Graft a Hornady Powder Measure onto Lee Powder Through Dies
Posted: 30 Jan 2017 17:23
I like the convenience of one-step case flaring and charging on my Lee turret and Pro 1000 presses. I also like the relative convenience of being able to quickly change calibers on my turret press. I also like my Lee turret and Pro 1000 presses.
What I don't like are the limitations posed by Lee Auto-Disk and Auto-Drum powder measures. The Auto-Disk offers limited powder volume settings, and changing the disks is a bit of a chore. The adjustable charge bar doesn't consistently deliver small charges, so it's no help. The Auto-Drum relies entirely on a large amount of spring pressure to flare cases, and it is almost impossible to accurately control the amount of flare it puts on a case, especially a small case like a 380.
I like the Hornady Lock-n-Load powder measure. It is all metal, it never leaks, it's accurate, and in conjunction with the case activation kit, it makes one-step case flaring and charging very easy and accurate. Unfortunately, it hits the Auto Prime on my turret press when the turret turns, and I can't use a Lee Riser to raise it up out of the way of the Auto Prime, like I can on the Lee powder measures. It also makes caliber swaps more of a chore. I have to completely unscrew it from one turret, screw it into the next one, and set up the flaring again. I could buy a separate Hornady lower section for each turret, but that's bulky and expensive, and it still doesn't address the measure hitting the Auto Prime.
It would be nice to be able to have the convenience of the quick turret changes, and a means of allowing the measure to clear the Auto Prime… AND have the quality, reliability, and accuracy of the Hornady Lock-n-Load powder measure.
If you have a metal lathe, a couple of pieces of 7/8 inch steel rod, and a couple of hours, you can fabricate a couple of new parts for the Hornady powder measure, and modify the existing Lee Powder-Through expanding dies, enabling the modified powder measure to be screwed into a Lee Powder-Through die, and set up just like a Lee powder measure. You can even use your Lee risers with it.
Here's what the completed project looks like on my Lee Pro 1000 press:
The new parts required are a modified measure adapter (Item 21 on the Hornady parts list) that screws into a Lee Powder Through die, and an extension to the Hornady drop tube (Item 15 on the Hornady parts list).
Here's are drawings and a photo of the fabricated parts:
The drop tube extension drops into the modified measure adapter, and the modified measure adapter bolts onto the Hornady powder measure in place of the original measure adapter.
Here's a photo of the Hornady powder measure with the fabricated parts installed:
When a Lee powder measure (or this modified adapter) is screwed into a Lee Powder-Through die, there is only approximately .500 inch of vertical stroke available within the die. This is adequate to fully cycle the Lee Auto-Disk or Lee Auto-Drum powder measure, but it is not enough to fully cycle the Hornady Lock n Load powder measure, which requires approximately .600 inch of vertical stroke to fully cycle. It is therefore necessary to machine approximately 3/8 of an inch from the lower shoulder of the flaring drop tubes of each Lee powder through die you plan to use.
The flaring drop tubes are tough steel, and they've been surface hardened. It takes a good sharp carbide tool and a little patience to get through the hardened surface, but the metal underneath machines fairly easily. BTW, if you're squeamish about modifying your Lee dies, replacement Lee flaring drop tubes are available from several sources for about three bucks apiece.
Here's a drawing of the required modification to the Lee flaring drop tubes:
It works very well.
What I don't like are the limitations posed by Lee Auto-Disk and Auto-Drum powder measures. The Auto-Disk offers limited powder volume settings, and changing the disks is a bit of a chore. The adjustable charge bar doesn't consistently deliver small charges, so it's no help. The Auto-Drum relies entirely on a large amount of spring pressure to flare cases, and it is almost impossible to accurately control the amount of flare it puts on a case, especially a small case like a 380.
I like the Hornady Lock-n-Load powder measure. It is all metal, it never leaks, it's accurate, and in conjunction with the case activation kit, it makes one-step case flaring and charging very easy and accurate. Unfortunately, it hits the Auto Prime on my turret press when the turret turns, and I can't use a Lee Riser to raise it up out of the way of the Auto Prime, like I can on the Lee powder measures. It also makes caliber swaps more of a chore. I have to completely unscrew it from one turret, screw it into the next one, and set up the flaring again. I could buy a separate Hornady lower section for each turret, but that's bulky and expensive, and it still doesn't address the measure hitting the Auto Prime.
It would be nice to be able to have the convenience of the quick turret changes, and a means of allowing the measure to clear the Auto Prime… AND have the quality, reliability, and accuracy of the Hornady Lock-n-Load powder measure.
If you have a metal lathe, a couple of pieces of 7/8 inch steel rod, and a couple of hours, you can fabricate a couple of new parts for the Hornady powder measure, and modify the existing Lee Powder-Through expanding dies, enabling the modified powder measure to be screwed into a Lee Powder-Through die, and set up just like a Lee powder measure. You can even use your Lee risers with it.
Here's what the completed project looks like on my Lee Pro 1000 press:
The new parts required are a modified measure adapter (Item 21 on the Hornady parts list) that screws into a Lee Powder Through die, and an extension to the Hornady drop tube (Item 15 on the Hornady parts list).
Here's are drawings and a photo of the fabricated parts:
The drop tube extension drops into the modified measure adapter, and the modified measure adapter bolts onto the Hornady powder measure in place of the original measure adapter.
Here's a photo of the Hornady powder measure with the fabricated parts installed:
When a Lee powder measure (or this modified adapter) is screwed into a Lee Powder-Through die, there is only approximately .500 inch of vertical stroke available within the die. This is adequate to fully cycle the Lee Auto-Disk or Lee Auto-Drum powder measure, but it is not enough to fully cycle the Hornady Lock n Load powder measure, which requires approximately .600 inch of vertical stroke to fully cycle. It is therefore necessary to machine approximately 3/8 of an inch from the lower shoulder of the flaring drop tubes of each Lee powder through die you plan to use.
The flaring drop tubes are tough steel, and they've been surface hardened. It takes a good sharp carbide tool and a little patience to get through the hardened surface, but the metal underneath machines fairly easily. BTW, if you're squeamish about modifying your Lee dies, replacement Lee flaring drop tubes are available from several sources for about three bucks apiece.
Here's a drawing of the required modification to the Lee flaring drop tubes:
It works very well.
