I got an RCBS little dandy powder measure today

Clark · December 30, 2014, 10:43 PM

The powder measure bushing would not fit in the powder measure housing hole.
The hole had a burr and they blued or nitrated or blackened right over it.
So I made a video of me deburring the hole and sent it to RCBS customer service so their quality control would get some feedback.

I wanted another RCBS powder measure mounting plate, but did not want to wait for it to arrive, so I made one, quick and dirty. The 13/16" drill did not make for full contact 7/8-14 threads in the plate, but good enough.

With the #2 bushing it is metering 2.55 gr of my density of Bullseye as accurately, maybe more accurately, as I can measure it.

I wanted this for 146 gr hollow base wadcutters loads for 38 special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kmU4QfMqTs

PA-Joe · December 31, 2014, 09:21 AM

The Little Dandy is great for pistol and 223 reloading. No thinking.

Rogerl830 · December 31, 2014, 01:18 PM

Just received my little dandy today. Waiting on the adjustable rotor to come now so can start using it.

hanno · December 31, 2014, 01:50 PM

I got mine today. Rotor had a burr I had to smooth off.

RCBS Advanced Powder Measure Stand doesn't leave any room to spin the nut on. Trying to figure out which stand to use.

**44 AMP** · January 1, 2015, 07:57 AM

I've had a Little Dandy for a couple decades, maybe more, and several rotors. I almost never use it.

Mostly because what the rotors drop (and you MUST weigh the charges to be sure) with the powders I use, isn't the loads I want.

An adjustable rotor for the measure sure would be a useful thing, but doesn't it kind of negate the point of using a fixed rotor measure?

Might as well use the Uniflow measure, which is what I do.

lee n. field · January 1, 2015, 09:56 AM

someone makes an adjustable rotor for that?

---edit to add---

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366631

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...e-Dandy-Rotors

from the second link:

Quote:

I was finally able to reach him on :

http://www.handloadersbench.com/

As received from " Bailey Boat " :

Ben, thanks for the inquiry, the rotors are 49.00 shipped and I get them sent out within 24 hours of receipt of payment (USPS money order) unless a Sunday prevents it.
Payment to:

Bill White
2430 Forrestbrook Drive
Kannapolis, NC. 28083

second link also has pics

lee n. field · January 1, 2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

I've had a Little Dandy for a couple decades, maybe more, and several rotors. I almost never use it.

Mostly because what the rotors drop (and you MUST weigh the charges to be sure) with the powders I use, isn't the loads I want.

I used one for a while, may again. Two rotors, in my case, measure very close to my favored load in Bullseye for .38, 9mm, .40 and .45.

For loading pistol rounds with a single stage press it was handy. I used the Little Dandy as a hand held powder measure.

I haven't used it for a few years now. I moved on to loading with, first a Lee Pro 1000, and now the Lee Classic Turret, both using the Lee Pro Autodisk.

Alphadawg · January 1, 2015, 07:30 PM

I have a little dandy adjustable rotor that I bought from Baileyboat about a year ago and it is awesome! I highly recommend it and Baileyboat is a great guy!

res45 · January 1, 2015, 10:01 PM

I've used the Lil Dandy and 10 different rotors to load all my pistol ammo. I have a few more rotors that I need to add to the collection.

I also use it for cast bullet rifle loads as some of the common charge weights used in cast rifle loads are easily thrown with several of the rotors. I load all my cast 7.62 x 39,54r and 300 Sav. loads using the Lil Dandy.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 2, 2015, 12:32 PM

I have an RCBS adjustable powder measure ( Uniflow ??? ) & just picked up a used Little Dandy from my machinist buddy... I had some issues trying to run the Uniflow small enough for little low powered handgun cartridges both antique, & little modern ones like the 25 ACP that I built a custom revolver for... along with a couple rotors, I got several blanks he machined, that can have chambers drilled / machined into them... then I turned around & bought a #0, #1, #2, & #3 rotor... I expect it'll work well for the cartridges with very small charges of powder... I won't use it to replace my adjustable measure for bigger more common cartridges though...

BTW... I've not used mine yet, as I need to get a base or adaptor built... I have stainless tops on my loading benches, & am trying to have all my presses, & accessories mount into one of two bolt patterns, that fit threaded plates under the bench

Airman Basic · January 2, 2015, 04:46 PM

Quote:

... I've not used mine yet, as I need to get a base or adaptor built...

I've found my favorite method with the Little Dandy is to handhold the measure while passing over the cases in a loading block. Don't use it with a base much.

