Question on Progressive Loaders with BP

[Blackpowder Burn]

I've just installed an aluminum hopper and grounding wire on my Dillon 650 and started using it to load Holy Black.  It works beautifully, but I have a couple of questions for those of you that also use progressive loaders.
1.  Do you empty the powder hopper after each loading session?  The loader is located indoors with air conditioning, so humidity will be 
    low.
2.  Do you have any corrosion issues with your presses due to the black powder?

Thanks for the input.

[Pettifogger]

1.  Yes.
2.  No.

Don't ever leave APP in your hopper or fail to clean the press after using it.  I live in Arizona, so its bone dry.  Yet, APP corroded the power funnel into my powder drop die and it was a bear getting it out of there.  Funnel has some pits, but is still usable.  A few more days and it wouldn't have been.

[Mako]

Aggie,
There is no issue with corrosion of unfired true BP.  Substitutes are actually more corrosive than BP and are so even in an unfired condition.

However, I usually return my powder to a can and back into the metal storage box between uses for safety reasons as much as anything else.  I have a Hornady BP measure I use on my Dillon 650 which is a combination of aluminum and brass.  I have left it in the measure for up to a month.

We probably don't live far from each other, so we probably have similar environmental conditons to deal with.  In case i haven't ever told you we probably have siimilar tastes in jewelry (rings to be specific).

~Mako

[Blackpowder Burn]

Mako,

Yep, we do wear the same ring - when I dig it out of storage (can't wear jewelry in my line of work).

With the modifications to my Dillon, all parts of the powder measure are now aluminum, and the press is grounded.  I am somewhat concerned that atmospheric moisture and the sulfur in the black powder would form sulfuric acid.  That's why I stipulated that I keep it in an air conditioned environment where the humidity will be low.  I thought that if it would be no more than a few days to a week between sessions it might not hurt to leave the powder in the hopper.  If it's going to be longer, I'd opt to put it back in proper storage containers.

As far as corrosion of the press, I was thinking about the inevitable fine dust that will get into and onto it.  I was thinking of taking a small hand held vacuum and cleaning it after a loading session.  Short of complete disassembly, I don't know what else to do.

Just looking for y'alls thoughts and experiences.  I'd always prefer to prevent a problem rather than try to fix it later.

[Buffalow Red]

i had some swiss bp spill on my 650 shell plate go un noticed till it started rusting so watch that bp
im in mo were its humid shed is not a/c less im in there

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Aggie,

I load all my SASS bp ammo on a progressive press.  No problems with corrosion.  Only problems I've ever had with corrosion were with the Lyman black powder measure.  I'll never leave black powder in that rig again.

Actually, I don't use the Lyman measure any more.  It sits at the side board next to the bench and collects dust.  I use the measure that came with the press.  I load with a LEE Pro 1000.

DD-DLoS

[Fingers McGee]

1.  Do you empty the powder hopper after each loading session?  The loader is located indoors with air conditioning, so humidity will be low.
2.  Do you have any corrosion issues with your presses due to the black powder?

+1 to what Pettifogger said. T7 and Pinnacle react the same way as APP.

1.  I always empty the powder measure/hopper after each reloading session regardless of whether it is smokeless, BP, or sub.  I use a Hornady L-N-L.  IINM, reloading manuals reccomend this.

2.  No

[Montana Slim]

1) Yes
2) Yes, but only on my Lyman 55 measure. The brass was lightly corroded after several years of use. I never leave powder in any of my measures. I don't have any Dillon. Space-age plastics should not be affected.

Regards,
Slim

[Paladin UK]

Only use the Reeeeeel Holy Black in my Lee Progressive........

1. Nope 
2. Nope 

Paladin (What had a good shoot today with his .45 Roller  ) UK

[Blackpowder Burn]

I use only REAL powder - no substitutes accepted! 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I never leave powder in any measure after I am done, Smokeless or Black. I use enough different powders that to be absolutely sure what is in the measure it is best to pour it back into the original container as soon as the loading session is over. This is a universally acknowledged good loading practice.

With the Lyman Black Powder measure there most certainly is a corrosion problem. Black Powder is extremely dry and will draw moisture out of the atmosphere. Even after emptying the powder out of the measure one time I went to use the measure and the rotor was frozen solid. What had happened was the light coating of powder dust left in the measure after I had emptied it had caused corrosion to the brass rotor and it had frozen solid to the iron body of the measure. Now after I remove the powder from the measure I always remove the rotor and store it separately from the measure so it will not corrode in place.

For what it's worth, grounding the press will accomplish absolutely nothing. You will still be creating a static charge on your body as you move about and every time you touch the press the charge will flow from you, through the press, to ground. And there will be a tiny spark created every time. Probably not enough to hurt anything but the only way to totally eliminate electro static discharge is to ground the press, the entire work station, and your self. That way you are always at the same potential as the press and no discharge will happen.

