Revisiting the Auto Drum

[Ranch Dog]

Text below chart mentions Auto DISC. I just got confused.

Okay, I see that and scratched it out for Drum. Thanks.

[daboone]

I just got back in town. Trying to catch up on all the new posts.

I know I posted sometime ago the results of my my trial runs with the Auto Drum. As I recall I tested Bullseye, Unique, 2400 and H or IMR 4895. I was amazed at the consistency with each batch of 10 despencings. For me the results were as good as that from the PPM. The only advantage of the Auto Drum over the PPM was simply the fact that it functioned automatically with my progressive.

Before using it was taken apart and thoroughly cleaned with Dawn detergent, dried and dusted with graphite. I then practice with it till I understood how it felt and sounded in use without trying for consistency. As with the other PMs I use with the progressive I figured out that a slight pause was required at the top and bottom of each stroke to get the best results. The biggest negative I have with the Auto Drum was the initial setting of the charge. Once set it was labeled and that was that. Thus far the Drums I've labeled have held their settings when replaced after being set aside and then reinserted.

I have 7 different companies PMs. the PM that get used the most are all LEE, the Auto Disk, the Auto Drum, PPM and the Classic PM . These are the PMs I trust. I trust them but I still check with a scale during the initial set up for a run and periodically during the run. IMR4350 is the only powder I use that I don't trust with these PMs. For it I use the Lyman Gen 6 or the Quick Measure.

I know some have had some issues with their Auto Drum but for me it has been an EXCELLENT and trusted addition to my progressive for the powders I use with it. No hassles, no problems just another Good reliable member of the PPM family.

[GasGuzzler]

Thanks RD, I feel less crazy.

Y'all are making me want one of these but I don't have a use for one ...... unless I get another press.

[Ranch Dog]

I ended up grounded with a flat on my tractor and won't have a tube and a service truck until tomorrow, so I spent more time the Auto Drum and running stats.

I looked at "soaping" the drums again against not doing anything and mica. Soaping with Dawn wins hands down everytime, it cuts SD & ES in half. Okay, that's settled so then I started in on just how much powder needs to run through these things before you start using them. I looked at the information from a statistical standpoint. Speaking of statistics, a statistician for SAAMI went to great lengths to try to explain to me that all the stuff that I do, pressure trace and velocity strings, should contain 17 points. He told me at great length why less than 17 points are mathematically invalid and why more are statistically immaterial. I'm a very basic thinker so said "okay, 17" and didn't worry about the rest.

By this time, I had the feeling that eliminating the first three drops would prove, statistically, to be good enough, so I started running strings of twenty charges. Out of those twenty,

• I would drop the first three, and
• Calculate the SD and ES from the remaining string of 17.

I continued to look at H110 at loads that would be used in a revolver and then I added TiteGroup and Unique, two more dispenser unfriendly powders, as they would be used in the 25 Auto and 9mm Luger. What I found was that the:

• SD would be <1-grain
• the ES would be 3-grains (desired charge +/- 1-grain)

I truly can live with this.

I then looked at how I filled the housing, but the bottom-line is that it is immaterial if you drop the first three charges. All kinds of schemes had no effect on the statistics, 17 point strings, as long as the first three charges were dropped.

Next, how do I empty this thing? Using it with the 25 Auto was bugging me and you ae using such a little charge. A said case of over thinking on my part. Hey, you shut it off so just pull the hopper off and dump it. Then, unscrew the housing from the charging/expanding die and dump it. Duh! You just need to be sure that you have shut the hopper off so like many of us, mark your hopper with references.

Whew. I'm done with statistics, I'm done with worrying about the performance of the Auto Drum. I now own four of them and 40 drums for my inventory loads. One each will go to the Load-Masters and one will be shared by the Turret and Automator.

[Ranch Dog]

I know some have had some issues with their Auto Drum but for me it has been an EXCELLENT and trusted addition to my progressive for the powders I use with it. No hassles, no problems just another Good reliable member of the PPM family.

I have to agree! Welcome back to the world that reloads!

[Ranch Dog]

I tried Trail Boss today and no, it doesn't work. Just not enough weight for it to fall. I have ten of the 1lb jugs, I think they can only fit 9 ounces of the powder in those standard jugs. I'm going to get rid of it or trade it for something else.

[GasGuzzler]

More affirmation to steer clear of powder puff powder.

[Ranch Dog]

Ended up working with the Bee last night and the Powder funnel and the 1.0cc dipper with the Lee Powder Funnel mounted on the Short Rifle Charging Die is going to be about as good as it gets. I load this cartridge for "yard work," dealing with all the stuff that comes inside my fence uninvited at night. Nice and quite and with my TLC225-50-RF, the critters are DRT. No need for hearing protection. When I started using this, I sold all my rimfires.

So, I will have a spare small drum! Good way to look at it.

[GasGuzzler]

You've got me contemplating putting my 25MN and half of my WMR stash up for sale as a package. I still have an OMSS to feed.

[Ranch Dog]

You've got me contemplating putting my 25MN and half of my WMR stash up for sale as a package. I still have an OMSS to feed.

Over the obama years there was no 22RF ammo in my one horse two. I'd rather reload anyway so I sold the rifles.

Not ADrum related other than I cannot use it with my choice of Trail Boss for the 218 Bee, the dipper it is. I received my Custom Order EZ X Expanders from Lee. This is my final lot so I have all my cast bullets covered in my bottlenecked cartridges. Will not need to use the Universal Expander Die anymore, the sizing die will deliver the correct diameter for my oversized bullets.

218Bee_expanders_04.jpg