Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 Send TopicPrint
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Duplex Powder Measure (Read 9610 times)
klw
Ex Member


Duplex Powder Measure
Apr 25th, 2006 at 11:44am
Print Post  
Anybody making a duplex powder measure?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
rwjshooter
Ex Member


Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #1 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 10:50am
Print Post  
Hi KLW
Not sure what you want here 
rwjshooter
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
klw
Ex Member


Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #2 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 12:52pm
Print Post  
Want to use a blackpowder duplex charge in one of my rifles.  Lyman, well Ideal, made a series of powder measures that threw a small smokeless powder charge ahead of a large blackpowder charge.  But those are probably a century old if you could find one.  Anybody making anything like this today?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Green_Frog
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


"It ain't easy being green"
ASSRA Life #281

Posts: 4164
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Joined: Apr 18th, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #3 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 2:02pm
Print Post  
klw,  When I was doing my research for that big article I did a few years ago in the Journal on the Lyman/Ideal powder measures, the last thing I found that could be used as a duplex powder measure was one that Herter's (also long gone) made for their shot shell reloader.  Like the older Ideal unit, it had two reservoirs, one for powder and a larger one for shot, in the same body.  I BELIEVE it would be possible to crank both charge chambers down small enough to get what you need for duplexing black.  Other than that you are probably stuck with using a pair of measures like perhaps a Little Dandy for priming charge next to a regular Uniflow for the main charge, or a Lyman AccuMeasure next to a #55 .  Sorry I can't be more encouraging.   Sad   
BTW, do you think there would be a market for a good but simple duplex measure similar to the ones that Schoyen used to make?   ???

Froggie
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MP
Ex Member


Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #4 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 2:23pm
Print Post  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Here is a No.6 and IMO a good price.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
marlinguy
Ex Member
*****


Ballards may be weaker,
but they sure are neater!

Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #5 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 8:32pm
Print Post  
I do what Froggy said. I use either my Little Dandy, or a Pacific that uses a similar type of rotor setup. It's not that much slower than a duplex, and a lot cheaper than finding a decent #6!
  
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Dale53
Oldtimer
*****
Offline



Posts: 810
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Joined: Apr 17th, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #6 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 8:56pm
Print Post  
Pete Allen used to make an investment cast, full adjustable, duplex powder measure. They are often carried by various dealers at The National Muzzleloading Rifle Ass'n National Matches.

I made my own out of components from a MEC reloader. It works just fine. It uses custom bushings (I just had a friend turn a bunch of "bushing blanks" and then I finished them on my drill press). Once you work up a load using an adjustable measure, you just settle on a load and then fabricate the bushings needed. Really not all that difficult. Costs are minimal.

I used it for years in my 40/65 until the local matches went NRA knockdown (NRA Silhouettes require straight black).

Frankly, after using both duplex and straight black over the years, I much prefer duplex loads. No blow tubing and can shoot all day without fouling problems. Clean up is easy with both.

Dale53
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
boats
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 7728
Location: Virginia
Joined: Apr 23rd, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #7 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 8:20am
Print Post  
Dale

What would you think about throwing the smokless charge from a small pistol measure like the bonanza and black from a normal black powder measure like a Lyman 55 ?

I would like to try duplex loads for breech seating with Black powder in my 38/55 but don't want to have to find a duplex measure before testing.

How about the smokeless.  I will look at some of my old manuals but from memory they used either Unique or SR SR #80 which is about like 4759

Boats
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Dale53
Oldtimer
*****
Offline



Posts: 810
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Joined: Apr 17th, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #8 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 5:27pm
Print Post  
Boats;
There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with throwing the two powders from two different measures. It is just one more thing that you have to watch out for. The duplex measures take away the possibility of only dropping one charge.

However, I did it JUST that way for a pretty long stretch without problems.

4759 is a good choice except that it doesn't measure all that well in most measures. 4227 is often used without problems and does measure well. My choice is RL-7 as it measures well and is a bit slower than 4227.

Duplex loads have worked extremely well for me. There is no worry about ringing a chamber, and you can shoot all day long while using black powder without using a *&^%&** blow tube. There are NO fouling problems. I stayed with 10% smokeless as I didn't need to increase the power over black. It does increase the velocity a bit and is about equal to increasing the black powder charge three grains for each grain of smokeless. 

For instance, black powder only charge of 65 grains. Loading 10% smokeless (6.5 grains) with 58.5 grains of black powder will give you the ballistic equivalent of 79.0 grains of black powder. I would first establish a load and compression ratio with straight black powder. Then I would use the same compression with a duplex load. This compression keeps the powders from mixing. Most of my duplex loads were done with Goex with compression going to as much as .350" (I dropped the black straight out of the measure as I found I got the same results with the compression die as I got with the extra trouble of using a long drop tube and then compressing).

As the Froggie says, "YMMV"

Dale53
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
boats
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 7728
Location: Virginia
Joined: Apr 23rd, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #9 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 10:21pm
Print Post  
Dale,

Your advice sounds good to me.  I will have a look at my old Matten and Sharp's loading manuals.  10% would sound about right. In a 38/55 that would be about 4 grs.   

Of course there is some extra trouble with two measures but the  cleaning methods required to get the rifle to perform with black powder ar probably more trouble.

Thanks

Boats
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Dale53
Oldtimer
*****
Offline



Posts: 810
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Joined: Apr 17th, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #10 - Apr 28th, 2006 at 12:54am
Print Post  
Boats;
Just so it is clear, the smokeless powder goes against the primer with the black on the top. I also used a .060" LDPE wad against the bullet base. 

Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook has duplex loads on the 45/70 complete with pressure data. It's a real eye opener. Look in the Ruger #1 &#3 section.

Dale53
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
boats
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 7728
Location: Virginia
Joined: Apr 23rd, 2004
Re: Duplex Powder Measure
Reply #11 - Apr 28th, 2006 at 6:35am
Print Post  
Dale

Understand,  Will have a look at the Lyman cast bullet book too. it's always a good ref.

Boats
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send TopicPrint