Powder measure looks greasy

Do you store your power in the hopper? If so, try to stop doing that. The power reacts with the plastic and causes discoloration. As far as I know it's not harmful other than aesthetically, but it can definitely get bad enough it's hard to clearly see the powder level.

The dryer sheets won't stop the staining of the hopper, it will possibly help with static issues. If it's enough of an issue for you, replace the plastic hopper.

Powders are coated with graphite which helps prevent them from sticking together and clumping in the bottles and powder measures. Over time, the graphite will also coat the insides of a powder measure. Some manufacturers, Lee in particular, recommend running a pound or two of powder through the powder measure before its first use just to coat the internals with the graphite.

That, along with some etching of the plastic due to the solvents in the powder, will affect the clarity of the plastic hoppers.

Best is to not store powder in the powder measure any longer than necessary but the hoppers will discolor over time. I have a 1980 vintage Uniflow that is virtually impossible to see the powder level. The powder measure performs just fine.

I believe there is a company that sells glass hoppers for powder measures but off hand I do not remember the link. The glass should not be affected by the solvents in the powder.

Stimovsky said:

I remember reading about dryer sheets wrapped around powder measures to prevent static.

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Rubbing a dryer sheet on the inside of the plastic hopper can knock down static. This is the first that I have ever heard leaving a dryer sheet wrapped around the hopper.

With new equipment I will usually wipe the plastic with a dryer sheet and dust it with graphite powder. In the past, when I have wrestled with troublesome static issues (in the winter in my low RH basement) I would mist the inside of the plastic hopper with a solution of liquid fabric softener and water. Once dry, no static.

Stimovsky said:

Thank you for your posts, I learnt something today.
I conclude it is not an issue that needs to be addressed.

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Yep, no harm n foul. I have an old powder measure that has "hazed" with age and probably some graphite too. It has no effect on the powder or the measure's performance...

I haven't heard of wrapping a drier sheet around the powder measure, but you never know, mebbe it will work...

GBExpat said:

Rubbing a dryer sheet on the inside of the plastic hopper can knock down static. This is the first that I have ever heard leaving a dryer sheet wrapped around the hopper.

With new equipment I will usually wipe the plastic with a dryer sheet and dust it with graphite powder. In the past, when I have wrestled with troublesome static issues (in the winter in my low RH basement) I would mist the inside of the plastic hopper with a solution of liquid fabric softener and water. Once dry, no static.

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Powder is never in my hoppers for longer than about two hours and the hoppers still have a little black discoloration.

I experimented with two Lee powder hoppers. I wiped them both out after a loading session with a dryer sheet to start and stored one with a dryer sheet inside it and the other just empty. The one with the sheet stored in it never had static powder clinging to it after being emptied, while the one that just got wiped out had lots of static powder cling after being emptied. So, now they are both stored with a dryer sheet in them.

Dave

cfullgraf said:

Some manufacturers, Lee in particular, recommend running a pound or two of powder through the powder measure before its first use just to coat the internals with the graphite.

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Came here to post the same thing. Whenever I've had a new powder hopper, powder dispenser, funnel etc I will usually dump a pound of powder through it first as the graphite will help remove any static on the plastic. If you do this, I would highly recommend using a stick powder like Vihtavuori N140 rather than ball powder like Hodgdon H335 as the small powder is a right bugger to remove due to the static! The stick powder won't be so much of a problem.

Hornady LNL hoppers will literally melt if you leave double-base powders in them. So be careful which hoppers you are talking about.

You can always get one of these.

https://dramworx.com/

Texas10mm said:

https://dramworx.com/

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Just what I was going to post. I use these and they stay clear and clean.

rfwobbly said:

Hornady LNL hoppers will literally melt if you leave double-base powders in them. So be careful which hoppers you are talking about.

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So will Redding. I rotted out one of their cheap acrylic hoppers. Replaced it with a piece of copper pipe and use it for black.
My CH Autochamp measure was yellowing fast, so I found a piece of glass tubing to line it with.

My Dillons are darkened, it may be time for Pyrex.

I etched my RCBS Uniflow hopper with powder, and I etched and warped my Pacific (Hornady) hopper with powder. I think Bullseye was the culprit both times. I've since learned my lesson. Hornady sent me a new hopper tube and I peeled the sticker off and transferred it to the old measure. Looks period correct now.

I only have powder in the hopper long enough for the reloading session I'm working on. If I stop, hopper gets emptied. One of the first things I read about reloading and powder handling was "never leave powder in the hopper". Just seems like a safe idea. Never have had an etching or discoloring problem.

I keep my 650 set up for whatever USPSA load I'm shooting at the time. For a couple of years, it was a limited major load, and I had N320 in the Lee Autodrum measure continuously for that entire time. Never caused a problem.

Now I'm using HS-6 for a 9mm major load. That's been set up continuously for about 7 months straight. Also not a problem. Chronoed at the state match within 1fps of the average I got 6 months ago when I worked up the load.

Same for me; even worse when reloading shotgun. the MEC bottles are the cheapest plastic there is. They easily crack over time from the deterioration

I empty all of my powder measures as soon as I’m done loading. I use a lot of Bullseye and the one on my LNL is getting discoloured even though I wipe and blow it out. I would really like to get a dramworx but what it would cost to get one up here I’m not paying that much as I can live with the discolouration or get another from Hornady.

ATLDave said:

I keep my 650 set up for whatever USPSA load I'm shooting at the time. For a couple of years, it was a limited major load, and I had N320 in the Lee Autodrum measure continuously for that entire time. Never caused a problem.

Now I'm using HS-6 for a 9mm major load. That's been set up continuously for about 7 months straight. Also not a problem. Chronoed at the state match within 1fps of the average I got 6 months ago when I worked up the load.

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The plastic used in the Dillon powder measures is a different plastic than what Hornady uses.

I had a Hornady PM discolor over the course of a day. My Dillon powder measures took a couple years to do the same.

A pal's LNL powder hopper...