Lee auto drum powder thrower??

[drband]

I have a Hornady LNL-AP that I use primarily for loading pistol ammo. When I started loading rifle I had to change the rotor in the powder measure to the larger rifle rotor. Not a big deal but it does add a step to the process.

For each cartridge that I load I like to have a separate quick change powder die and a powder measure stem that I can dial in for my favorite load for the particular cartridge. The cost of those items is about $35.

I read some favorable reviews of the Lee Auto Drum measure. I was particularly impressed with the measure's ability to meter well with extruded rifle powder. The cost of the measure was about the same as the Hornady parts I would need for one cartridge setup so I figured I would give it a try. I did order a Rifle Charging Die set (long and short) and a powder measure riser.

I tested the measure on my Rockchucker and found that it worked well with rifle powder. I ordered some extra rotors and another charging Die and risers to facilitate changeovers. Once that was in hand I set up the Auto Drum on my progressive press to load some .300 Blackout and .223.

Most of my Blackout recipes use very fine spherical powders such as H110 and A1680. I am getting a good bit of leakage even with the rotor attachment screw in tightly. I had some leakage also using W748 which is a ball powder. The LNL-AP priming system is very sensitive to spilled powder so this is somewhat annoying. It is an easy matter to switch to a different Powder for .223 but I really need this measure to work better with fine granulated powder for Blackout loads.

I've run into a couple of minor issues that I chalk up to learning my way around the Auto Drum. I have pretty much resolved those and hope to do the same with the leaks.

I load H110/W296 for 44mag and have no leaking at all. Be sure to clean the rotor and the inside of the rotor housing to insure there is no residue or grains of powder anywhere. I use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to make sure it's clear. Then install the rotor, making sure the big o-ring under the thumbscrew is in place. Crank it down til the rotor will not return to the fill position and then just loosen barely enough to allow it to turn. The o-ring out of position will allow leakage--I know!

 

[splattergun]

I

Most of my Blackout recipes use very fine spherical powders such as H110 and A1680. I am getting a good bit of leakage even with the rotor attachment screw in tightly. I had some leakage also using W748 which is a ball powder. The LNL-AP priming system is very sensitive to spilled powder so this is somewhat annoying. It is an easy matter to switch to a different Powder for .223 but I really need this measure to work better with fine granulated powder for Blackout loads.
.

That can happen when the rotor screw is too tight.

 

[kcofohio]

I load H110/W296 for 44mag and have no leaking at all. Be sure to clean the rotor and the inside of the rotor housing to insure there is no residue or grains of powder anywhere. I use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to make sure it's clear. Then install the rotor, making sure the big o-ring under the thumbscrew is in place. Crank it down til the rotor will not return to the fill position and then just loosen barely enough to allow it to turn. The o-ring out of position will allow leakage--I know!

What he said!

I have ran some fine powders through mine, as long as I have done as drband said, I don't get any traceable leakage.

 

[goldpelican]

Man, just set mine up with H335 - it's leaking like a sieve on first use. Dumping a grain or more of powder per throw - it's coming out from inside the cast shaft at the bottom. Raining powder. Brand new, so it wasn't contaminated with old powder. Powder everywhere.

 

[goldpelican]

Leaking where circled - mounted onto a Lee Short Rifle charging die. Just swept up ~20 grains off the tile floor after 20 throws. Seems to be leaking in the drop shaft before entering the die.

 

[goldpelican]

Fixed with some fiddling of the knob - had to really tighten it then back it off - trick was ensuring there was no play between the drum and the body. Leak disappeared. Made a mess though :/

 

[rondog]

Love mine! Easy to setup, easy to adjust, repeats accurately.

 

[drband]

Fixed with some fiddling of the knob - had to really tighten it then back it off - trick was ensuring there was no play between the drum and the body. Leak disappeared. Made a mess though :/

Just a hint: empty the hopper, then the drop tube as suggested above. Then disassemble the drum and clean it out thoroughly with a soft brush or cloth. The trick is to assemble it CLEAN, tighten it down properly, all before adding powder. If you get grains of powder all in the bearing surfaces of the drum and housing, it WILL leak again and again. Starting clean and tightly assembled will prevent that headache.
Best of luck to you! It's a great powder measure if set up properly!

 

[Varminterror]

I loaded 200 38spcl rounds on my LCT tonight using the AutoDrum to throw HP-38. Works fine. I prefer the Uniflow and the Hornady LNL measure greatly over the Lee. The only reason I own it was the fact I happened upon it in the Cabela's Bargain Cave for $14.

Having multiple drums is very convenient. I bought one of the kits with two large and two small, so I have 3 of each - that lets me change quickly and accurately between those 6 different cartridges. For $30, I sure can't buy a better powder measure, with 6 pre-settable drums, so I can't complain about that.

 

[GBExpat]

... Having multiple drums is very convenient....

Yes! I like to have multiples filled when I am in a "production run" with the LCT press. It allows me a much better chance of retaining the muse during restock pauses.

 

[lonewolf5347]

I just got it in the mail wow simple to set up seem they did not have the chrome button thing attached to the powder drop.
I ran some bulleye powder threw it at 3.6 it was right on the money.
They did have the pistol drum installed in the unit .
I did change the charge with the small plastic T simple set up.

 

[RussellC]

I load H110/W296 for 44mag and have no leaking at all. Be sure to clean the rotor and the inside of the rotor housing to insure there is no residue or grains of powder anywhere. I use a paintbrush with stiff bristles to make sure it's clear. Then install the rotor, making sure the big o-ring under the thumbscrew is in place. Crank it down til the rotor will not return to the fill position and then just loosen barely enough to allow it to turn. The o-ring out of position will allow leakage--I know!

Yup, I did the same thing. Tighter isnt better for leakage. I also found too tight would make more inconsistent powder drops.

Russellc