Black Powder and Progressive presses

From what I have found, the BP measure is not only non plastic hopper but the drum is brass not steel.

At least with the RCBS model I'm looking at.
 
maillemaker.
A simple device that you can make. Weigh a powder charge. Dump into an empty case a little larger than the caliber you are using. Mark the empty and cut it off to that mark. Solder a piece of heavy copper wire onto the cut off case and VOILA you have a custom made powder measure. Dip it into the selected powder and fill your cases.
 
A simple device that you can make. Weigh a powder charge. Dump into an empty case a little larger than the caliber you are using. Mark the empty and cut it off to that mark. Solder a piece of heavy copper wire onto the cut off case and VOILA you have a custom made powder measure. Dip it into the selected powder and fill your cases.

I've done this already - I have a little plastic vial that I have cut at just the right size for 48 grains of powder. Problem is, as you shake it around you get inconsistent results. Probably +/- 2 grains? I try to keep my charges +/- .2 grains.

I think a mechanical dispenser would be fairly repeatable once you set it up to dispense a certain charge. I know the smokeless dispenser on my Lee Pro 1000 is extremely repeatable. Probably within +/- .1 grains.

Steve
 
My letter to Dillon:

I'm a happy user of the Dillon 550b. Great product.

I'm writing today to ask about using Black Powder in your powder measure. I know the advice is to NOT use black powder to avoid static electricity and detonation of the powder.

However, I keep finding other Dillon users who are successfully using their Dillon powder measures with black powder and the keep telling me I shouldn't worry about it.

I'm sure you have a good reason for this warning and I'm curious if you have specific cases where users have detonated their powder measures while using black powder?

I have also read and watched YouTube video that supposedly disproves that black powder is sensitive to static electricity.

Can you provide your best reasons for saying not to use black powder in your powder measures?

Thanks, I appreciate your fine products and top notch customer support.

Dillon's reply:

Using black powder in our measure is not recommended. Doing so voids the warranty. Black powder has a much lower spark ignition temperature than smokeless powder. There are steel parts on our powder measure. Use an approved after market black powder measure as sold bu Lyman or Hornady.

Thank you,

Dillon Precision Products, Inc.

... not much help.
 
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