Powder measure for very small charges

[fatelk]

I think I may have posted a photo of this before, but don't remember. I just dug it out again to load some .32acp.

Has anyone seen one of these before? It's an old Herters of course, but the only one I've seen quite like this. It actually works very, very well for really small powder charges, even powders like Unique.

[cwtebay]

I haven't ever seen one like that! I'm always dragging my feet on 25 ACP, 32 ACP, 32 French Longue,etc because of the measure issue. I am going to look into this!
Thank you!

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[pworley1]

I have one of those, and I agree with you that they are great for small charges.

[beemer]

I have one for pistols and one for rifles, the pistol tube is 1/4" and the rifle is 3/8". I have dropped 1 grain charges of Bullseye without problems, in fact I was loading 32 ACP at the time. The adjustments are a slide and collet, kind of a pain but that's what it is. I have wondered why no manufacturer has not noticed this.

Has someone put a lid on that one? Sometimes I don't use the powder hopper for very small charges.

I found mine at a gun show back in the 90"s. I don't know when they stopped making them, any Herter's collectors here?

[ascast]

I am not sure what we're looking at. It the hole very small? or was it bushed down by a user?

[Markopolo]

My Lyman gen 6 powder droppers meters all them hard to meter powders quite nicely. Even the tiny less then a grain types for 25acp.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The (new) Lee Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure is the most accurate I have used for tiny charges. I have Lee AutoDisc, work well with the Micro adjustable slide, an RCBS Uniflow with the small body, a couple of others, but the LEE Deluxe does the tiny charges better than the rest. Way under a 0.1 grain variance with TiteGroup, HP38, Bullseye, Accurate #2 using the small quick change drum. It does need a stand, for that I have an RCBS Stand. Don't care for the Lee stand, works OK but not much working room.

[fatelk]

Sounds like there's a few of them out there. I started out with a Herters press back in the '80s. The hole is very small, 1/4". Someone made a very clever lid of sorts for it.

I've had a number of Herters pieces over the years, and this is the first one that I've found useful.

[country gent]

It wouldnt be to hard to make a new drum for one of the rotary style measures to size it down. The RCBS redding or some of the hornadies with the rotary drum and the stem thru the middle would all be candidates. either a drum cold be modified or a new one made.

Modified:
One of the existing drum would be sacrificed to this.
A small length of tubing and threaded rod along with a thread insert.
The tube would need to fit in the existing hole in the drum lightly snug and epoxied in a little long so it can be cleaned up to match the drum.
the threaded rod needs squared up on the ends and deburred.
the insert will need the threaded holed sleeved own to the new rods size and thread ( thread insert). If going to 1/4" Use 10-32 threaded rod. You cn form the plug end with the tube in the drum some wax and epoxy.

Making the new drum up would allow the measure to become more versatile. with the RCBS set you would have large small and micro drums. along with a hopper that with the micro would only need filled once a year. For those with a lathe it would be a fun project with little materials.

[jimkim]

I've never seen anything like mine. I use it exclusively for my 32 Long loads. I tested it one time and it dropped one hundred 1.3gr charges of BE in a row. I'm pretty sure it would had done more, but I thought that was good enough. It's great for bog flake powders too. I also have a Dillon, two Uniflows, a Hornady LNL(with both rotors), a Lyman 55, an AutoDisk, and AutoDrum. The PPM does better than the rest with small charges and coarse extruded powders. The Dillon is the king with ball. The Uniflows and LNL are great with large charges of flake, and ball. I guess my No. 55 must be worn. If I put No. 7 in it, it completely jams. Hopefully I can one day get one of those Herters, a Redding, and an old SAECO.

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[Murphy]

The smallest cartridge I load for is a 380 Auto. I have powder measures by Dillion & RCBS. I haven't owned a LEE Perfect Powder Measure in decades. I may need to pick one up. When 2/10th's of a grain can make the difference between a safe load, and one that's on the warm side I want the best accuracy I can from a measure.

At last but least. If it doesn't work out with the LEE measure? I saw a picture of one set up next to a coffee pot. I can always clean it up and put it to use as a sugar or coffee creamer dispenser.


Murphy

[Bmi48219]

The pictures in post #1 don’t show a model number. Yours looks like the model 45 or 45P which could be had in 1969 for $9.75 or $10.29 if equipped with the Tilt Off Self Storing Powder Hopper, which had a hinge assembly like your picture shows. Both had a short drop tube. The description says “powder chamber is 3/8” diameter. If you find a model # I’ll post a picture of the ad.

[cupajoe]

Dillon makes an x-small powder bar for their measure.

[beemer]

My Herter's 1/4"drop tube works great with BE or any small flake and ball like 231. The larger 3/8" tube works better with powders like Unique starting in the 4.5-5 grain level.

My larger one is marked like the OP's, just says model. The smaller one is a 45P. Both have a standard plastic hopper with a built-in baffle.

There are probably a good many out there like mine, it has found a good home.

[fatelk]

At last but least. If it doesn't work out with the LEE measure? I saw a picture of one set up next to a coffee pot. I can always clean it up and put it to use as a sugar or coffee creamer dispenser.

I love it!

The pictures in post #1 don’t show a model number. Yours looks like the model 45 or 45P which could be had in 1969 for $9.75 or $10.29 if equipped with the Tilt Off Self Storing Powder Hopper, which had a hinge assembly like your picture shows. Both had a short drop tube. The description says “powder chamber is 3/8” diameter. If you find a model # I’ll post a picture of the ad.

I can't find a model number on it anywhere. The only markings are as in the photo. I've always thought it was odd that it just said "Model", like they couldn't decide what to call it. I think I picked it up at a gun show for something like $5. I also wondered about the hinged lid piece, whether it's original or something someone made. It looks clever, but I don't have a hopper/bottle that fits onto it.