RCBS Little Dandy or Uniflow small rotor

Irish Lad · April 16, 2018, 01:48 PM

What do do you folks think is best for small pistol loads. Gonna start loading .380. My Lee auto drum is great for 223 on my Lee Classic Turret, but not so great on real small loads.It throws 4.9-5.1 using W231 for 45 acp. Not much wiggle room on 380. Looking at the RCBS Little Dandy or Uniflow small rotor with the micro adjustment screw. Any opinions or other suggestions are appreciated.

F. Guffey · April 16, 2018, 02:03 PM

Irish Lad, The Little Dandy is a big investment but over time I have filled in most of the blanks places. The Little Dandy is my favorite powder system. I have the Uniflow system also. I have three presses that come complete with the Uniflow and two drums so If I had a problem with one of them? That has not happen but for pistols I prefer the Little Dandy.

AND! As soon as this thread gets started someone is going to try to sell you another rotor.

F. Guffey

Irish Lad · April 16, 2018, 03:03 PM

F. Guffey,

I appreciate the reply. The investment doesn't bother me if it works well. Because of your previous posts I invested in a wilson case gauge for every caliber I load.

KenT7021 · April 16, 2018, 03:18 PM

I use the Little Dandy for most pistol loads.For pistol loads I prefer them over the Uniflow.I'm not a real fan of the Uniflow.I prefer the Lyman 55 measure for larger charges.

KEYBEAR · April 16, 2018, 04:17 PM

I have three Uniflows good if your looking at 5 gr or more the little Dandy will do the job better .

Irish Lad · April 16, 2018, 04:40 PM

I too have a Uniflow (large rotor). Works great for my rifle loads. I use it and a Frankford Arsenal Powder Trickler to get exact loads.

briandg · April 16, 2018, 06:01 PM

The uniflow with the pistol drum can be calibrated to 1/10 grain of many ball powders. I also use .380, if a powder measure can precisely measure that micro charge, it's perfect.

the little dandy has to be set with drums that couldn't possibly be that versatile, you would have to buy specific powders to get that standard sized drum to fit a charge capable of safely firing a .380. You could make it work with a large capacity case like 9mm, but the .380 is just too small. I looked it up once and it didn't seem to me that it was the right answer to that problem.

USSR · April 16, 2018, 06:48 PM

Why would you want to have to buy another rotor if you want to throw a little more or less powder? Get the Uniflow where you can adjust it to throw more or less powder.

Don

Average Joe · April 16, 2018, 06:51 PM

I use the Uniflow for .380 up to .308. ( small cylinder) Never misses a beat, but I only use ball powders, it may not be the best for flake powders like Unique.

KEYBEAR · April 16, 2018, 08:36 PM

Joe for Unique in the 380 you like need one big Flake and one small one .

I use a lot of Unique hard to throw 1 or2 tens is right on .

Nick_C_S · April 16, 2018, 09:08 PM

I have been using my Uniflow w/ a small rotor since 1984. It's all I've ever used in fact - so I guess I have nothing against which to compare it.

But I do know that it'll consistently throw 1.8 grains of Bullseye. Doesn't need to work any better than that for me.

I'm completely satisfied. Works as good as the day it was made. Have never even considered getting another powder hopper of any kind.

DMY · April 16, 2018, 10:35 PM

I'm sure I have not loaded as many as others responding to your post, but I have used my Lil Dandy to load a few tens of thousand handgun rounds since the early 80s. The only problem I had was cracking the plastic hopper 1 or 2 years ago. I wrote to RCBS who sent me a new one at no cost. Fantastic customer service. I can't say enough good things about my experience with it. Even though it isn't recommended, I bought a few extra rotors and slightly expanded the rotor cup for my pet loads.
I have also owned a Lyman 55 for 20 years, but despite polishing the heck out of the adjustable rotor and housing, it sticks. Since I cant get a consistent throw, I have a difficult time adjusting the amount of powder dropping each time. Tried it with Bullseye, 231/hp-38, Unique, TightGroup, 748, CFE-223, and of course stick powders. Probably haven't loaded more than a couple hundred rounds with it.
I've considered a Uniflow for many years, but since I have all of the Lil Dandy rotors for my handgun rounds and individually weigh my rifle loads, I haven't found the desire to buy another adjustable powder measure which may or may not be better. If I do, it will certainly be a green one.

tranders · April 17, 2018, 01:19 AM

I charge all my pistol loads(9mm,45acp,and 38 Special) with a Uniflow with the small rotor. I think it's fantastic.

