First or latest RU-vid video on this, no matter. This was an outstanding overview of the powder measure. A concise guided tour of everything you need to know. THANKS! Saved me lots of time searching and trying to translate words to reality with this.
Thanks again for this clear video. Once again, anything regarding reloading or casting I need clarity on, you are there. I go back and forth between you and Elvis Ammo. You are very detailed in your explanations. I wish there was something I could do to show appreciation to you and the other guy South Carolina. Thanks again, Steve..
FCLC45, in 2024 I'm revisiting this video that thank you. I end up buying this and the Perfect Powder Measure that uses the same drums, and it's been a huge aid to my reloading at such an affordable price. Home run from Lee, I'm so glad they are dedicated to excellence and affordability.
Thanks for the informative video. I just picked up one of these from Midway this week, along with the classic turret press (after 40 years of using a single stage) It looks like Lee listened to everyone regarding the disconnect as it no longer comes installed on the unit, but now as a separately bagged accessory that must be installed if wanted.
Hi after almost 50 years of reloading on a single stage press and conventional powder measure I decided to speed things up a little and just picked up the Lee Classic Turret 4 hole press and also one of these new auto drum powder measures for loading my handgun rounds. Your video is very informative and a great help to get me started out right with this measure. Thanks!
+Albert Kranbuhl Jr -- That is a good setup you now have. It should serve you splendidly. Please let me know if you have any problems or questions...Happy Holidays to ya, FC
FC - Thanks for the video. Very well done and informative. Just got my Lee Classic 4 hole turret press and placed the auto drum powder measure on the turret. Got tried for swapping out reforming dies, bullet seating dies and crimping dies on my single press. Along with hand charging powder and then trickling powder for accuracy.
Congratulations Fortune Cookie 45 for posting the very first RU-vid video on this new product from Lee. You have established the gold standard for future videos on this new product. Great job on the video and happy reloading !
+Peter Manetta -- Appreciate the kind words... not often we can be the first on RU-vid ... feels kinda neat like a news reporter scooping all the other newsrooms... Best to ya, FC
As always, outstanding video on an excellent new product. I did not even know that this product from Lee was even available. All my presses are from Lee and I have absolutely no complaints. Been watching your videos for some time now and enjoy them all, from casting to reloading. Another good product for advancing in my reloading. Will be ordering one soon. Thank you for all that you do. Hoping you and your family have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
+ArmyVet 8892 -- You vets are America's finest...and every sacrifice made from each and every one of you should ever be heralded and never be forgotten... May you dwell in peace, freedom, abundance and satisfaction in all your endeavors...for you have earned it. Good reloadin' and good shootin' to ya.... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you also... FC
Thanks for the great video. My Lee reloading kit should arrive tomorrow. I am completely new to reloading and your video explaining how individual parts work was really helpful.
Dave - Congrats on the embarking of a voyage of discovery and satisfaction...Please keep in touch and feel free to post questions and comments as you go...We are all continued students as there really aren't any masters out there. Those that tell you that their way is the best or only way are fooling themselves. It's the safety and procedural fundamentals that are the base points from which everything else is built. Glad to have you on board the Hot Lead Zone Express... Best to ya, FC
Thank you for doing this video, I have been searching for info on this product and did not find too much about it until now. Thank you !!! I will be ordering one soon. Thanks again!!!
+Daryl G. -- After doing the second video on this measure, I ordered a second one...at $35 a copy, that is very much enabled. Now I want to order a bunch of extra drums as they are excellent and inexpensive. Happy Holidays to ya, FC
So excellent that I’m helping a neighbor set up his press and he has that very thrower with no manual. I knew that you would have covered it thoroughly at some time.
excellent video! I had no idea that they even made that. looks like the disconnect feature was a problem, but can easily be bypassed which I like. to me the pot metal that's used on the powder measure is not that big of a deal because I feel that a powder measure is a light duty device. looks like I'm gonna have to pick one up. thank you again for sharing the video I really enjoyed it I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Christopher Hart - And Thor's Axe777 had a great idea - on his Dillon 650, he uses one station to mouth flare / neck expand first (with an additional neck expand/mouth flare die) and then the next station for the Lee Auto Drum PM - that way, the case has been pre expanded so that the PM is doing the second pass with every case - and every second pass is assured to have no "chatter" so that accurate charges are always dropped...fantastic way to go... Best to ya, FC
+GeorgiaTack -- Thanks for your comment... I liked this measure so much, I now have two of them...and the disconnector was removed in both of them... Best Regards to ya, FC
I have been using the Lee 4 hole turrent press for years now and love it but since I mostly shoot 9mm, I decided to upgrade to the Loadmaster for that caliber. Thank God for you tube and videos like yours to get it running properly. I also use the auto drum powder measure and agree with you on the disconnect feature but instructions for removing this feature were vague and your video helped to do this. Since my wife has an AR9mm carbine she can go through ammo in staggering amounts and with this press I can turn out replacement ammo quick enough to feed this voracious beast's appetite !
