This is a fairly new-to-me powder dispensing tool. I've been aware of it for quite a long time, but just haven't felt very compelled to get one and try it out. My ventures into reloading processes that go beyond performing operations in batches on a single stage press finally got my curiosity aroused enough to get one and try it out.
First of all, be clear that this tool, depending upon the bulkiness of a given powder, can AT BEST only dispense 15 to 20 grains with a single disk installed, and 30 to 50 grains with a double disk setup. There is also a lower limit (with the disks) of .3cc volume (that works out, again depending on the powder) to 1.5 to 4.0 grains. So, to recap, it will dispense from about 1.5 grains minimum to about 50 grains maximum.
After playing with the AutoDisk, I believe it is most suitable for reloading handgun cartridges, but it can also provide charges for rifle cartridges having a capacity of up to that of the 308 Winchester. That means longer cases (such as 30-06, 270 Winchester, etc) and fatter magnum cases having capacities that require charges of 50 grains or more will require a different model powder measure than this one if you insist on measuring those charges by volume. I've always suspected this from reading Lee's website and their advertisements, but they don't exactly spell out the AutoDisk limitations in those terms.
The AutoDisk is very simple and easy to set up. It is intended to thread directly into one of Lee's "powder thru" handgun cartridge or straight wall cartridge expander dies (after removing the funnel adapter which comes with the die). For bottleneck rifle cartridges, one of Lee's rifle charging dies is the ticket. Lee's "short" rifle charging die is used for cartridges with a length equal to or shorter than the .223. Lee's "long" rifle charging die should be selected for cartridges equal to or longer than the .223. The AutoDisk powder measure threads right into either one, again, once the powder funnel adapter is removed from the given charging die.
By using one of Lee's dies (either the powder-thru expander or one of their rifle charging dies), this measure will work on ANY brand of press of ANY type, and the combined cost for the dies and the measure is very econimical. The comparative total cost, for example, of Lee's die plus this powder measure comes to about one-third the cost of a Dillon powder measure plus the die and connector rod to make it work on their press. And Dillon's is NOT easily adapted (if at all) to any other make or type of press other than their own. How's that for versatility at a great price?
How does the AutoDisk work? Well, the Lee dies (powder-thru expanders for handgun/straight wall cartridges, non-expanding rifle charging dies for bottleneck rifle cartridges) have a "floating" hollow bushing inside which gets pushed upwards in the die by the case mouth as the press ram is raised and the case is pushed into the powder-thru die or rifle charging die, whichever die type the measure is attached to. This floating bushing within the die, in turn, pushes upward on a hollow tube extending from the bottom of the powder measure. As the case pushes the bushing which pushes the tube, the measure has a lever that is actuated. The lever slides the disk containing the charge over and drops it down the powder measure tube into the die bushing and thence into the case mouth. The powder measure has a spring which keeps a steady downward pressure on the powder measure tube and thus the die bushing and case mouth. This tension against the "stack" of tube/bushing/case mouth keeps everything solidly in contact to prevent any powder from escaping. The tension also provides the "reset" mechanism to prepare to drop the next charge as the press ram is lowered and the current case is withdrawn from the die.
Note that the measure will NOT drop a charge UNLESS and UNTIL a case enters the die and pushes the die bushing upwards. Lee calls the setup "case actuated", which is a pretty accurate description. If you've ever used a Dillon press with their powder measure, the concept is much the same. As long as the case fully enters the powder-thru die (or rifle charging die) ONCE, it cannot be double-charged nor undercharged.
Note also that this measure (as purchased and received) uses a variety of fixed orifices in its disks to meter powder volume. There is no real "adjustment" to them. Want a different powder charge? Refer to any one of Lee's resources to determine what volume in CCs will yield the desired charge weight for your selected powder. Find the disk which has an orifice that will provide the indicated volume. Install that disk with the chosen orifice size positioned to receive, meter and then drop the charge. Done. Lee provides four disks with the measure, each disk having six orifices of ascending size. Each of the four disks provides a non-overlapping series of increasingly larger orifices. The orifice sizes range from .3 cc up to 1.57 cc across the four disk set. Lee sells what they call a "Double Disk" kit that will provide a volume range from .6 cc up to 3.14 cc.
