providing case activated powder measure, which currently is not available with the Lee Perfect Powder Measure on the turret press.

 

[AnyRacoon]

I put one on my Dillon 550 for loading 223. Works great, plan to try it on my 650 next.

 

[RexDart]

Since a lot of folks own Uniflows and they're easily acquired at reasonable prices on ebay or at gunshows, this is a very good way of adding a powder measure capable of doing a good job of handling powders that may be difficult with the Lee Pro Auto Disk

Dave, I'm considering a Lee Turret Press, and my first cartridges will likely be .40SW & .303 Brit. Are you recommending the Pro Auto Disk be avoided for .303-friendly powders? If so, why?

 

[Idano]

Dave.

Outstanding, I love seeing innovation at work. What you need now is the RCBS powder baffle, they run about $7; I put one in both of my Uniflow powder measures and in my Hornady powder measure. The baffle really tight ed up the dispense deviation for flake and ball powder but I haven't tried it on extruded yet.

I know you have extra turrets setup for the different calibers, but have you ever thought about boring out and re-tapping one of the turrets for the L-N-L bushing inserts? I was thinking it would make moving your powder measure over more convenient. You could either convert the whole turret to L-n-L or just one hole for the powder measure. Sorry but it is that reloading addiction kicking in, when I have nothing to load I think of things I can add or enhance.