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joeb33050
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Powder Bridging
Mar 1st, 2006 at 6:03am
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Sometimes powder doesn't come out of the measure on one operation, but lots of powder comes out on the next operation. The series of events varies, Ex none-lots, or none- none-lots, or none-little-none-lots.
I've seen this with SR4759 for years, never recorded what happened until recently. I have reports on bridging with surplus 4831, Red Dot?, and 700X.
I would like additional experiences including exactly what happened with what powder and measure.
Thanks;
joe b.
  
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40_Rod
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Re: Powder Bridging
Reply #1 - Mar 1st, 2006 at 9:01am
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The only powder that I have had a true bridging problem with is 4759. The problem is easly solved by using a drop tube with a larger hole. I have had problems with fine ball powders hanging up usualy in new measures. The trick that I was taught years ago was to clean and de-grease the measure. Then wipe down the inside of the measure, and the drum with a dryer sheet. It has always worked like a charm.

40 Rod
  
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Dale53
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Re: Powder Bridging
Reply #2 - Mar 1st, 2006 at 11:06am
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I have had 4759 bridge. It dropped a light charge and on the subsequent charge it dropped a heavy charge (what was left in the drop tube from the light charge + the next "full" charge).

I mentioned to a couple of "old timers" at Etna Green and they both suggested that I take a rat tail needle file and shape the interior of the drop tube to an oval shape. It TOTALLY  solved the problem. This was with an older Redding micrometer measure with a clear plastic drop tube.

Dale53
  
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FITZ
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Re: Powder Bridging
Reply #3 - Mar 1st, 2006 at 8:30pm
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Joe, I use Lyman 55s almost exclusively. Have had this experience a couple of times with 4759 as Dale mentions. 
XXGRAMPA and I were talking about this and he mentioned opening up the hole in the drop tube into an oblong shape and it would not happen. I have done this (About three years ago) and have not observed it happening since. FITZ.
  

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joeb33050
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Re: Powder Bridging
Reply #4 - Mar 2nd, 2006 at 4:49am
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There is certainly a connection between the diameter of the hole in the drop tube and bridging. Some of these measures, with small drop tubes, bridge most reliably. The Redding BR30 drop tube is pressed in and would not dispense SR4759 without bridging. After opening the hole with a 5/16" bit the bridging stopped.
But. SR4759 bridges infrequently in my Lyman 55s, infrequently means that I ran ~150 test charges through without bridging. 
So on one hand we have the almost-always case, and on the other we have the almost-never case. 
I have an example of bridging with surplus 4831 once in the middle of a long string of charge.
Perhaps this forum is the wrong place to ask the question, SS guys don't use a lot of big-kernel extruded powders, correct?
Dale, what measure were you using?
Thanks;
joe b.
  
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Dale53
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Re: Powder Bridging
Reply #5 - Mar 2nd, 2006 at 11:07am
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Joe;
I was using an old Redding standard micrometer powder measure with the rifle micrometer. I was using the "large" drop tube (one is small for .22 cartridges and the other is for larger calibers). Making the drop tube hole oval solved the problem.

Dale53
  
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