Ben Workman - Thanks for your great comment. However, I don't know about you calling your wife a voracious beast - but then again, that sure makes you a very lucky man..!! You are going to have the short happy life... ;) ;) ;) Best Regards, FC
+Mr. Tolly (AKA: fatmantolly) - You are going to like this measure - just get rid of that disconnector (or not). This measure and the new Lee Classic Powder Measure, both have all the features of the previous lines of Lee powder measures but incorporated into stronger, durable and quality materials, construction and designs while offering the new easily interchangeable drums preset for our favorite loads. The problem with the Lee Classic is that it uses a cast iron body and the price point is now what the RCBS Uniflow is on sale. But even so, the new Lee Classic Measure (stand alone hand crank measure) beats the RCBS and Hornady because of the nylon drums that provide fully adjustable charge throws at much lower cost than the inserts from the other makers. Also, the ease of handling of the pesky extruded stick powders blows the RCBS and Hornady units out of the water (new video on that). My prediction is that Lee will do very well with the Auto Drum and Classic Powder Measures, but why they didn't come out with these 10 - 15 years ago is a mystery. Happy Holidays to ya, FC
Great video and superbly presented with very clear information. Thank you for steering me the right way...will be buying one of these now although hard to find in Australia.
+Oz Camp n Hunt Dan -- Reason is that this ADPM is still rather new...but the word on its goodness is getting out fast...Lee is filling orders, but a lot of dealers are selling them quickly. Will take just a bit more time to get out to be fully distributed in your land Down Under...Hail to all you fantastic Aussies..!! And hello to the New Zealanders also. FC
Thanks for responding! Used it again today with 100 cases and running smooth and consistent to the .05 grain !!! Yeah, the manufacturing is on the cheaper spectrum of things but I think the design is very innovative- props to Papa Lee ;)
Christopher Hart - When the ADPM runs smoothly (most of the time), it's a great measure. When you get clicks and pops, the throws are not as accurate...so we run the case a second time and always get smooth accurate throws on the second pass...therefore, the best is that when clicks and pops happen, then we need to run all the cases through for neck expand and mouth flare first and then add the PM for a second time through - the throws will all be good. If on a progressive, need an extra neck expand/mouth flare die - one station to expand, and next station has the PM on the die for smooth charges...works well when sizing decapping wet tumbling polishing are done so one of the stations on the prog press is opened up anyway. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Christopher Hart - It's perhaps the most accurate powder measure out there as long as it isn't doing the "click and pop". If you get that, best to run the cases through the expander and flare die first, then install the PM and charge cases by running them through again...the PM doesn't "click and pop" with the second run through and the charges are accurate. The click and pop = variance throws. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
FC45LC: I didn't read ALL the comments, but one thing I noticed when I used the Auto-Drum, there was an issue when I removed the dis-connector. I load on a Lee Turret Press and the vibration from the rotating tool head would sometimes cause the disconnect rod to gradually move back in the slider causing a partial powder drop. What I did was put a drop of hot glue from a glue gun in the "hole" to keep the disconnect rod from moving back in the slider. PS I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
thanks.... I finally figured it out for both at the end of the day yesterday. your videos are great and very informative. I used the old vmd charts from my disc set to figure the volumes and grains. tested by using dippers too. thanks
Michael Gorton - The Lee Auto Disks have served reloaders for many years, but we just worked around its limitations 1) limited adjustability of charges thrown 2) Powder charge setting change not conveniently made 3) limited capacity of charges thrown. 4) Hopper has no cut off feature. The Auto Drum solves all those, plus can handle stick powders nicely. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Winchester 296 jams my Hornady powder measure and its built better than my Lee equipment .I use the Lee Auto disc when i drop that powder.Lee has some nice features as you pointed out.Great and very thorough review FC!
Three things he did not mention is that you DO NOT always need the riser. You only need it with certain die setups. And the second is that the little adjusting key is easily stored in the hole next to the adjusting screw. The third piece of the setup he failed to mention is that you can use a pencil to write the grain weight or powder you are using on the flat ares of the adjusting screw housing. But it was a good video and very informative.
