Powder Measure Problem

[underlug]

My new style powder measure just froze in a halfway position. The powder bar will not move. This is the first time this has ever happened. I have never dismantled it before. Where should I start and what should I look for? Thanks in advance

[ipscron2000]

Without seeing it, it's really hard to firgure out why it happened. But I would remove it from the machine, empty the powder and disassemble it. It's easy to do.

When my measures would lock up it was because the smallest of the powder granuals got in between the stationary bar and the sliding bar. I figured I had to close up that gap. I cut out a peice of paper as a "shim" and installed it above the stationary bar. Be sure to cut a full sized hole in the shim to let the powder thru. I used the stationary bar as a template and traced it on paper and then cut the paper out just a little bit bigger.

Here is a pic. I hope this fixes your problem.

The pic is a little fuzzy. But you'll get the idea.

Edited September 19, 2005 by ipscron2000

[Doggorloader]

Back when I started loading magnum revolver loads with ball powders with very small granular size(H110 & W296) I had the same problems. My powder measure kept jamming up.

I called Dillon and they were nice enough at the time to ask me to measure the exact size of my powder bar and they found a powder measure frame that was to the low side of the tolerance as my bar was slightly to the high side. My small grain powder was getting in between the bar and the frame. The problem diappeared completely. It arrived in two days with no charge and what more can you ask for?

[1911user]

Similar to the paper shim, I cut a piece of brass shimstock to "fill the gap" on a Dillon 450 powder measure. I don't remember exactly what powder was the problem, but it was very small (maybe AA#7 or AA#9).

[Carl]

One more shim idea. Use a piece of "transparent" tape, maybe 2, on top of the stationary bar. It stays in place better than paper! Trim around the openings at an angle, that seems to work removing any residual "stickyness"

A few of us that use SP2 have used this with good results

Carl

[dillon]

Assuming that you are using the small powder bar, the thickness of the bar and spacer should be .357"- .359". To remove the powder bars, first dump all the powder out of the measure. Next, remove the white plastic spacer retaining plug. It looks like a plastic wadcutter bullet. Now push out the upper spacer bar. If necessary, use a punch to drift the upper spacer bar out. Then lift up on the small powder bar and withdraw it.

[underlug]

Assuming that you are using the small powder bar, the thickness of the bar and spacer should be .357"- .359".  To remove the powder bars, first dump all the powder out of the measure. Next, remove the white plastic spacer retaining plug. It looks like a plastic wadcutter bullet. Now push out the upper spacer bar. If necessary, use  a punch to drift the upper spacer bar out. Then lift up on the small powder bar and withdraw it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is there a schematic to show me what the upper spacer bar is? I put on another powder measure from my .45 set. It worked for a while, then started overbelling the case. I turned the die up. It worked well for a while (3.7g tightgroup) and then it stopped throwing powder at all. Is there some maintenance I should be doing on my powder measures? Two going up on me in such a short period of time makes me wonder. How do you clean them? Should I just send them to Dillon?

Edited September 24, 2005 by underlug

[ipscron2000]

underlug, I had sent mine back to Dillion and they just sent me a new one with the same problems. Look at my above post and look closely at the pic. It's real easy to fix. PM me with your name and address and I'll make you one and mail it to you. A paper shim that is.

Ron J

[underlug]

My adventure continues.. I am operating two measures. I figured out how to disassemble them (or remembered from a long time ago). I cleaned everything and actually interchanged the powder bars. They both now move freely in both machines. I saw nothing, even in the way of dirt, to cause any problem, but, I'm not complaining. I mounted one measure on the machine and it was throwing zero powder. I increased the charge to 3.5 grains. I was individually loading each cartridge. After about 20, it started throwing 5.5 grains. I lowered the charge back to 3.5 grains. After about 10, it started over belling the case, a problem I had at the end of the last loading session. I am not now at a point where I feel I can start loading confidently. ANY suggestions will be appreciated. Any tips on cleaning the inside of the measure (that's all that's left) would be appreciated. I am 40 rounds into loading for a match tomorrow.