rogn · January 3, 2015, 12:20 PM

Ive been using one for quite a while and for a time I found it cumbersome and thought it lacked versatility. I wound up with about 10 rotors and thought I needed more. Had some plastic sheet that I was cutting cast bullet wads out of and got thinking. I cut wads that were a tad oversized to the hole in the rotor and pushed the wad tightly to the bottom of the rotor-kind of like a "freeze plug" in an automotive engine. The plugs stay in place and can be used in increments, which allowed me to "tune" rotors to a given load, rather than being too high or too low or wrong powder. This allows me to throw anything from popcorn loads to full house 45Colt loads. 2 gr to 26+gr. The wads can be popped out easily with a sharp probe to change and reused in most cases.. It only takes me about 5 minutes to tune a load down a grain or more from the rotors nominal setting. The thing I especially like is the ability as mentioned to handhold the measure and run over a block of prepared cased and charge them all without having to shuttle the block under a measure on a stand, that coupled with the measured relative precision makes loading volumes of handgun ammo pretty easy. I can charge 50 cases in less than 2 minutes. If you practice the technique of bumps and pauses the precision is much better than the larger stand mounted measures. Ball powders in loads ranging from 4.0 to 26r rarely vary 0.1 and usually run dead on. Flakes or extruded powders are still good too, but sometimes you have to tune the technique to the load. Another little twist that works with ball powders is that you can"adjust" a load consistently about 0.2 gr by the bumps used in the rhythm of dropping loads. Consistently is the by word there. I hadn't thought of usig it for 556 loads but its right in that range of loads, the cases are close together in the blocks and volume is usually what Im loading(thanks PA-Joe)

January 1, 2015, 07:57 AM	#5
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,475	I've had a Little Dandy for a couple decades, maybe more, and several rotors. I almost never use it. Mostly because what the rotors drop (and you MUST weigh the charges to be sure) with the powders I use, isn't the loads I want. An adjustable rotor for the measure sure would be a useful thing, but doesn't it kind of negate the point of using a fixed rotor measure? Might as well use the Uniflow measure, which is what I do. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

January 1, 2015, 10:01 PM	#9
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	I've used the Lil Dandy and 10 different rotors to load all my pistol ammo. I have a few more rotors that I need to add to the collection. I also use it for cast bullet rifle loads as some of the common charge weights used in cast rifle loads are easily thrown with several of the rotors. I load all my cast 7.62 x 39,54r and 300 Sav. loads using the Lil Dandy. Last edited by res45; January 1, 2015 at 10:10 PM.

December 31, 2014, 09:21 AM	#2
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	The Little Dandy is great for pistol and 223 reloading. No thinking.

December 31, 2014, 01:18 PM	#3
Rogerl830 Junior Member Join Date: July 12, 2013 Posts: 8	Just received my little dandy today. Waiting on the adjustable rotor to come now so can start using it.

December 31, 2014, 01:50 PM	#4
hanno Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2008 Posts: 394	I got mine today. Rotor had a burr I had to smooth off. RCBS Advanced Powder Measure Stand doesn't leave any room to spin the nut on. Trying to figure out which stand to use.

January 1, 2015, 07:30 PM	#8
Alphadawg Junior Member Join Date: February 16, 2014 Posts: 10	I have a little dandy adjustable rotor that I bought from Baileyboat about a year ago and it is awesome! I highly recommend it and Baileyboat is a great guy!

January 2, 2015, 12:32 PM	#10
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I have an RCBS adjustable powder measure ( Uniflow ??? ) & just picked up a used Little Dandy from my machinist buddy... I had some issues trying to run the Uniflow small enough for little low powered handgun cartridges both antique, & little modern ones like the 25 ACP that I built a custom revolver for... along with a couple rotors, I got several blanks he machined, that can have chambers drilled / machined into them... then I turned around & bought a #0, #1, #2, & #3 rotor... I expect it'll work well for the cartridges with very small charges of powder... I won't use it to replace my adjustable measure for bigger more common cartridges though... BTW... I've not used mine yet, as I need to get a base or adaptor built... I have stainless tops on my loading benches, & am trying to have all my presses, & accessories mount into one of two bolt patterns, that fit threaded plates under the bench

January 3, 2015, 12:20 PM	#12
rogn Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 203	Ive been using one for quite a while and for a time I found it cumbersome and thought it lacked versatility. I wound up with about 10 rotors and thought I needed more. Had some plastic sheet that I was cutting cast bullet wads out of and got thinking. I cut wads that were a tad oversized to the hole in the rotor and pushed the wad tightly to the bottom of the rotor-kind of like a "freeze plug" in an automotive engine. The plugs stay in place and can be used in increments, which allowed me to "tune" rotors to a given load, rather than being too high or too low or wrong powder. This allows me to throw anything from popcorn loads to full house 45Colt loads. 2 gr to 26+gr. The wads can be popped out easily with a sharp probe to change and reused in most cases.. It only takes me about 5 minutes to tune a load down a grain or more from the rotors nominal setting. The thing I especially like is the ability as mentioned to handhold the measure and run over a block of prepared cased and charge them all without having to shuttle the block under a measure on a stand, that coupled with the measured relative precision makes loading volumes of handgun ammo pretty easy. I can charge 50 cases in less than 2 minutes. If you practice the technique of bumps and pauses the precision is much better than the larger stand mounted measures. Ball powders in loads ranging from 4.0 to 26r rarely vary 0.1 and usually run dead on. Flakes or extruded powders are still good too, but sometimes you have to tune the technique to the load. Another little twist that works with ball powders is that you can"adjust" a load consistently about 0.2 gr by the bumps used in the rhythm of dropping loads. Consistently is the by word there. I hadn't thought of usig it for 556 loads but its right in that range of loads, the cases are close together in the blocks and volume is usually what Im loading(thanks PA-Joe)