You might not be able to get the EXACT charge weight you want with this setup, but you will probably be able to find one within .1 grain to .2 grains. You might ask, "Why would I want such a setup when I cannot get the EXACT charge weight that I want?" Good question, and I hope that this answer is clear: Such a setup, once the correct disk orifice is selected, installed and verified (yes, double-check your charge weight on scales just as you would with any other powder measure), it CANNOT be changed inadvertently during operation or by jostling the measure around. The selected orifice is FIXED and therefore will deliver the same volume every time no matter what. One must still take care that the powder doesn't spill (for whatever reason) or bridge within the drop area, and take care not to miss charging a case nor charge the same case twice. However, mechanically, the charge mechanism is as stable as can be.
IF you simply MUST have an infinitely adjustable setup (within the lower and upper range limits), Lee also sells an adjustable charge bar that will also drop from .3cc volume up to about 1.5cc volume charges. The charge bar offers a chamber that the volume can be increased or decreased via a screw adjustment, yielding a non-fixed volume mechanism. I haven't gotten one of these yet (and might never get one), so I can't provide much more information about the adjustable charge bar than what I've just stated. To me, if I need a measure that provides an infinitely variable adjustment within the lower to upper limits, I already have other powder measures to do that with, and the adjustable charge bar seems that it would kind of defeat the main advantage of the fixed size orifices with regard to mechanical reliability / repeatability.
If you can live with the inability to hit an EXACT charge weight as long as it is VERY CLOSE, if you value great repeatability of the charge volume (and the resulting charge weight) that the measure WILL deliver, and if you're not loading anything requiring a charge in excess of what the .308 Winchester case will hold, then you owe it to yourself to check out Lee's AutoDisk powder measure. I waited way too long to do so and regret it somewhat.
I apologize if this post comes off sounding like commercial for Lee. It isn't. I'm simply trying to provide more details in a single source than what can be easily gleaned from Lee's website and other resources.
I hope this helps someone, who like me, has looked at this useful powder measure and failed to fully grasp its potential and its value.
First of all, be clear that this tool, depending upon the bulkiness of a given powder, can AT BEST only dispense 15 to 20 grains with a single disk installed, and 30 to 50 grains with a double disk setup. There is also a lower limit (with the disks) of .3cc volume (that works out, again depending on the powder) to 1.5 to 4.0 grains. So, to recap, it will dispense from about 1.5 grains minimum to about 50 grains maximum.
After playing with the AutoDisk, I believe it is most suitable for reloading handgun cartridges, but it can also provide charges for rifle cartridges having a capacity of up to that of the 308 Winchester. That means longer cases (such as 30-06, 270 Winchester, etc) and fatter magnum cases having capacities that require charges of 50 grains or more will require a different model powder measure than this one if you insist on measuring those charges by volume. I've always suspected this from reading Lee's website and their advertisements, but they don't exactly spell out the AutoDisk limitations in those terms.
The AutoDisk is very simple and easy to set up. It is intended to thread directly into one of Lee's "powder thru" handgun cartridge or straight wall cartridge expander dies (after removing the funnel adapter which comes with the die). For bottleneck rifle cartridges, one of Lee's rifle charging dies is the ticket. Lee's "short" rifle charging die is used for cartridges with a length equal to or shorter than the .223. Lee's "long" rifle charging die should be selected for cartridges equal to or longer than the .223. The AutoDisk powder measure threads right into either one, again, once the powder funnel adapter is removed from the given charging die.
By using one of Lee's dies (either the powder-thru expander or one of their rifle charging dies), this measure will work on ANY brand of press of ANY type, and the combined cost for the dies and the measure is very econimical. The comparative total cost, for example, of Lee's die plus this powder measure comes to about one-third the cost of a Dillon powder measure plus the die and connector rod to make it work on their press. And Dillon's is NOT easily adapted (if at all) to any other make or type of press other than their own. How's that for versatility at a great price?