DaleA · April 17, 2018, 02:37 AM

I've never used the Lil Dandy.

This is another vote for the Uniflow. I've found the Uniflow to be fine for all my handgun loads and some of them have been very light target loads. It's always been accurate enough for me.

I don't think I'd like to have to buy all the rotors but again, I've never tried one.

KEYBEAR · April 17, 2018, 07:15 AM

I load all the Target pistol stuff on a Dillion 650 and use Unique useing the dillion powder measure it works well with most powers Unique is not one of them . For heavy pistol I use the single stage and AA9 or WW296 and the uniflow .

sourdough44 · April 17, 2018, 07:59 AM

I use my ‘Little Dandy’ for about all my handgun loadings. Not sure if he’s still around, but I bought an ‘adjustable rotor’ for the LD, works great. I don’t have any of the fixed rotors.

Not sure how well the fixed rotors work. I guess if one had most, you could find them workable. My lightest charges are Win-231 for the 380, the adjustable rotor works fine.

BBarn · April 17, 2018, 10:23 AM

I used a small rotor in a Uniflow for years, for all my rifle and handgun loads. More recently I've aquired a Hodgdon LNL with the small rotor, and now prefer it for small handgun loads. It's rotor diameter is about half that of the small rotor Uniflow, so it tends to work rather well for very light charges. It does max out at about 12-15 grains for most powders, so it is limited to very small rifle and non-magnum handgun cartridges.

Jim Watson · April 17, 2018, 10:27 AM

I had a Little Dandy. The rotors were seldom rated for what I wanted to load and they seldom delivered what the chart claimed when they were apparently suitable.

Rifletom · April 17, 2018, 03:40 PM

I use the Uniflow,but, with a baffle in the large drum. Seems to work for my handgun loads.

briandg · April 17, 2018, 09:47 PM

I believe that the dandy would be exactly what a person would need if he loaded for a few calibers and was flexible regarding his powder charges and general load characteristics. Someone could use maybe 4-5 rotors and assemble loads for 9, 40, 38, even .45. It could be easier than turning out tens of thousands of assorted rounds in small lots when having to reset the measure constantly.

The dandy and four rotors will cost about the same as a uniflow.

I would personally like one of the dandy measures, but only as a secondary. It is a pain in the neck to reset a uniflow

KEYBEAR · April 18, 2018, 11:30 AM

Rifletom

I totally agree but some powders do not work well for lite charges with the large drum .
When I went to the small drum things got better Unique is one of them .
My drops became way more consistent with the small drum

Rifletom · April 18, 2018, 11:34 AM

KEYBEAR,
Good point. And I use a lot of Unique. I'll be switching over to the small drum as soon as I get back from vacation. Does the small drum need the baffle?

tranders · April 18, 2018, 11:56 AM

"I would personally like one of the dandy measures, but only as a secondary. It is a pain in the neck to reset a uniflow"

Get the micrometer adjustable stem for the Uniflow. It makes it much easier to reset powder charges. Once the proper charge is established record the data and the next time you load for that caliber set micrometer stem to setting recorded and you are off to the races. Worth the $45 in my opinion.

Irish Lad · April 18, 2018, 06:48 PM

I bought a Little Dandy with a couple of rotors. Should be here by the weekend

.

DMY · April 18, 2018, 10:57 PM

IrishLad,
I'm not sure whether you plan to use it as a standalone measure, but if so, and you plan on loading a fair number of rounds, put a rubber band around the rotor which makes it easier to grip and turn the rotor.

April 16, 2018, 01:48 PM	#1
Irish Lad Member Join Date: January 24, 2016 Posts: 69	RCBS Little Dandy or Uniflow small rotor What do do you folks think is best for small pistol loads. Gonna start loading .380. My Lee auto drum is great for 223 on my Lee Classic Turret, but not so great on real small loads.It throws 4.9-5.1 using W231 for 45 acp. Not much wiggle room on 380. Looking at the RCBS Little Dandy or Uniflow small rotor with the micro adjustment screw. Any opinions or other suggestions are appreciated.