[Four Eyes Henry]

1 : not always
2 : no

It's a Piggyback 1 with a case activated link kit and a Lee auto pro disk (for the filler)
No problems whatsoever with corrosion and it works like a dream, not as fast as a Dillon maybe, but this one is paid for .

[Pitmaster]

I have a Dillon SD. What powder measure should I use to load a substitute BP? I haven't started loading BP yet but I'm planning on doing some over the winter.

Or should I load on my LCT? If so what powder measure.

[fourfingersofdeath]

  I use the measure that came with the press.  I load with a LEE Pro 1000.

DD-DLoS

I'm not trying to hi-jack the thread, but I've been humming and harring about setting up for loading BP on a progressive. I have more Lee 1000s than you can poke a stick at (well 4-5 anyway), but was thinking of buying a new machine, which doesn't make much sense.

DD do you load in a straight through run on the Lee? I have noted elsewhere guys removing to charge or seat bullet and or wads, etc. I know already that you don't use wads with your Big Loobe boolits (yep I bought a whole mess of those from you already). Just wondering what your procedure was.

As to leaving powder in the thrower, I always remove it at the end of the session, whatever it is smoky or smoky liss. No big deal with the removable tool heads, just twist it off and pour it back into the can using one of those really big funnels you can buy from the junk shop (with a shortened spout). Works a treat and only takes a minute and there's no chance of mixing stuff up then.

I'm tempted to splash out and buy a big press, but having the Lee already, it would be silly to not use it.

Thanks fer putting up with me, Four Fingers.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I have a Dillon SD. What powder measure should I use to load a substitute BP? I haven't started loading BP yet but I'm planning on doing some over the winter.

Or should I load on my LCT? If so what powder measure.

Use the Dillon measure.  You can change the hopper to brass, copper (what I used) or aluminum, but it's a PIA finding the exact diameter ... I never did, only close.

Someone can point out the company that sells a conversion kit for the Dillon powder measures, but it costs about what a new measure does (a bit less, actually), which seems awfully expensive, considering it's only a couple or 3 parts.  But it works!  (I couldn't find it on the Powder Inc. site - where it used to be)


Perhaps THIS tip is most important:  Never TELL Dillon you use BP in one of their loaders.  About 4-5 yrs. ago they told me it would nullify their "No BS" warranty.  Don't know if they've changed their tune since then, but ... a word to the wise should be sufficient.

[Dick Dastardly]

My auto disk unit came with the LEE Pro 1000 progressive.  It works great with black powder with the twin disk unit installed.  I have it mounted on the thru the die neck expander.  I don't remove brass to charge it.  Every time I pull the handle I get a loaded bullet.  I hand feed the lube/sized bullets, all else is automatic.

FWIW, I never take the powder measure off or empty it unless I'm breaking down the unit for routine cleaning about once a year.

I do basically the same thing on my LEE Classic Turret press with the little LEE Perfect powder measure for all my calibers other than 44 Magnum.

The only corrosion problem I've had has been with the Lyman unit that's made for black powder.  Go figure.

DD-DLoS

[Tascosa Joe]

1 : not always
2 : no

It's a Piggyback 1 with a case activated link kit and a Lee auto pro disk (for the filler)
No problems whatsoever with corrosion and it works like a dream, not as fast as a Dillon maybe, but this one is paid for .

Did you replace the powder canister on the RCBS measure?  If yes where did you get the canister?  I have a RCBS Pro 2000 that I am trying to figure out how to put a BP measure on.  RCBS makes a new BP measure but the drop tubes are larger in diameter than the regular measure and the mouth of the measure is not threaded and the diameter of it is much different than the regular measure. 

[Pitmaster]

Perhaps THIS tip is most important:  Never TELL Dillon you use BP in one of their loaders.  About 4-5 yrs. ago they told me it would nullify their "No BS" warranty.  Don't know if they've changed their tune since then, but ... a word to the wise should be sufficient.

I emailed Dillon and asked them. Their response doesn't contradict what you wrote but they also added a small qualifier.

We do not warranty or recommend the use of black powder or substitutes in our equipment.  Hodgdon powder has approved their 777 and Pyrodex powder for use in any smokeless measures.

From what I've read I don't want to use Pyrodex. Maybe I should consider 777.

I haven't started loading BP yet. I've bought some factory BP ammo to use and collect some brass before I make the leap. I'm not yet confident enough in my knowledge and experience to make the leap yet. But I'm looking forward to it over the winter. I shoot a local monthly match once a month during the winter. They are the only guys "cowboy" enough to shoot in all weather conditions.

[W.H. Violett]

I have been looking at buying a Dillon RL550B.  I emailed them the following question and here is the answer I got back:

Can the 550B be used to reload black powder?

The answer was:

Not with the factory powder measure.  You would have to use our powder measure adapter and an approved aftermarket measure such as Lyman and Hornady offer.



Thank you,

Dillon Precision Products, Inc.

Just thought I would pass it along for others.

[Dick Dastardly]

Dillon's lawyer will be happy with that response.

DD-DLoS