Pacific Powder measure for pistol loading

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Not the little ones that work like the RCBS Lil Dandy, these use a sliding bar with changeable bushings kind of like a shotgun loader.

While I was looking through Cleve's old collection of stuff in Salina today, I noticed one of these and remember Dad had a couple which now reside in all the clutter in my shp somewhere. I do not remember him ever using one. They must not have been very popular, but it seems you can find the bushings on Ebay easily enough.

Are these good meadures? As with most powder measures, I'm sure a lot boils down to consistent technique. I need to get one of them now and play around with it to find out. I don't recall ever seeing one of the stands for one, but I wonder if they could be adapted to work with one of the Lee powder through expander dies? Looks like they would be awkward to use without a stand to hold it.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Hey, thanks for that link! I didn't know someone made something like that. Thinking about it, seems like a lot of powder measres are set up with 7/8x13 threads, I'll go dig one of these out and check.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
I have one just like that, except the red is sort of a dull, dull, muted kind of red and the hopper is slightly amber-colored. I have everal bushings and the rubberish cap that goes on top of the hopper.

To answer the first question: YES, it IS a good measure. At least for Unique and W231/HP38. It throws very consistent charges and is very handy.

When I got it (used), something like 35 years ago, I was leery, so I tested the crap out of it, throwing charges and weighing them on my scale, over and over. Eventually, I'd weigh every fifth charge and after that every tenth, then finally every first and last charge of a lot of 50 cases. When I was shooting the 45 ACP, and chucking cases all over the driveway, I actually BOUGHT cast bullets and loaded bunches of rounds at a time.

I've never mounted mine on a stand. When I did use it, I set 50 cases in a loading block, and then set the measure over each case and slid the charge bar this way, then that, and on to the next case. Afterward, I'd set the block under an architect's lamp and study every single case. I never double-charged and never missed a charge. I don't care for that method now, because I've slowed down and enjoy the loading more these days, but I may make or buy a stand.

Actually, THIS is exactly what I've been thinking about putting in my portable reloading kit for 357 and 30/30, but I think I might need more bushings and I'd have to do a bunch of experimenting with my chosen powder/weight for each. It's very compact and very handy.

TIP: I wrap one of the wider, "wrist-sized" rubber bands around the bottom of the hopper and around the back of the charge bar, so all I have to do is set the dispenser over a case mouth and push with my thumb and then let go. The charge bar is always in the same position and it doesn't take two actions to complete a charge. I don't know if they came with a spring or not.

Put a sticker or something on the cap or the hopper and use a PENCIL to record the bushing you have in it or you have to take the charge bar apart to see the number. I THINK I MIGHT have a charge card for it, but I don't remember for sure. I should look for it.

This is a neat little measure and I wish someone still made one. It's very light and compact and works very well - and has for many years.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
If you happen to find a charge card for the bushings, please let me know. Finding all of the bushings ever made could be problematic.

Which makes me wonder how difficult it would be to make bushings for one of these? There is a guy on Ebay who 3D prints duplicate bushings for MEC loaders. I know virtually nothing about 3D printing, but maybe these could be done the same way.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
richhodg66 said:
If you happen to find a charge card for the bushings, please let me know. Finding all of the bushings ever made could be problematic.

Which makes me wonder how difficult it would be to make bushings for one of these? There is a guy on Ebay who 3D prints duplicate bushings for MEC loaders. I know virtually nothing about 3D printing, but maybe these could be done the same way.
Click to expand...
If the are a simple round bit with a hole in then they would be simple with a lathe.
3D printing saves on time and material cost.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
Brad said:
If the are a simple round bit with a hole in then they would be simple with a lathe.
3D printing saves on time and material cost.
Click to expand...
I'll measure one. I'm going out to see if I can find that information on the bushings/powders.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
richhodg66 said:
If you happen to find a charge card for the bushings, please let me know....
Click to expand...

Check your private messages.

Looks like there's 22 of them. I only have like eight. I wouldn't mind find the rest of them myself, now that I've decided to include it in my portable reloading kit. For many years, I've only used two; one which throws 5.2 grains of W231/HP38 and one which throws 5.5 grains. I've used that 5.5 grain charge in the 45 ACP, 44 Special, 223, 30/30, 222, 357 Mag, and maybe more. Something about 5,5 grains of W231/HP38 that just works.


