Pacific Powder measure for pistol loading

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
It turns out those nylon bushings are a perfect fit. There was three different sizes of holes and I got a couple of each. Gotta check what each throws. Too late to get out in the shop right now. I know this won't be a permanent fix, but I'm interested.
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Guys, you still don’t get it.

The real answer is to buy a lathe and tolling to make your own. Think of the cost savings over time!
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
Revisiting an older thread after having finally taken the time to mess with my powder measure and limited number of bushings.

Seems a bunch of guys are turning out 3D-printed bushings these days on eBay, and I just lost a bid on a complete set of original brass bushings minutes ago, so...

I am still in search and may resort to making the ones I need for the powders I will use in my portable reloading kit.

Since testing the bushings that I do have, I've found that some are way off - at least for Unique. Some of my bushings have a "H" prefix and some have a "P" prefix, but neither the old, yellow chart I have, nor the current, downloadable PDF from Hornady show a prefix on any of the designations identifying each bushing.

I also have to devise a way to make the measure stand on its own, because I dumped about a third of a hopper-full of Unique on the shop floor - Ironically, as I thought "I really should find a way to make this stand on its own," as I turned to weigh the charge I just threw.

EDIT: Speaking of 3D-printed bushings, there is one seller named "markbeadle" on eBay who is selling a full set of 22 bushings for $40, shipped. I'm not certain that's not the best way to go right now, because fooling around, finding each one piecemeal could be a lifelong task. If anyone else's bushings are like mine, the chart will be sort of useless to decide WHICH bushing you need anyway. I'll give it a few days and maybe just go that route.
 
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RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
The "P" marked ones are the end of production ones that didn't make quality control. The "H" marked ones are the early Hornady ones before they stopped making them. I sand off the number and re-stamp them with the grains of Bullseye powder they throw. Then they will scale with the older pre-1970 charts. FWIW
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
RicinYakima said:
The "P" marked ones are the end of production ones that didn't make quality control. The "H" marked ones are the early Hornady ones before they stopped making them. I sand off the number and re-stamp them with the grains of Bullseye powder they throw. Then they will scale with the older pre-1970 charts. FWIW
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Thanks, Ric. Another piece of the puzzle.

Ironically, bot Ps and Hs are pretty far off on mine. One thing I can say about this measure is that it is VERY consistent. More so than my Uiflow with Unique.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Jeff H said:
Thanks, Ric. Another piece of the puzzle.

Ironically, bot Ps and Hs are pretty far off on mine. One thing I can say about this measure is that it is VERY consistent. More so than my Uiflow with Unique.
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Over the last 50 years here in the desert, my reloading friends have found out that an open can of Unique will start weighing less as the organic volatiles evaporate. It is not much and varies by lot number, but it happens. Never hurts to weight every thing you set up.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
RicinYakima said:
Over the last 50 years here in the desert, my reloading friends have found out that an open can of Unique will start weighing less as the organic volatiles evaporate. It is not much and varies by lot number, but it happens. Never hurts to weight every thing you set up.
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The Unique I am weighing right now is from 1996, stored in a defunct freezer in my shop. I can imagine that it's managed to give up some "moisture" over the years, but still works just fine with every charge weighed. This could explain the difference - or some of it. I've only relied on volume measuring with black powder and Pyrodex. When I was loading in volume (shooting a lot of 45 ACP for a while), I'd get set up with the Uniflow and throw ten charges and check one on the scale. Ten more, check one, rinse, lather, repeat. I've actually weighed every charge since I got away from the autos and back to revolvers.

For this portable kit, the idea is to rely on well-tested and trusted volumes, but I have been eyeballing these cute little electronic "pocket scales" as a check-system to keep in the kit too.

So, yeah, right now I DO weigh everything. I have (or at least TAKE) the time. I'm in no hurry to burn up 300 rounds, making noise and churning up dust.

