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Posted: 1/6/2014 10:03:34 AM EDT
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Hi all,
I got a Lyman #55 powder measure for Xmas, I put it on my amazon wishlist as it got good reviews for being easy to set and accurate and well made etc... Well I get the thing set up and I attempt to set it for 5.0 grains of Win 231 for making my .45 ACP loads and this magnificent device will not throw a consistent charge. I am using the smallest slide chamber for a pistol charge per the instructions but I can't get it to be consistent it's either a full grain over or under and everywhere in between. I gave up and got my Lee Plastic Powder measure set up and it's throwing 5.0 grains all day long with little to no variance. I am a novice at this, am I missing something? Is the Lyman the wrong tool for small pistol charges? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Thurman |
| I use a RCBS Uniflow with the small meter for my pistol loads, no experience with the Lyman. But, did you clean everything good before using the measured? Run a dryer sheet over it to prevent a static issue? Make sure everything is tightened down, have seen on a RCBS the adjustment screw can loosen up and cause inaccurate throws. |
| I've not had issues with my 55 and pistol loads. In fact, it's one of the only volumetric measures I have that works well with Alliant Steel. Of course, those are 50 gr. charges for the 10 ga. Try using the middle slide for most of the charge. With flake powders, I will bring the handle up rather abruptly against the stop and tap it a second time to settle the powder some. 231 is'nt a flake powder though and should meter well. You also might try fabricating a baffle for the hopper as there was none with mine. Some where on this forum their was posted a drawing of a baffle pattern that could be cut out of plastic or thin metal sheet stock, might try to search for that. |
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Is the measure on a solid support?
It's hard for me to imagine how your charge weights are not dead on with a ball powder and I have no idea what could be wrong. I think a #55 is a great measure and it's perfect for small charges, light years better than a Uniflow in my experience. Did you clean the interior of the measure before starting use? Is everything assembled correctly and tight where it needs to be tight? |
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Hi all,
Thanks for all the replies first off. * Yes I cleaned the unit when I got it with rubbing alcohol and ran a dryer sheet through the hopper as well to get rid of the static. * Had the PM mounted to the Lyman mount and C clamped to my bench. * I had tried throwing charges both with and without the baffle the PM came with I will try again using the slightly larger slide and see what that does... |
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Try this:
re-clean: a. Spray it down with green brake cleaner or similar. Don't go 'lightly.' Do this with it disassembled. b. Soak it in Dawn/liquid dishwashing soap and water for an hour or two, make it sudsy, let it soak. Do this with it disassembled. c. Dry on paper towels. Help lube: d. Set the PM up with a medium sized drop, ~15gr or so (doesn't matter much here, larger means more times to cycle/fill..) e. Fill PM with powder, any on hand f. Sit PM on top of powder container, cycle 1-3 full hoppers of powder through. You can use some graphite instead, but smokeless powder has graphite in it, and I'm assuming you have some.. :) You can also look at Dryflash's thread where after cleaning, he's using paste wax on the inner funnel. Wax, let dry, polish off. Lastly, rub a used dryer sheet inside and out. I leave one rubber banded to the outside of my PMs. When you fill the PM, 'tap it down' by rapping a few sides on the PM, then cycle 5-10 charges through it and dump them back in the hopper. Now set your desired charge and look at consistency. As stated, consistency in your movement/cycling and a solid mount for the PM both help, as well. |
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Something to keep in mind is,, the smaller the surface where the powder shears, the more consistant the throw.
Keep in mind,, no over hang on the slides above the drum. Try to keep the smallest opening possable, usnig the drum., not the slides. Adjusting the drum alone will result in good, accurate throws, even with extruded powders. |
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Quoted:
Try this: re-clean: a. Spray it down with green brake cleaner or similar. Don't go 'lightly.' Do this with it disassembled. b. Soak it in Dawn/liquid dishwashing soap and water for an hour or two, make it sudsy, let it soak. Do this with it disassembled. c. Dry on paper towels. Help lube: d. Set the PM up with a medium sized drop, ~15gr or so (doesn't matter much here, larger means more times to cycle/fill..) e. Fill PM with powder, any on hand f. Sit PM on top of powder container, cycle 1-3 full hoppers of powder through. You can use some graphite instead, but smokeless powder has graphite in it, and I'm assuming you have some.. :) You can also look at Dryflash's thread where after cleaning, he's using paste wax on the inner funnel. Wax, let dry, polish off. Lastly, rub a used dryer sheet inside and out. I leave one rubber banded to the outside of my PMs. When you fill the PM, 'tap it down' by rapping a few sides on the PM, then cycle 5-10 charges through it and dump them back in the hopper. Now set your desired charge and look at consistency. As stated, consistency in your movement/cycling and a solid mount for the PM both help, as well. I assume by "green brake cleaner" you mean something that is not the usual brake cleaner, something that is safe for plastics. If not, that is a monumentally bad idea that is guaranteed to ruin the reservoir and probably the paint. |
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