BOILER-PLATE: DO NOT just try 5.5 grains of W231/HP38 in anything without verifying across several reputable sources.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
richhodg66 said:
.....
Which makes me wonder how difficult it would be to make bushings for one of these? There is a guy on Ebay who 3D prints duplicate bushings for MEC loaders. I know virtually nothing about 3D printing, but maybe these could be done the same way.
Click to expand...

My bushings are brass. Don't know if plastic would cause static problems sliding on the aluminum (dissimilar materials) body/charge bar, or whether aluminum bushings would eventually gall. Once every ten years or so, I wipe it all down and sprinkle some powdered graphite on the charge bar and slide it back and forth a bit to distribute the powder, then blow it off.

Bushings:
Brass
.497" - .501" LONG (only one was .501" long, the other seven being between .497" and .498";
.497" - .499" OD, ID varies;
.483" "waist" with about a .130" wide "shoulder," top/bottom, with the size-code stamped in the waist.

There would be some extrapolating to be done to "guess" how big to make the other holes without a full set to measure.

I have: H8, H9, H10, P13, P14, P16, P20 and P21 (smallest to largest) and no duplicates. Gee, only 14 to go! I'm a little over a third of the way there.

However, once I review the chart again and weigh charges using my selected powders, I may not need a full set either.
 
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4060MAY

Active Member
Bushing chart hole dia. to VMD
Powder measure Instruction
VMD chart

I have Two of these and for loading pistol and small rifle cases, easy peasy
make my own bushings either 1/2" brass or Alum. rod
 

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JustJim

Well-Known Member
These have been my preferred pistol powder measure for 30+ years. My experience has been that I get more-consistent charges with the Pacific measure than I do with the RCBS Little Dandy, likely due to technique/experience.

Threads are 7/8x14. There are at least two versions of the stand, differing in height. The earlier version was a couple inches taller.

Between Pacific/Hornady and Bair, there were actually 24 bushings; if I remember right it was #3 and #8 that differed between Pacific and Bair, and the difference was minor. Since you're going to check the weight with your powder it shouldn't matter. The earlier versions had a taller hopper, but other than that and the color, Pacific and Bair's versions were the same.

Aluminum bushings can be made to work, but depending on powder used you can get a bit of galling. Brass bushings just tend to work better. I've wondered about 3D printing too, but haven't followed up on it. Bushings can be found on ebay, but prices are absurd--it is often cheaper to pick up a measure just to get any bushings that accompany it.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
4060MAY said:
Bushing chart hole dia. to VMD
Powder measure Instruction
VMD chart

I have Two of these and for loading pistol and small rifle cases, easy peasy
make my own bushings either 1/2" brass or Alum. rod
Click to expand...
Does 1/2" rod fit as-is or do you need to turn it down any?

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't really need a whole set of the bushings, just a few that would throw charges of Unique or 700X in appropriate amounts for .38 Special, .45 ACP, etc.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
So .500 diameter and .500 long

Key is knowing the volume needed so you can calculate the hole size. With maybe 4 bushings One could make a graph of the charge vs bushing size to estimate the charge for a given hole diameter.

If some graphite was used and the tolerances are kept a little loose galling isn’t likely to be a huge issue. Aluminum makes sense cost wise, brass gets pricey.

After some checking the brass would run about $1.25 each while 7075 Al would be $.70. Not a huge difference.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
richhodg66 said:
Does 1/2" rod fit as-is or do you need to turn it down any?

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't really need a whole set of the bushings, just a few that would throw charges of Unique or 700X in appropriate amounts for .38 Special, .45 ACP, etc.
Click to expand...

I don't have any 1/2" bar stock to try, but I'll try to remember to take my mic' to town next trip. They have brass bar stock at ACE. While expensive, It's not like we'd need that much.

Ideally, a lathe would be best, but for such an application, the cavity does not have to be exactly concentric with the OD. I'm thinking get it centered asbestos possible on a drill-press and tweak with a round file if necessary.
 
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