+Tonsofgunsoffun -- It's a good unit and will serve us well... I'm enjoying it already... will post on using it with those pesky extruded stick powders next... Happy Holidays, FC
Thanks cookie. Got my two Auto-Drums the other day and LOVE them, so much better than the disks. Immediately removed the reset device, and working to figure out how to fix the wobbling fit on top of the die. Ran powdered-graphite through them to set them up/break them in, and added the Prairie-Dog double-baffles. Oh, drops of super glue (let them dry of course) around the lip keeps the lid on tight.
wrthrash - Sorry the delayed reply was because Google did not post your comment in my inbox - I won't see such for months... My three Auto Drums have been singing a fine song... we make music together... Best to ya, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya..!! FC
Thank you for this video, great demo. I would like to see this powder measure operating on the Pro 1000, I hope you make another video of this powder measure mounted on Lee Pro 1000..... Thanks....
I have been away from the loading bench for some time now. It seems to me that I bought one of these when they first came out. Now I need to go dig and see if I remember correctly. 1/10 grain per flat of revolution of the chamber stem will depend on the powder.....could be more, could be less. The disconnect for the powder throw may prove useful on a progressive or the Lee Classic turret press. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, my friend, I have a couple of friends that I am helping get started with reloading, and we got one of these. I kind of liked the idea for the disconnector, but they made the chain holder such that the chain will slip through rather than break if misadjusted. IMO this made it very easy to bump your hand on the chain and lose the setting, causing a real risk of squib loads. We had to pull down some ammo for safety. It only took a few minutes of use before I was convinced to disable the disconnector as you have done, even for my loadmaster progressive press. You were very right, sir, and my opinion has changed.
GunFun ZS - Many years ago, I had a reloading mentor named Doug that really helped me get started. What you did with those two friends will have influence way into the future. Thanks for your additional assessment on the Auto Drum... With your experience and expertise, your comments carry a lot of weight and are much appreciated... Have a great day to ya, friend GunFun - FC Steve
Very professional and REALLY excellent review, much appreciated Fortune Cookie, I just ordered 2 (you should get 12%!!!). And yeah, I never "got" the ridic chain thing, just so stupid-stupid and PC, and you made such a great point of a squib-load being equally or more dangerous than a double-charge... kudos & excellent point there! Progressive is progressive even on a single stage. Love your posts and keep up the great work. Will hopefully figure out how to powder coat or paint mine. Take care.
+wrthrash -- Do not recommend the wet paint systems - I've tried that and you have mess and materials that are messy. The PC is also paint, but put on dry and neat... Plus, nothing wrong with the old standby 45/45/10 system of tumble lubing - worked great for many years, will still work great...I'm doing PC now to give it a good run - it's an option alternative to doing traditional cast bullet lubing - it is not a go to substitute. Once you see all the videos, you can decide for yourself what you want. Have a great day, FC
I have been contemplating getting one of these little guys. Initially from what i've seen it seems to be a pretty good unit but leakage with the fine powders was the biggest gripe. I'll be looking forward to hearing a re-review of yours down the road once you get some more run time on it. Pretty clever design with the rack & pinion design and I like the drum adjustment along with the 4-pack of drums. Nice that it is die actuated and no crap hanging off it! I think I agree with the removal of the disconnector. It is a little neat if you screw up a stroke on the press and don't want to have to double charge or make a powder mess but the danger of a squib load is a big one and it would be easy to miss an empty case if you didn't inspect them all in a loading block. I don't know if there is a lesser of two evils though with squibs & double charges. Ideally a double charge is going to overflow the case and be very obvious but worst case your using light charges of really fast powder like Titewad, Ba10, Bullseye or N310, something like that and double or triple charge! A double of some of those really hot powders like that are likely to blow a gun up! With a squib, at the very least your barrel will probably be "ringed" by the squib but worst case a rupture in the barrel, case or just destruction of the action of the gun.
mytmousemalibu - Sorry to not reply until now, Chris, but Google did not post the comment in my inbox to see - won't answer until I stumble onto them months later... Like anything, we operators have to pay attention. Just got some LED lights that enable viewing the powder in each charged case on my Dillon 550Bs...should provide an extra degree of safety to the proceedings... Best to ya, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya..!! FC
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Jiujitsu! Well done sir! you should be getting a commision because I have just ordered one based on your reviews! Thanks!
+Yissnakk Lives! -- No commissions...I do not work for Lee or any other related company. So far, no negatives to report - I'm going to use my Auto Drum again this afternoon. I now have two of the Auto Drum measures - You may find that this measure has been too long in coming.... Good reloadin' to ya. FC
Hot Lead I got my new Lee Drum Auto Measure. I have to say it's not bad. I follow your instructions I took 50 charges like you did and the charges came really close to what I wanted. I did get a lot of popping and I fixed that problem by cleaning the drum. I disconnected the disconnector and found out that the popping stopped. Keep up the good work. I also got the riser and that worked just like you said it would work. Good Video.
