New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Auto Disk, Pro Auto Disk, and Auto Drum Powder Measures along with their associated charge bar, disks, and drums.
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New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by Ranch Dog »

I finally had an Auto Disk Hopper fail, the screws wore through the plastic. This AD is a very early version, back when they chromed them and there is no telling just how many charges it has delivered.

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I buy spares when I thing about it and have two spares waiting to go. One had some scratches near the port, the scratches on the surface that contacts the disk, so I pulled it. Using the 500 grit lapping compound that I used on my recent Perfect Powder Measure setup, the scratches quickly became insignificant. With that work, I decided to install the screws and use the torque screwdriver to set the pressure against the hopper and disk. You must cut new threads in the plastic so I did that carefully three times, the threads following the same cut and then I finished them up with the same 26 ounce/inches that I used with the PPM. The disk slipped back and forth perfectly without loosing any powder. I've never had any problems with the Auto Disk and spillage but once in awhile I will get the screws too tight.

This hopper has probably dropped well over 100,000 charges, maybe twice that, I really don't know as I've had it a very long time and have never kept a running ammo count until components became difficult to come by.

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I am going to make an effort to loosen only one screw and rotate the hopper out of the way to change the disk as the instructions suggest. With the disk in place I will the torque driver to replace it to the measured setting. I have a bunch of these units and will treat them the same way.
Michael
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by Fyodor »

Good info, thanks again!

For changing disks, I don't take off the hopper at all. Unhook the spring, and pull the lever all the way, now you can just slip out the disk to the front. I only got some relatively new pro auto disks, but I guess this would work on the older designs, too.
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by motard »

I run the same and have a spare hopoer, clear plastic not red. Use it with vharge bar instead if disks for my handgun. Does anyone have esperience with stick powder in it? With granular charges are very consistents
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by motard »

Ps. I don't dislike this PMbl because of the cast base. A definitive cure fir the hopper's flimsi threads would be setting in threathed holes an alu tapped rivet. And screw in a smaller screw
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by 62chevy »

I have the the Pro Auto Disk so don't have the same problem but the do cost more but worth it I think.

These are some great howtos RD.
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by Ranch Dog »

62chevy wrote:I have the the Pro Auto Disk so don't have the same problem but the do cost more but worth it I think.

These are some great howtos RD.
Thanks, I have three Auto Disks and three Auto Disk Pros in use. I use them for different things. I like the basic Auto Disk for small case capacity application and the Pros for large or double disk.
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by motard »

Michael do you use it also foe rifle's rounds? On press with the dedicated dies? Just curioys because I charge habdguns with it but rifles with an old but thrusty foster binanza. Thinking to start reloading 223 I would grately soeed up fitting a PM on tge sigle stsge press
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by Ranch Dog »

motard wrote:Michael do you use it also foe rifle's rounds? On press with the dedicated dies? Just curioys because I charge habdguns with it but rifles with an old but thrusty foster binanza. Thinking to start reloading 223 I would grately soeed up fitting a PM on tge sigle stsge press
I'm dropping charges for everything, I don't weigh charges except to check every fifth drop.

The Classic Turret is my primary press and I'm loading 27 different cartridges from the 25 Auto up to the 45-70 Govt. With these I am using three different Auto Disks, one Auto Disk Pro with double Disks, and then a Perfect Powder Measure with the Gun-Guides Perfect Adapter on it. I also have another bench mounted Perfect Powder Measure. My three Load Masters are set up for 32 Auto, 9mm Luger, and 45 Auto. All of these use the Auto Disk Pro.

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As far as rifle charging goes it's up to one of the Auto Disks, the Auto Disk Pro, or the Perfect Powder Measure with the Adapter. For small capacity cases, I prefer the Auto Disk used with a single cavity or the Adjustable Charge Bar. I prefer the first over the later. As the cases move up in capacity, I use the Auto Disk Pro with it's double disk stack and will replace one disk, the bottom, with the adjustable charge bar. I prefer to work with the fixed cavity disks. As the cases get further up in size, it is down to the Perfect Powder Measure on the adapter. The drop then is hand actuated with the rotor.

There are a number of fellows loading the 223 Rem on the forum so they probably have more of an insight, it would probably be the Auto Disk or Auto Disk Pro. That cartridge (1.89 cc) sits right on the edge of a single disk capacity and depending on the bullet/powder, you might need to double them. I would go with the Auto Disk Pro.

For my 218 Bee (1.00 cc), 25-20 Win (1.06 cc), and 32-20 Win (1.11 cc), I do enjoy the simplicity of the Auto Disk used with the single disk. I simply don't need the capacity of the Auto Disk Pro hopper as I'm only running a box of 50 cartridges so they are more than adequate. As a reference the Auto Disk has a useful capacity of approximately 155 cc and the Auto Disk Pro 230 cc. The Auto Disk Pro and Perfect Powder Measure shares the same hopper.

If you aren't in a hurry, what might be worth waiting for is the Auto Drum Powder Measure. The actuators are supposedly the same, or near the same, as that of the Auto Disk/Auto Disk Pro so it will be die actuated either through a Powder Through Expander Die or a Rifle Charging Die (223 Rem). It uses just a couple of different drums to cover everything. Lee only shows it in their catalog, not on their web site.

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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by motard »

Very interesting ad full.of infi. Thankyou.I have seen the announcement for the new dispenser an reead mixed reactioni. Since now I had any trouble with the lee pm so.will whait fir the new item
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Re: New Auto Disk Hopper Lapped & Torqued

Post by Ranch Dog »

For off press charging Lee does have the new Classic Powder Measure and it will use the same drums as the new Auto Disk Powder Measure. I'm so comfortable with the "old" tools that I'm probably good especially in light of the cost of these new units. Seems to me Lee is expanding to include more pricey products for people that like spending more for tools that do the same job.
Michael
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