How does the AutoDisk work? Well, the Lee dies (powder-thru expanders for handgun/straight wall cartridges, non-expanding rifle charging dies for bottleneck rifle cartridges) have a "floating" hollow bushing inside which gets pushed upwards in the die by the case mouth as the press ram is raised and the case is pushed into the powder-thru die or rifle charging die, whichever die type the measure is attached to. This floating bushing within the die, in turn, pushes upward on a hollow tube extending from the bottom of the powder measure. As the case pushes the bushing which pushes the tube, the measure has a lever that is actuated. The lever slides the disk containing the charge over and drops it down the powder measure tube into the die bushing and thence into the case mouth. The powder measure has a spring which keeps a steady downward pressure on the powder measure tube and thus the die bushing and case mouth. This tension against the "stack" of tube/bushing/case mouth keeps everything solidly in contact to prevent any powder from escaping. The tension also provides the "reset" mechanism to prepare to drop the next charge as the press ram is lowered and the current case is withdrawn from the die.
Note that the measure will NOT drop a charge UNLESS and UNTIL a case enters the die and pushes the die bushing upwards. Lee calls the setup "case actuated", which is a pretty accurate description. If you've ever used a Dillon press with their powder measure, the concept is much the same. As long as the case fully enters the powder-thru die (or rifle charging die) ONCE, it cannot be double-charged nor undercharged.
Note also that this measure (as purchased and received) uses a variety of fixed orifices in its disks to meter powder volume. There is no real "adjustment" to them. Want a different powder charge? Refer to any one of Lee's resources to determine what volume in CCs will yield the desired charge weight for your selected powder. Find the disk which has an orifice that will provide the indicated volume. Install that disk with the chosen orifice size positioned to receive, meter and then drop the charge. Done. Lee provides four disks with the measure, each disk having six orifices of ascending size. Each of the four disks provides a non-overlapping series of increasingly larger orifices. The orifice sizes range from .3 cc up to 1.57 cc across the four disk set. Lee sells what they call a "Double Disk" kit that will provide a volume range from .6 cc up to 3.14 cc.
You might not be able to get the EXACT charge weight you want with this setup, but you will probably be able to find one within .1 grain to .2 grains. You might ask, "Why would I want such a setup when I cannot get the EXACT charge weight that I want?" Good question, and I hope that this answer is clear: Such a setup, once the correct disk orifice is selected, installed and verified (yes, double-check your charge weight on scales just as you would with any other powder measure), it CANNOT be changed inadvertently during operation or by jostling the measure around. The selected orifice is FIXED and therefore will deliver the same volume every time no matter what. One must still take care that the powder doesn't spill (for whatever reason) or bridge within the drop area, and take care not to miss charging a case nor charge the same case twice. However, mechanically, the charge mechanism is as stable as can be.
IF you simply MUST have an infinitely adjustable setup (within the lower and upper range limits), Lee also sells an adjustable charge bar that will also drop from .3cc volume up to about 1.5cc volume charges. The charge bar offers a chamber that the volume can be increased or decreased via a screw adjustment, yielding a non-fixed volume mechanism. I haven't gotten one of these yet (and might never get one), so I can't provide much more information about the adjustable charge bar than what I've just stated. To me, if I need a measure that provides an infinitely variable adjustment within the lower to upper limits, I already have other powder measures to do that with, and the adjustable charge bar seems that it would kind of defeat the main advantage of the fixed size orifices with regard to mechanical reliability / repeatability.
If you can live with the inability to hit an EXACT charge weight as long as it is VERY CLOSE, if you value great repeatability of the charge volume (and the resulting charge weight) that the measure WILL deliver, and if you're not loading anything requiring a charge in excess of what the .308 Winchester case will hold, then you owe it to yourself to check out Lee's AutoDisk powder measure. I waited way too long to do so and regret it somewhat.
I apologize if this post comes off sounding like commercial for Lee. It isn't. I'm simply trying to provide more details in a single source than what can be easily gleaned from Lee's website and other resources.
I hope this helps someone, who like me, has looked at this useful powder measure and failed to fully grasp its potential and its value.
I still use the crank style whenever I need to pre-throw an "almost there" charge and trickle up, especially with the coarser extruded powders or when I'm working with anything near a maximum charge.