Ernie Murdock - Sorry to not reply until now - whenever Google does not post a comment in my inbox, I won't see it for months...I'm using my LADPMs a lot and they are serving very well...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ya..!! FC
Thanks for the video.. Very informative. I actually made an additional powder measure stand that situates a RCBS powder measure or Little Dandy measure right over the funnel in the pass through die on my Classic Turret press. Yes I have to manually work the measure, but so many tools out there require that anyway, so I was used to the concept. This tool just might alleviate that process.. Well we can't double charge a 357 case with 21 grains of 296 anyway.. You'd have powder all over the place.. I would like to see how it handles a powder like Unique, Herco or Blue Dot for uniformity. Maybe next time. Thanks again.
Very good piece!! Nice instruction too. I use the auto disc there are better ones, but hard to beat it for simplicity of loading. I have others but seem to always go back to the auto disc for pistol loads...
+dowdawg -- The Auto Disk is a very workable measure. Reloaders have often complained that the lack of adjustability is problematic when a charge between the chambers is desired, but we can learn to live with what the disks drop... Now, with this measure, we have something with the pre-set easy change drums to boot... Happy Holidays, FC (the newer reloaders can just go right to the new Auto :Drum)
Jim Koonce - Congrats on your decision to get into reloading...you will find your shooting vistas opened up in ways you never imagined...plus it will be a very enjoyable and challenging pursuit... The Lee ADPM will be a good addition to your reloading bench with lots of usefulness... Good reloadin' to ya... FC
he now I'm having trouble aligning the drum hole with the powder dispenser shoot whole when I take tension off of the handle the alignment is way off is there a tensioner?
Why doesn't my auto drum go past the 4:00 position? Yours gets to the 5:00 but mine doesn't. I have it tightened as much as it will go. I checked the gears and they look right. Any suggestions?
If I can make a suggestion to your instruction video I would suggest you show how the chain is hooked up for a Lee progressive loader. Great Instructional video.
+Bruno Friia -- Thanks for the comment, Bruno, but I'll do you one better. The only reason to have the chain is to activate the disconnector. But if the disconnector is removed, the measure operates as a stand alone self contained case activated unit not needing any chain or link with any press. The disconnector is totally useless. I've removed it from both my Auto Drums now and say gungha (we used to say that when a member of our golf foursome puts a 300 yard drive into the fairway). No case, no charge - all we have to do is to be sure to advance the shell plate as a matter of course to prevent any double charges. A powder sensor can be installed if the reloader has any problems doing that. Or a light can be positioned to allow inspection of the charge before placing a bullet on the seating station. I just threw those chains away in disgust. Removing the disconnector was easy - Lee provided instructions on doing that (do you think that the easy removal of the disconnector was provided for a reason instead of a permanent disconnector? I would have blasted that measure if it were so). Best to ya, Bruno FC
I have a question about the rubber plug on the large cone- does that always need to be installed?? i am loading 308 and 30-06 rifle and have never used this setup. Which cone small or large is suitable for this and how does it work?? I use the small one to load my 7.62x39 brass for my mini ruger 30 and had ok luck with that but not sure about the rest- thanks
Mike gorton - For your needs, you will want to leave the plug out. The little plug is for shooters who are reloading for pistol and not for rifle. The plug converts the big rifle drum into a small charge pistol drum. For your 308 and /06, you will definitely need the full rifle charges. Depending on the type of powder, the pistol drum will indeed work for the x39. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Hi F.C. I was loosing a lot of powder using the Drum measure with 300 BLK. I contacted Leek and they sent me replacement machined drums. I feel like I am still leaking a lot of powder and going to email them again. My question for you is do you lose powder through the side of three body where you can see the spring? Do you loose powder between the body of unit and the drum at the 6:00 position when you are dumping the powder? Thank-you for your time! Scott
Scott11371 - Yes, I've had powder leak at the drum caused by the drum needing to be snugged up just an extra 1/4 turn. And I've had the powder leak from the body - cause, the powder is leaking into the drum housing and being carried up to the opening in the body at the upper part of the drum housing - will leak out the body = that was cured by replacing to a different drum and no more leak - then I just use the leaking drums for coarser powders and everything is OK...I have 14 drums and two of them leak. If you are still getting leaks after trying different drums, the problem may be in your measure body. That will need a send back to Lee for repair or replacement. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Thank you for this video Just got a Lee's reloader and didn't know about this powder measure. How to adjust the powder what was the little key was for . you're right instructions is not that good
I cannot, no matter what I try, to get my LADPM to work with the disconnect attached to my LoadMaster and chain. It works perfect with the Disconnect off, but, when I have the disconnect on, the drum will not make a full, complete turn to dump powder into the case. If I keep gentle pressure on the Disconnect when I raise the press, the unit works every time. It makes no sense. I've watched all of your videos and a few others out there on this unit. I really don't need the Disconnect, since I never use my LM as a Single stage, but I liked the idea as a safety measure. It seems like the plastic pieces are allowing too much movement and not enough resistance against the other components within the Powder Measure. Thanks so much for your videos. they've been very helpful in getting me back into reloading after so man years.