April 16, 2018, 03:03 PM	#3
Irish Lad Member Join Date: January 24, 2016 Posts: 69	F. Guffey, I appreciate the reply. The investment doesn't bother me if it works well. Because of your previous posts I invested in a wilson case gauge for every caliber I load. Last edited by Irish Lad; April 16, 2018 at 03:11 PM.

April 16, 2018, 06:01 PM	#7
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	The uniflow with the pistol drum can be calibrated to 1/10 grain of many ball powders. I also use .380, if a powder measure can precisely measure that micro charge, it's perfect. the little dandy has to be set with drums that couldn't possibly be that versatile, you would have to buy specific powders to get that standard sized drum to fit a charge capable of safely firing a .380. You could make it work with a large capacity case like 9mm, but the .380 is just too small. I looked it up once and it didn't seem to me that it was the right answer to that problem. __________________ None.

April 16, 2018, 06:48 PM	#8
USSR Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2017 Location: Finger Lakes Region of NY Posts: 1,442	Why would you want to have to buy another rotor if you want to throw a little more or less powder? Get the Uniflow where you can adjust it to throw more or less powder. Don __________________ NRA Life Member NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor

April 16, 2018, 09:08 PM	#11
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,525	I have been using my Uniflow w/ a small rotor since 1984. It's all I've ever used in fact - so I guess I have nothing against which to compare it. But I do know that it'll consistently throw 1.8 grains of Bullseye. Doesn't need to work any better than that for me. I'm completely satisfied. Works as good as the day it was made. Have never even considered getting another powder hopper of any kind. __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

April 16, 2018, 02:03 PM	#2
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	Irish Lad, The Little Dandy is a big investment but over time I have filled in most of the blanks places. The Little Dandy is my favorite powder system. I have the Uniflow system also. I have three presses that come complete with the Uniflow and two drums so If I had a problem with one of them? That has not happen but for pistols I prefer the Little Dandy. AND! As soon as this thread gets started someone is going to try to sell you another rotor. F. Guffey

April 16, 2018, 03:18 PM	#4
KenT7021 Member Join Date: September 11, 2016 Posts: 29	I use the Little Dandy for most pistol loads.For pistol loads I prefer them over the Uniflow.I'm not a real fan of the Uniflow.I prefer the Lyman 55 measure for larger charges.

April 16, 2018, 04:17 PM	#5
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	I have three Uniflows good if your looking at 5 gr or more the little Dandy will do the job better .

April 16, 2018, 04:40 PM	#6
Irish Lad Member Join Date: January 24, 2016 Posts: 69	I too have a Uniflow (large rotor). Works great for my rifle loads. I use it and a Frankford Arsenal Powder Trickler to get exact loads.

April 16, 2018, 06:51 PM	#9
Average Joe Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,325	I use the Uniflow for .380 up to .308. ( small cylinder) Never misses a beat, but I only use ball powders, it may not be the best for flake powders like Unique.

April 16, 2018, 08:36 PM	#10
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	Joe for Unique in the 380 you like need one big Flake and one small one . I use a lot of Unique hard to throw 1 or2 tens is right on .

April 16, 2018, 10:35 PM	#12
DMY Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2015 Posts: 152	I'm sure I have not loaded as many as others responding to your post, but I have used my Lil Dandy to load a few tens of thousand handgun rounds since the early 80s. The only problem I had was cracking the plastic hopper 1 or 2 years ago. I wrote to RCBS who sent me a new one at no cost. Fantastic customer service. I can't say enough good things about my experience with it. Even though it isn't recommended, I bought a few extra rotors and slightly expanded the rotor cup for my pet loads. I have also owned a Lyman 55 for 20 years, but despite polishing the heck out of the adjustable rotor and housing, it sticks. Since I cant get a consistent throw, I have a difficult time adjusting the amount of powder dropping each time. Tried it with Bullseye, 231/hp-38, Unique, TightGroup, 748, CFE-223, and of course stick powders. Probably haven't loaded more than a couple hundred rounds with it. I've considered a Uniflow for many years, but since I have all of the Lil Dandy rotors for my handgun rounds and individually weigh my rifle loads, I haven't found the desire to buy another adjustable powder measure which may or may not be better. If I do, it will certainly be a green one.

