RCBS 1500 Powder Problems

[roninrlm]

I have a Charge Master RCBS 1500 scale and Powder Dispenser. While I mainly use Trail Boss for CowBoy Shooting I do use other powders from time to time. While reloading some .45 ACP with "Unique" I finished and left the powder in the loader thinking I would finish up Tomorrow. Tomorrow ended up being about a week or two latter. When I emptied the powder Holder , to put some TB back in there I found the the Unique had somehow "MELTED" into the clear powder holder and everything else all the way to the Drain. Melted as BONDED--sandpapper will not remove it. Anyone ever heard of this?? Is there anything I can do to remove the powder without ruining my RCBS 1500?

RM

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Yes I have, it will happen with most of the powders on the market if not all of them.

I always empty my powder measures after I done using them. I had a new Hornady measure do that with Titegroup powder in just a few days.

The plastic on these measures are supposed to be anti-static plastic so maybe it won't stand up to the acid in the powder as well as, say the plastic they use to make the powder containers themselves.

That never happens with the original powder bottle.

 

[Joe's]

roninlrm, Nope. That's one thing RCBS doesn't warn you about. Bullseye will do the same thing. It happens because of the solvents used in certain powders.
Give RCBS a call Monday morning and check and see if there is anything they can do to help. Get back to us when you hear something. I know I would be interested.

Be Well,
Joe's

 

[stu1ritter]

When, through my own laziness in not emptying the powder measure, both of my Hornady LnL measures became etched and dark gray, I called Hornady and they sent me two new powder hoppers under warranty. They never questioned my leaving the powder in the hopper, I even told them I did and wanted to pay for the hoppers but they wouldn't let me.
Stu

 

[tightgroup tiger]

A lot of the gray in the powder hopper is the graphite from the powder. I don't clean that out. It seem to help dispel static so I don't worry about it.

 

[Joe's]

tt, I think ron is talking about a little more damage than is what is left from graphite. I think he is talking about the powder melting into the plastic surface of the powder throw and hopper.

Be Well,
Joe's

 

[stu1ritter]

Same here. I didn't mind the dark gray, no big deal, I have strong lights in my reloading area, but the powder was etching/dissolving the plastic from contact with the powder. Even with the new hoppers on the measure and taking the powder out as soon as I finish loading with it (only in the hopper an hour or two) you can see where the plastic is dissolving on the new ones.
Stu

 

[Joe's]

RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 dispenser etching

Stu,
Can you give me a heads up as to what powder/s you were using. Just curious because mine with Bullseye took 2 days to etch the surface.

I got lucky because my Charge Master would not stay constant. It would drift about .3 grn in the first 5 minutes of operation. Called RCBS and the Tech took me thru about a 15 minute re-calibration of the unit. It didn't work. Sent it in and they sent me back a new complete unit. My old one was about 5 yrs out of warranty. Man was I ever pleased.

From now on I just make sure to empty the measure with every use.

Be Well,
Joe's

 

[stu1ritter]

These days I'm loading with VV N320, Power Pistol, SR4756 a bit of Bullseye and a bit of Unique.
Stu

 

[judgedelta]

Excuse me if I'm out of line as a newbie, but there are two reasons to never leave power in your dispenser. One, you may screw up your equipment by the powder fouling it; and two, you might forget what powder you left in it, which could result in some really interesting loads...

 

[stu1ritter]

Powder doesn't foul equipment. Just the solvents in the powder attack the plastic. As to forgetting what powder, part of reloading technique is to make sure you never forget what powder is in the measure by leaving that powder bottle (even if it's a 4 lb'er) on the reloading table. Otherwise, you own a lot of fertilizer.
Stu