@@RancidQueso I just took off the disconnect since I really don't have a problem with the double charge on the Load Master. It works fine without it. But thanks for the offer.
I am a new fish to being an owner of a reloading set. I have used my buddies lee classic turret press for quite some time and deciding to make the investment of getting my own. I purchased the Auto-Drum Powder Measure and your video is very informational and has contributed to getting my setup in order. The only issue I have is I am having numbers across the board with 9mm Luger from 4.7-5.4 in about 20 loads, quite a big gap there. I am going to say it mat be the powder I am using which is "fluffy"; Alliant Powder Unique. Can anyone shed some light on my post? Thanks!
Great Video! I agree about the instructions being ambiguous with respect to the disconnect, and also agree that a squib is as much of a concern as a double charge. How old is that can of W296?
Vincent Bozik - Thanks for your comments...much appreciated. That can of WW296 is about 30 years old...reason is that I prefer using H110 (even though 296 is the same powder - H110 seems to be a different granule to me) I really need to use up that 296 before it gets to be 40 years old... Best to ya, FC
I've been using this for a few months now and have a few other positives over the Lee Auto disk: Throws charges greater than 1.6 cc without fooling with double disks, fine tunes powder drops, rather than being limited to preset volumes, much easer to clear and empty powder from unit. and much easier to position if using the Lee Safety Prime on a Turret press to eliminate interference.
just bought one of these on your recommendation. I was wondering if the auto disk riser fits on this or does it have one specific to it? Just purchased a used Lee 4 hole turret press and am trying to get everything set up to use it. not sure I have all the parts for it yet. Been reloading pistol calibers for 3 years. just getting started with rifle due to the fact I've purchased numerous milsurp rifles.
+Cat G -- Your riser will work just fine with that ADPM. When you first use it, if any powder leaks, that means you need an extra 1/4 turn of tightening on the thumb knob after you clean out the powder from the drum / chassis space. That measure should serve you quite nicely... Best to ya, FC
Do you have a video talking about the difference between magnum and standard primers? I've heard some powders need magnum primers to get consistent velocities and other powders don't need magnum primers. Do you bother using magnum primers ?
+Prepare2Survive -- Absolutely. Whenever the reloading manual says use magnum primers, I reach for my supply of Tula Magnum Primers.... to not do so would be inadvised. Thanks for your good question...Happy Holidays, FC
+Prepare2Survive -- Don't know If I answered this one or not since Google has been losing my replies... Best advice for us is to go with the loading data - if magnum primers are in the recipe, we should use them for best results. Some powders like Bullseye and Unique, Red Dot that are easy to ignite, we can use regular primers even if the manual says use magnum primers, but again - going by the loading manual is the best policy. Best to ya, FC
Sounds like a great product. Your final thought about they could add the baffle, appears to be built into it. You have the cutoff by twisting the drum to cut it off. At that point is the baffle per se because it leaves the drum and goes into the neck of the powder measure. So wouldn't that in a sense be the baffle.
My disconnect rod moved several times after removing the lever. Luckily I checked and caught the squib loads before storing them. A simple and reversible fix was to make a hook to hold the rod forward that's secured in place with the screw. Lee really should include such a hook in the kit.
Psyko Klown - That disconnector is worthless. Perhaps it was a "safety" included for legal reasons so that Lee could not be blamed for reloaders doing double charges with catastrophic results. But even with this device, a careless reloader could still double charge a case. Supposedly, putting the screw in the back hole prevents the disconnector from doing its badness. Glad you figured out the fix for this... Best to ya, FC
You are so right, and it makes me wonder if it in fact could have been a legal thing. My issue is how easy it was to get squibs before and after removing it; before by forgetting to press it, and after due to the rod sometimes moving back into the disconnected position because Lee didn't provide a way to lock it into place after removal. It wouldn't have cost them much, if anything to have molded the little latch you remove so that the pin locked into the slot behind the rod to prevent movement. I think Lee really missed that little detail.
