If anyone is curious, this is what a $6 drop tube looks like. Made from a 24" inch copper pipe and two copper pipe fittings. The funnel from my Lee Anniversary Reloading kit fits on top and the bottom of the drop tube fits right in the top of the neck expander and charging die. The charging die holds the drop tube just fine but you can see the horizontal wood dowel I added to hold it perfectly straight. The picture shows a primed brass case sitting inside the charging die ready for powder.
I used it primarily to get 40 weighed grains of 3Fg Goex into a .45 Colt casing. It works great and there was about 1/8th of an inch of room to spare to get a Walter Wad in there and get the bullet started. The powder is definitely compressed, I tell ya that!
It wasn't compressed enough to force the bullet up. I gave it a light crimp anyway just in case it change it's mind later. 
I used it primarily to get 40 weighed grains of 3Fg Goex into a .45 Colt casing. It works great and there was about 1/8th of an inch of room to spare to get a Walter Wad in there and get the bullet started. The powder is definitely compressed, I tell ya that!
It wasn't compressed enough to force the bullet up. I gave it a light crimp anyway just in case it change it's mind later.
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