April 17, 2018, 01:19 AM	#13
tranders Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 233	I charge all my pistol loads(9mm,45acp,and 38 Special) with a Uniflow with the small rotor. I think it's fantastic.

April 17, 2018, 02:37 AM	#14
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,317	I've never used the Lil Dandy. This is another vote for the Uniflow. I've found the Uniflow to be fine for all my handgun loads and some of them have been very light target loads. It's always been accurate enough for me. I don't think I'd like to have to buy all the rotors but again, I've never tried one.

April 17, 2018, 07:15 AM	#15
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	I load all the Target pistol stuff on a Dillion 650 and use Unique useing the dillion powder measure it works well with most powers Unique is not one of them . For heavy pistol I use the single stage and AA9 or WW296 and the uniflow .

April 17, 2018, 07:59 AM	#16
sourdough44 Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: WI Posts: 621	I use my ‘Little Dandy’ for about all my handgun loadings. Not sure if he’s still around, but I bought an ‘adjustable rotor’ for the LD, works great. I don’t have any of the fixed rotors. Not sure how well the fixed rotors work. I guess if one had most, you could find them workable. My lightest charges are Win-231 for the 380, the adjustable rotor works fine.

April 17, 2018, 10:23 AM	#17
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	I used a small rotor in a Uniflow for years, for all my rifle and handgun loads. More recently I've aquired a Hodgdon LNL with the small rotor, and now prefer it for small handgun loads. It's rotor diameter is about half that of the small rotor Uniflow, so it tends to work rather well for very light charges. It does max out at about 12-15 grains for most powders, so it is limited to very small rifle and non-magnum handgun cartridges.

April 17, 2018, 10:27 AM	#18
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,546	I had a Little Dandy. The rotors were seldom rated for what I wanted to load and they seldom delivered what the chart claimed when they were apparently suitable.

April 17, 2018, 03:40 PM	#19
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 789	I use the Uniflow,but, with a baffle in the large drum. Seems to work for my handgun loads.

April 17, 2018, 09:47 PM	#20
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I believe that the dandy would be exactly what a person would need if he loaded for a few calibers and was flexible regarding his powder charges and general load characteristics. Someone could use maybe 4-5 rotors and assemble loads for 9, 40, 38, even .45. It could be easier than turning out tens of thousands of assorted rounds in small lots when having to reset the measure constantly. The dandy and four rotors will cost about the same as a uniflow. I would personally like one of the dandy measures, but only as a secondary. It is a pain in the neck to reset a uniflow __________________ None.

April 18, 2018, 11:30 AM	#21
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	Rifletom I totally agree but some powders do not work well for lite charges with the large drum . When I went to the small drum things got better Unique is one of them . My drops became way more consistent with the small drum

April 18, 2018, 11:34 AM	#22
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 789	KEYBEAR, Good point. And I use a lot of Unique. I'll be switching over to the small drum as soon as I get back from vacation. Does the small drum need the baffle?

April 18, 2018, 11:56 AM	#23
tranders Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 233	"I would personally like one of the dandy measures, but only as a secondary. It is a pain in the neck to reset a uniflow" Get the micrometer adjustable stem for the Uniflow. It makes it much easier to reset powder charges. Once the proper charge is established record the data and the next time you load for that caliber set micrometer stem to setting recorded and you are off to the races. Worth the $45 in my opinion.

April 18, 2018, 06:48 PM	#24
Irish Lad Member Join Date: January 24, 2016 Posts: 69	I bought a Little Dandy with a couple of rotors. Should be here by the weekend.

April 18, 2018, 10:57 PM	#25
DMY Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2015 Posts: 152	IrishLad, I'm not sure whether you plan to use it as a standalone measure, but if so, and you plan on loading a fair number of rounds, put a rubber band around the rotor which makes it easier to grip and turn the rotor.