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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain (Read 2522 times)
vol717
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Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Feb 13th, 2025 at 10:00pm
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[ftp][/ftp]A friend has this brass powder measure he has never used. It looks as if it throws only one volume of powder. Would someone please explain its use?

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« Last Edit: Feb 13th, 2025 at 10:56pm by vol717 »  
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sureshot
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Re: Bedding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #1 - Feb 13th, 2025 at 10:14pm
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Looks like it is missing the adjustable powder measure that goes in the hole below the hopper. 

Steve
  
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bpjack
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Re: Bedding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #2 - Feb 13th, 2025 at 10:46pm
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The Belding and Mull adjustable drop tube is pictured on the left. I have made several of the tubes on the right that uses double wall brass tubes from Ace hardware that screw in and out to adjust.   

Jack
  

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Bent_Ramrod
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #3 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:01am
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The idea was that the sliding “Visible” chamber would present a constant weight of powder over the charge tube, reducing possible variations in the weight of charges as the level in the main reservoir dropped as loading progressed.

Other powder measures use baffles in the reservoir to reduce the effect of the powder weight change.

B&M measures could be had with four different charge tubes.  Standard and Magnum were a short and a long brass tube with a sliding steel insert, locked by a set screw.  Micrometer Standard and Magnum were the same sizes of tube but with the inserts threaded with a numerical dial at the bottom.  The Micrometer versions made it easier to record a precise number for a given charge than the others, which had more widely spaced numbers.
  
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Smoke
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #4 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:23am
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Does anyone know if the Montana Vintage Arms micrometer scale tube works with the Belding and Mull measure?

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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #5 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 3:56am
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Just remove the pivoting nozzle from a muzzle-loading measure and insert into the B&M measure. Works just fine. You can get an exact measure with a trickler.
  
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art_ruggiero
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #6 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 6:52am
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muzzle loader powder measures work fine an much cheaper   art
  
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GT
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #7 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 9:41am
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Smoke,
I use a MVA with my original B&M, yes they work.  It's a 1/2" diameter tube.
GT
  

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JHand
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #8 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 10:48am
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Smoke wrote on Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:23am:
Does anyone know if the Montana Vintage Arms micrometer scale tube works with the Belding and Mull measure?

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I use the MVA drop tube with an original Belding and Mull measure for schutzen. It's very consistent. With some practice, you figure out how much adjustment to go up .5gr and under without a scale.
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #9 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:04pm
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Smoke wrote on Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:23am:
Does anyone know if the Montana Vintage Arms micrometer scale tube works with the Belding and Mull measure?

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If you read the feedback below the MVA measure the first one states he bought it for his original B&M and is very happy with it. So guessing it does fit and work well.
  

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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #10 - Feb 14th, 2025 at 12:20pm
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I use my B&M exclusively with BP.  I am more concerned about how much compression I want than actual weight.  Once I get the drop tube set to where I want it (I do weight for reference) I throw charges and pour them through a 24” drop tube.  I removed the handle and spring from my B&M and shuttle the hopper back and forth my hand. I usually go back and forth twice.   
I use a Redding for stick powders like 4759 since it cuts well and use a  Harrels for fine grain powders as I breech seat or load fixed ammo which I rarely do. 

Jack
  

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Bulseyetom
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #11 - Feb 16th, 2025 at 11:35pm
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One thing that I learned here on this forum is to throw the handle three times for each charge to get very precise settlement and uniform charges.  I use mine primarily for black powder.  Tom
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #12 - Feb 16th, 2025 at 11:44pm
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I had a fella walk into our monthly collector show some years ago with a B&M measure new in box with all the original pieces and paperwork. He wanted $90 and I was surprised to open the box and see a plastic hopper on it! I'd never seen that before on a B&M, and never since I got it. I've never used it for black powder as I have always heard you stayed away from plastic hoppers with BP.
  

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bpjack
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Re: Belding & Mull Powder Measure. Please explain
Reply #13 - Feb 16th, 2025 at 11:46pm
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I have done 3 but usually only 2.  I use the to compress the powder after using a drop tube and pay attention the the arbitrary scale attached to this lee hand press and separate any load that is not consistent with the others.  1 or 2 out of 20 will show almost no compression.
  

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