I've heard about these and the new case trimmer they've got to. I wonder how well the measure will do with really small powder drops say in the 2.5 to 3 grainish range of say bullseye thats what I use for me 32 longs and the micro adjuster doesn't do that very well at all. The auto disk's work well for that. But also does the adjustment screw look like there's a way to put the scale from there single non press powder measure on there? That would be nice to see where the charge is at if you only have the one drum or just for referance in general.
+MIshooter - I've tested the new Lee ADPM with small charges of Bullseye - no problemo - works like it was made for BE target shooters in mind... Best to ya, FC
+GunFun ZS -- Actually, I did this one late also, inadvertently did a repeat of the powder hopper clip - error in editing. Debating on whether to go back and correct that and re-up this video...No one seems to care, but I added a "Please advance to ...." in the video. It just takes so much time to upload one of these... Best of the Holidays to ya, FC
FortuneCookie45LC Yeah I caught that. I think I fell asleep so I need to rewatch anyway. I like the disconnector feature. My version of the autodisk does something along those lines but less absolutely. Basically it won't reset unless the ram goes all the way down and pulls the chain. I really like that feature. I am still doing visual observation. The way I load, I am looking through the press at an angle with a light shining in. I watch the primer drop and I see the powder (or lack) as I place the projectile. I am looking down into the cartridge. My attention only needs to look at those two things so it is not divided. (primer goes "snick." see powder place bullet, pull handle down. Push handle up, primer goes "snick" and I see the row of primers progress... wash rinse repeat.) So I have a simultaneous mechanical double charge/ blank charge preventer and a visual. Every time I get to the end of a feed tube of brass, I top of both the primers and powder, so there is little to no chance of a missed charge even if I weren't looking. Plus head pressure on the powder flow is more consistent.
+GunFun ZS -- A good procedure methodology...we all have to have a reliable system of prevention of double or zero powder charges... and then pay attention at all times while reloading. Thanks for posting as it encourages the critical importance of powder charging. Best of the Holidays to ya, FC
FC - how about an update. I too purchased the Auto Drum and used it for the past 5 months for 9mm and throws have been spot on (+/- 0.1 either side of target). However, today I restarted on my 223 loading and found variations as high as 1.0gn!!! Not good... I find the drum not as accurate at higher charges... your experiences? I love the dispenser but this recent issue has me back with the double disk for rifle and use drum only with pistol at lower drops. Thoughts?
+Lesal8403 -- I've been doing a lot of reloading with the AD recently with videos done, even done some 30/06 loading with it with success. But I have not done any bulk 223 loading with it, as of yet. 1 grain variation is horrible and unacceptable. Have on my cue of videos to do - compare loading 223 (5.56) with the AD against the Hornady Automatic Powder Dispenser and see which ammo shoots more consistent groups... Have a great day, FC.
+Lesal8403 -- Now that I have more time, back to ya on this - The Lee Auto Drum has been a very good measure for me using flake, ball, and extruded powders with small charges of Titewad powder up to 80+ grain charges for the 375 H & H. I now have 3 of these measures - two of them on my Dillon 550Bs and one floater for all my single stage reloading. I do get some chattering with certain calibers, and if chatter occurs, the charges are almost surely +.3 to + .4 grains heavier than if no chatter. If no chatter, I am getting charges with 1/10th grain total variation - amazing accuracy in a measure. I suspect that your 1 grain variations happens with the same chatter as the case is activating the measure. That is totally unacceptable and I would have been appalled to have had that. Have not been hearing of too many complaints with the AD, but yours is significant. There may be others out there having the same inaccuracy. Another just reported that he is getting bad throws with powder bridging and that is something that the AD was supposed to not have happen. Best Regards, FC
this is the first ive heard of this. very exciting! looks like it will work great on my classic turret and loadmaster! i wonder how this will work with stick powder
Hey fc i see that lee makes a rifle powder charge die for two die rifle sets but is there a powder through die (with no flare) for pistol? i'm trying to use an rcbs 45 acp die set on the turret and I want to charge on the press.
30ROUNDCLIPAZINE -The Lee pistol die sets all come with the powder through, expander, flaring dies. Those same powder through dies are available as separate dies, but they all flare. You can adjust the die to minimum flare while still actuating the powder measure though. Good reloadin' to ya, FC Steve
Oh my! I am so glad you made one for this part! I love your gun-usage comparison videos and base my buys off of them as well. I should have gotten a Dillon. The LEE I got (Value 4-hole) has been a science project. Like you said, the instructions are not clear, not specific the product, and is an advertisement to buy more stuff that you (might) need to make the the system work. Plastic on Metal is always bad, especially at torqued points. I spent over 2 hours trying to figure out the "index ratchet"- the plastic square. The indexing is still not reliable, missing the retaining ring for the old primers-tube, and yes, to make attach the hopper, you have to take all the other dies off because it will hit- meaning you have to go that riser (which should have been part of the kit when you bought it). So, the first item to put on the turret is station 2 (hopper), and THEN the others...oh yeah, the base plate for the stand has to installed "upside down" so the holes line up as well as the Z-mounts. They left that particular info out due to space limitations of other LEE "stuff" you can buy. I should have bought a Dillon. Rockchuckers Rule!
