Lil Dandy has me cranking out those lil guys...

M

Magnum Wheel Man

New member
so... 1st I suppose I better post the warning... these are custom loads for custom guns... please do not try to load similar in 25 ACP autos...

... 2nd I've posted in past threads about my custom 8 shot 25 ACP Blackhawk revolver... & more recently about my just completed 17" - 25 ACP Contender barrel...

I'm pretty much done with the 22 LR, except in very few specific applications... being a prolific reloader, the rim fires have always bothered me... the latest shortage fueled the new custom gun projects... up until now, the only disadvantage to the 25 ACP, has been the slow reloading ( yep all the components are tiny ) but I had been hand weighing each charge, which is what really slowed me down... yesterday the box came in the mail that ( among other things ) contained a 00 Lil Dandy arbor... my favorite load so far for the versatile lil 25, includes a charge of 2.5 grains of AA#5... Nice... the 00 arbor throws a perfect 2.5 grains of #5...

... initial brass prep takes a little work but that really only needs to be done once ( uniforming flash holes & such ), but with pre-prepped brass, I cranked out about 250 rounds in an hour last night, on my single stage press... at that rate, IMO... I'm at the point of replacing those pesky 22 LR guns :)

The 25 ACP blackhawk... ( sorry... no pics of the Contender barrel yet... but it wears a custom weaver base... waiting on a scope, & needs cosmetic metal finishing yet )



I'm also using it ( the Lil Dandy ) for 32 S&W, 38 S&W 38 Long & Short Colt ( smokeless loads ) & will likely also use it for 32 auto & 380 when I get around to loading those again... at 1st I didn't like that the charge wasn't adjustable... but now I'm liking that the charge is not adjustable... it positively drops the same charge every time... I have the chart that gives powder drops for the arbors with most powders ( the 00 with #5 was not included in the chart ) but now that I have 6-8 different sized arbors I'm really starting to love that lil measure for the lil cartridges :)
 
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Magnum Wheel Man, I have the Little dandy system, it is an investment. I also have the Visible. The last time I counted I had 25 rotors.

Then it will not be long before someone will try and sell you an adjustable rotor. I can find a load I like with 25 rotors, if I am missing rotors it is on the low end. I do not have a problem with accuracy with the larger rotors.

F. Guffey
 
I actually got my Lil Dandy used from my retired machinist buddy... there are a couple home built arbors, & a couple arbors with set screws for replaceable center sections in which you drill your own chamber & a hand full of un-drilled center sections ( I've yet to do anything custom with chambering those arbors )

I started reloading with my FIL's old RCBS adjustable powder measure, & didn't see me using the Lil Dandy much... however the larger diameter chamber doesn't seem as consistent as smaller diameter chambers, with smaller charges... & I was taught to check every 10 loads or so to make sure the adjuster hasn't moved... as I started loading some of the smaller cartridges... I've really come to love the Lil Dandy for those... I'm sure there is some point where going back to the adjustable measure makes sense... 38 special / 9mm or ???
 
Thank you... it shoots great ( easily as accurate or better as any of the 22 Revolvers ) can't wait to get a scope on the 17" Contender barrel & see what it's really capable of...
 
Fast and accurate lil Dandy

Load all my pistol rounds using a Lil Dandy. With weight checks every 10th or so round, it has thrown consistent charges with pistol powders.

Smallest caliber prepared with the Lil Dandy is .380. Largest is .44 Magnum. Most uncommon is .30 Carbine for my Ruger Blackhawk. One day I'll find some handgun in .25 and reload for it. By the way, you have a fine looking revolver.

Bought my setup on the cheap through eBay several years ago. Insert my primed and prepped cases in loading blocks, inspect case interiors with a flashlight, quickly charge the cases without removing them from the blocks, inspect for uniform powder height within the cases with the same light, and cases are ready for bullet seating. Great deal faster than using a standard or electronic powder measure.

Caution: not for extruded rifle powders. For rifle reloading I use an RCBS Chargemaster.
 
I love it! That revolver has to be capable of some pretty impressive loads comparable to standard 25acp or 22LR.
 
case capacity is the limiting factor there... #5 is a fine ball powder & 2.5 grains is a full, but not compressed case, with normal ACP bullets...

I have 4 bullet options...

I have a custom mold ( but I don't really cast yet, though I have collected everything I need... time being the biggest issue )

I bought 1000 factory lead round nose coated with some sort of black powder or wax lubricant similar to lead 22 LR bullets...

I have a couple 1000 FMJ bullets I bought from a forum member here... plus I have several 100 rd boxes of assorted 50 grain FMJ bullets

I have a couple boxes of the 35 grain Gold Dot bullets... these being shorter, & lighter than all the others ( they all weigh 50 grains ) the lighter shorter bullets could likely be driven a bit hotter & being shorter, they don't take up as much space in the case, so I may find myself adding a little more powder on the Gold Dot loads...

the Contender barrel is new enough that I've not gotten to play with it yet... but the "ballistics by the inch" website shows 16" as about the maximum length before lower muzzle velocities are recorded with factory ammo... so it should still shoot fine with factory ammo if I chose, but I'm able to use slower powders than the typical 2.5" semi auto 25 Auto uses, as well as heavier charges...

the loads I'm liking best in the revolver are subsonic, but because of the heavier bullets, they put a more resounding smack on my steel CAS targets than typical 22 bullets out of the same barrel length, & the 25 Auto is much quieter to shoot than the 22... I'm sure any of my loads will be faster than the speed of sound out of the 17" Contender barrel... but not likely any more noisy than a similar 22...
 
When I loaded 35gr Gold Dots they were seated with barely any bullet inside the brass to get the specificed OAL. They were noticeable most accurrate in my Raven, but I'll bet your gun will handle a much wider range of bullets better.

Cast bullets shoot the worst in mine, and I'm thinking its mostly because casting such small bullets is much more difficult to keep consistant. I bought mine years ago from National Bullet co. and they can vary in weight.
 
*I love the LIL DANDY. Where have you been all my life?
*The 25acp extractor groove outside diameter will grow with less pressure than any other cartridge, except the 10mm.
*0.251" groove inside diameter barrels are hard to find.
 
.251 barrels are near impossible... but Mike at TJ's liners is exceptionally easy to deal with, he has hammer forged barrel liners ( even up to 1/2" OD... which could stand on their own as a barrel, for the 25 ACP ) I've been buying 7/16" OD liners & epoxying them in... my buddy machines a shoulder they index into the barrel after getting drilled out... I have 8-10 of his hammer forged barrel liners in many calibers, including these 2 for the revolver & the Contender carbine barrel in .251"... the hammer forged barrel liners have been showing great accuracy with both cast & jacketed bullets :)

BTW... the extractor groove doesn't grow at all with the single action revolver... but I will have to watch that on the Contender... but would expect that will be fine also... likely only an issue with reloading for the lil auto pistols...

or are you saying the case is thinner there, & the actual diameter expands from pressure... either way, I'm still running what seems like pop gun loads, even though the Blackhawk or the Contender could certainly take more pressure than the 25 ACP case
 
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MMM,
I did not know about TJ's liners, I see them now.
I have built a couple gee whiz projects with Redman liners.

Most any more guns I would not take if they were given to me. But I would take your 25acp six gun:)
 
it may well be the only one out there :)

it pairs well with my 257 Special ( 22 Hornet cases blown straight & trimmed to 38 Special length, & fitted with 25-20 bullets ) 8 shot converted Single Ten :)

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