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I'd like to point out that the Mettler lab balance that I use is a complex beam balance, not an electronic one. It has a ground glass screen on to which a scale is projected.
If anyone is interested, I can take a photo of the innards.

Pete

Indeed - There's some quality beam scales out there when you scratch the surface. This is my 1950's Stanton AD5 - Air damped and optically resolves to .1mg (That's 10th of a milligram) These are the things they used to develop the atom bomb.


And the original Dial-O-Grain.

Very nice device. but I guess not easy to find and cost arm and leg?

I use this one quiet a lot. RCBS Ohaus 304 beam scale.

Stock photo not my actual example.

xcudlaty wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:39 am Very nice device. but I guess not easy to find and cost arm and leg?

Not at all expensive. I paid about £30 including auction fees for the Griffin and George and about £60 for the Stanton. Both complete but in need of a bit of TLC form local house clearance auctions.

You have advice from guys here with an unbelievable amount of experience helping you on this thread, (not me!)
If you follow the guidance offered, it will save you vast amounts of time and money.

I really appreciate all help, That is why I asked for help. to find advice from more experienced shooters than me.

Thank You all

Quick word bout the RCBS M500, the one I got was pure junk!

The label on the beam was out, reading various increasing weights the difference to the actual weight and what the scale read to zero it at got larger the heavier the weight tested.
(hope that makes sense)
Basically zero using a 10g check weight then weigh 20, 50, 100 etc. and the variance increased, say 2% at 50gr to 8% at 250gr

Had to send it back to RCBS in California, they agreed the label wasn't correctly scaled/printed and eventually sent a replacement (then said they should have got one sent from the UK in the first place!)
Surprisingly I no longer have it!

If you cab find a decent set of the older RCBS 505's they are an excellent choice.

dromia wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2024 8:03 am Weight is a proxy for volume and volume is a proxy for weight.

Two sides of the same coin.

I suspect that this volume only myth came about by the fact that BP being a relatively inefficient propellant means that there is some latitude in loads so that the requirement for weighing each charge isn't so crucial when using volume dispensers especially in the field.

I no longer have a volume measure for BP and weigh my charges. I had to use pyrodex (for reasons) and searched for weigh equivalent BP vs Pyrodex and the "internet" said you never weigh BP you must measure by volume or the world will stop spinning on its axis. The fact BP charges are expressed by weight seemed to have escaped the notice of these experts.

I wasn't the only one who got called out for weighing BP





And apparently BP charge weight x 0.7 = Pyrodex charge weight

I thought the traditional way to find your optimal blackpowder charge was place the ball in the palm of you hand then tip BP over it until it formed a cone - Voila - your perfect charge for that size ball. :)

Also to get some idea of BP potency you really need a Eprouvette or all volume or weights are really meaningless.