Finished watching the video. Someone's been interrupting my youtube time, so it took me a day or two. The baffle is a good idea. I've been meaning to make one for a while. The same design should work for the autodisc pro hopper, and also the Lee Perfect hopper, so I can make a few at a time. I will definitely be buying a few of these measures as I get the opportunity. They will be much better for the very large or very small cases. I might be a bit more inclined to mess with those pesky stick powders too.
+GunFun ZS -- Lee says the baffles are not necessary, perhaps if their hopper was a foot tall, but not with their little shorty hopper. That was probably their thinking, but I'd still prefer the baffle. It's those new low cost quick change drums that is the innovation that will really sell these things out the doors...Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Were I just getting into reloading and for multiple pistol calibers, is this the better than the Lee Auto Disk measure? Also, could this be the only powder measure a reloader would need?
+Dick Tickles - Egad - perchance you have been reading my mind. Based on the use of it in comparison to what I've been using for the past 40 years, this measure is awfully hard to beat. And for $35 a copy, it is absolutely terrific..!! I'm going to be doing a test with the new Drum Measure and the accuracy thereof vs the Hornady Automatic Powder Dispenser that I have found to be terrific as well. But if the Lee Auto Drumm does the same, it might just blow the automatic dispensers out of the water. We shall see... wouldn't it be something if I loaded up my favorite 223 loads for my Rem 700 Police with the Auto Drum and the rig shot lights out...? Thanks for the comment.... it will move this project up in the que... FC
+FortuneCookie45LC I'd be interested to see how the Auto Drum does against the APD. Now, I'm not a reloader yet, but I think a good manual scale and a powder trickler is superior to the electronic powder dispensers and their computer chips that rely on electricity to work malfunction. Call me old fashioned, but if it worked for Archimedes, it'll work for us too.
+Dick Tickles -- Way back in the archives of my memory, I seem to recall that the manual balance beam scales we swore by were also rated at + or - 1/10th grain. Otherwise, we'd all be using Mettler scales, calibrated of course. If the new Lee ADPM is staying within a range just over 1/10th of a grain total - it's accuracy is all we can expect. Do we really have scales that are accurate to 0? We sure try to use as much accuracy as our equipment can deliver though.... Best to ya, FC
I bought one and found the powder container in the drum wasn't rotating fully. The hole in the drum was only half exposed under the hopper and when actuated the drum didn't rotate far enough to dump all the powder. Upon investigation I discovered the geared quadrant to be one tooth out. After re-positioning it worked perfectly for 3 weeks and 1500 reloads...until today !!! The small pin cast into the monkey metal gear quadrant had sheared off leaving the equally flimsy plastic link rod disconnected and dangling. I returned the measure to my local gun shop who offered a replacement but having lost confidence in the brittle & flimsy linkage I opted for an Autodisc measure instead.
It's tempting to try but my first thought is on static electric charges in the metering cone there...as the weather changes we see a difference in the static potential and we already know how some of the very small ball powders react to the static in the hopper. Great presentation but I'm still on the fence with this one. Thanks 45...charlie
I hadn't heard of this one yet. Yeah I would remove the dis-connector as well. I always wait a moment as the powder flows in the case with any of my powder measures.
+TRprepper -- The instruction manual does make it clear that the bigger the powder charge being thrown, the more need to take an extra second or two to allow for powder flow. But you've already got that as part of your standard operating procedures (SOP). Happy Holidays to ya, FC
+TRprepper -- You know what you need and best procedures with PMs...I now have 3 of these rascals and they work better the more they are used...Best Regards to ya, FC
Set up and first use last night, using Vithi Vouri N140 After making a Mess using the WRONG drum . got the charge set Per instructions using a Weighed load. Threw 50 loads at 25.5 grs. weighing each load after dropping.Today added up the weights and they Averaged 25.4865385 grs! I think that will Work! Received 4 more drums today so I will be Playing Weighmaster for a while. Decided to set each drum to a different Cal and Load Great Piece of Equiptment,VERY easy to install and Set up. Oh its on my new Lee Classic Turret Press
Barry D. Thomas Sr. - I've got three of these now and enjoy using them immensely. Some real fine reloaders have determined that best use is to run the cases through the Lee neck expander / mouth flare die first, then install the PM and run the cases through the second time for the powder drop - this eliminates any popping of the PM that would cause bad drops...The pops only happened on occasion and the newest LADPMs may have had that corrected. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
+spyderxtra777 -- you will find many uses for this Auto Drum - so far, it has handled every type of powder like the stuff was all candy... Best to ya, FC
Well cookie you did it again, I have a Dillon 550b, However I use my single stage rock chucker press for load development, I've been using my Uniflow powder measure to try out new charge weights and if they are favorable at the range I set up my Dillon press to Mass produce it, This unit made by Lee would save me the time of removing the case from flaring the mouth and throwing the charge as separate steps, Thus speeding up time at the bench, I have to give it to Robert Lee, That Guy gets up on the other side of the bed from the rest of the industry and turns out a product that is Quality without braking the bank. You did a Grate review Cookie, However you need to do a review using extruded powder like IMR 4064, 4895, 4198, 3031, reloader 15, 22, Ect.