The KIT is my "backup plan" for if (WHEN, actually) I have to scale things down in/for "retirement" as I plan to NOT forsake this particular passion, regardless of what else I give up. Actually, the whole endeavor in research and use is pretty enjoyable anyway.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Research the little pocket scales carefully, as some will only weight to 1/2 grain interval.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Went to a small gun show in Wichita this morning. Scrounging through a junk box, I found a #20 bushing still new in the packaging. Hopefully it'll throw a useful charge of something I use.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
Meant to tell you - my "P20" busing throws 8.8 grains of Unique. VERY consistently.

Picked up some of the nylon bushings at Ace and they fit perfectly, but a regular twist drill just wants to suck them up the drill and right out of the machinist's vice. I don't think I'll regrind a bunch of twist drills to work, so I put them away and will ruminate on how best to make the holes bigger without buying a lathe.

Somewhere, I started a spreadsheet to plot the ID/volume, l but can't find it. from the limited number of bushings I have, it looks like the ID goes up by .010" per bushing size increase, but my bushings don't throw what the Pacific chart says it should, so I'd have to plot actual volumes thrown to get a guess on what size drill to regrind. Good twist drills cost more than the bushings, so I'm holding off for now.

I found one bushing that throws 4.5 grains of Unique, which is what I was looking for a carbine, sub-sonic load for 180 and 190 grain 357 Mag bullets. POI difference between ten yards and fifty yards is about a half inch, so I found one bushing that fits my plan.

I need a bushing that throws SIX grains, SEVEN grains and SEVEN and a HALF grains of Unique to do all my most-used cast loads.

Then again, maybe I should spend the $50 and get a 3D printed set.

BUT, then AGAIN, it's always ore rewarding to find a way other than tossing dollars at it.

AND, THEN, YET AGAIN,...:)
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I hadn't gotten around to checking yet, but 8.8 grains of Unique sounds usefull as a full up .45 Colt load for me and probably also a good load for mild .308 rifle loadings. This bushing may prove to be quite useful.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
richhodg66 said:
I hadn't gotten around to checking yet, but 8.8 grains of Unique sounds usefull as a full up .45 Colt load for me and probably also a good load for mild .308 rifle loadings. This bushing may prove to be quite useful.
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The chart says it's supposed to be 9.3 grains, so check every one you have or get and then make yourself a new chart.

I made a reversible, convenience mod to my measure too. I got tired of fumbling the screwdriver, screw, charge-bar stop, charge-bar and hopper while trying to unscrew the screw - or screw it back in. I found a small bakelite knob with a 10-32 internal thread and JB-Welded a cut-off 10-32 screw into it and filed the angle of the screw-head onto the bottom of the knob. I've eliminated one "moving part" to fumble with while changing the bushings and it give my charge-bar auto-return feature (rubber band) something to hang onto.

I didn't get a chance to take a picture yet.
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
I hold the measure in my left hand with the knob toward me and then actuate the charge-bar with my pinky of my left hand. Pushing it forward drops the charge. When I let go, the charge-bar returns to its "fill" position. It may be as easy to use a 10-32 eye-screw in place of the knob, which would give you something to loop the rubber band through as well as making it a tool-less bushing change. You could operate this thing frontwards or backwards, whichever suits the user. The rubber band also keeps the charge-bar from sliding around while handling it, dumping a charge on the bench inadvertently. Yeah, guess who's done that.

Measure-002 (Copy).jpgMeasure-001 (Copy).jpg
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
richhodg66 said:
That looks great! Where did you get the little plastic knob? Is it a standard hardware store item?
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Probably salvaged off something that wore out or broke that I had to throw away. They've been in my shop for a long time. I'd just about bet , they'd have something at Ace. I get side-tracked poking around in all those drawers when I go in there. This one is bakelite, with a brass, internal-threaded insert embedded, which is probably why I kept it. I've seen replacement pot lids in there, which are basically the same thing, just larger.
 
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