I figured that you would get around to putting it through the paces, When I reload Rifle for my M-1 I always throw charges that are under the top charge weight, This measure would be a nice thing to have for Folks that only have a single stage press. It would make life a little more simple, Just do the norm, Size and deprime, seat a new primer, Run them through the charging step and set them in a load block, Pass a flashlight over them to check uniform Volume of the cases, then seat the bullets. (as a precautionary I would weigh every fifth or so round for consistency when throwing charges). Just to make sure the Measure was on target weight. I think I may pick one of these up.
+Thorsaxe777 - Wait'll you see how well extruded stick powders run through this measure with accuracy to boot!! This new Lee measure drops charges of stick powders like other measures drop ball powder... fantastic, almost unbelievable until you see and feel it...that's why I titled the video News Flash:.... Happy Holidays to ya, FC
David Hurt - You probably have a particular drum that will not work with fine grain powders...Try switching drums and tightening an extra 1/4 turn. This solved my leakage problems...If every drum leaks for you, then you might have a defective measure housing...return to Lee for exchange would then be the best course. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
Richie Austin - There wasn't any grease or oil inside any of my three ADPMs...And no powder sticking anywhere after first use with any of the measures either. But you can bet if I found any traces of oil or grease, I would have run mineral spirits rag in there. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
+vaper street -- The beauty of these is that $35, we can afford to have one for each progressive press and one for our single stages also... Have a great Holiday Season.... FC
+gapster46 -- gapster....I'm so excited about this measure, I just ordered a second one...Plus I'm also stoked about their new Lee cast iron body stand alone crank measure - might just order that one also...along with a lot of extra drums, powder dies, etc....lot better than ordering the Hornady powder measure and then you have to order all those micrometer inserts, etc all at extra charge so you're into it big time cost by the time you have what you want...This Lee has extra drums that are $4 each compared to $10-$30 each. Happy Holidays, FC
vaper street I was throwing 10.0 grains of Unique the other day and once I got it set up at 10.0 grains, I only saw two more out of 40 throws that were 10.0 grains. The rest were 10.1, 10.2, 9.9 and 9.8 with some as low as 9.6 and 9.4. I ended up having to weigh every single charge cause I couldn’t trust it.
My bad, it's "powder" I thought you were saying potter, or podder, so relieved I don't have to buy anything else to start reloading. Now all I have to do is find powder and primers, they seem so rare these days.
FortuneCookie - @16:44 you placed the screw back to it's old position. Manual says (page 10, step 4) to "replace the screw in the hole adjacent to the body". I think this is to prevent the connecting link from binding and possibly breaking.
+Batang Sampaloc -- Very observant of you... most impressive - yes, the screw needs to be in the other hole, and that has been corrected...didn't have any problem with that, but I could have. Have a great day, FC
+phillip rubin -- No compatible connectors there, but the Lee expander dies are not expensive - I pop it in there along with my Dillon dies on my 550Bs with no problems at all - they talk to each other like long time buddies... Best to ya, FC
+FortuneCookie45LC Hi, thanks for your response. I load a dozen different calibers and wouldn't want to buy a new expander die for each of them. I'd be using this powder drop, on a stand, in place of RCBS, when working up and loading for rifle's. The 550B, loads (for three gun) 223 and 7.62x39 flawlessly...
+phillip rubin -- Phillip, this new PM only works as a case activated measure in any of our reloading presses. It needs the Lee powder thru die to activate the drop. You can get universal rifle powder dies to use this measure for rifle shooting, but the Lee handgun die sets all have the powder thru die that will work with this measure. They are not expensive and can be used with other die sets. If you want the stand operated measure, the new Lee Classic Powder Measure may be the one, but the reviews on that one have been + and -. I'm hesitant to get that one because this ADPM is working so well... Best Regards, FC
