Scales, an old man's ramblings.

For over 60 year I've accumulated 5 beam scales. A few years ago I was given, by my SIL, a Gen 6 which proved to be beneficial. Yesterday I pulled all 5 of the beam scales out, dusted them off and played with them using my RCBS scale weight set. I'm happy to say this was a fun way to spend a day and a trip down memory lane. It also proved that I never needed to upgrade. On the other hand I'm not disappointed I did.

My first scale I got from my dad and still have and occasionally use is an old oil damping Redding and it is still functions accurately. Marked $12.50 on the box. Actually this is the scale he taught me how to reload with as a kid. Well we used homemade scoops too.

My second was a Lyman M5. It's still my go to beam scale today.

The 3rd was a Lee Safety Scale. I used a slide rule a lot when I younger so that was never a problem for me. It as sensitive and accurate as the best of my my collection. It required adding a lead ingot under the housing to keep it stable or rather from moving when adjusting. It just doesn't settles as fast as the others and maybe faster than the older Redding'

Number 4 was an Ohaus 10-10. It's a similar to the M5 but I find the M5 a little easier to read. But then I've never found it necessary to read a measurement as fine as it's capable of measuring.

#5 is the new Redding #2, a recent purchase. Like the Lee scale it is very sensitive and accurate. Indeed I have to hold my breath to get a reading with this scale. A light touch is required when setting the pan on the pan holder or the beam's pointer goes above the holder for indexing zero marks and has to be adjusted to get in back inbounds. This was part of its learning curve for me but just a minor one.

The Gen6, I was given, took awhile for me to appreciate because I just refused to trust it for a year. But it has proven to be reliable consistant and fast in use. It's some 5 year old now and much appreciated for it speed and consistency.

Mechanical scales will never go out of style for me even though I have a couple electronic scales for less critical missions. Have a few mechanical scales. Sounds like a enjoyable time as you describe it, appreciating what you have.

Several different beam scales have gone through my hands over the years but I always stuck with my Redding. It is a magnetic dampened scale. I got it way "back in the day" along with a set of Pacific scale check weights. It has served me well over the years but I always lusted for an Ohaus 10-0-5 which can measure to 1005 gr. They haven't been available for many years and I'd written it off to one of those "shoulda got" items. Recently a member here had a basically new one for sale at a reasonable price so I yielded to temptation and bought it. The Ohaus is very nice and I've double checked the weight measurement through it's range with the check weights and against the Redding......both are spot on. I've a grandson who is "into" guns and shooting who I'm collecting reloading equipment for so he will probably get the Redding first and eventually the Ohaus. He's currently in the Army at training so it will be a while before he's stabilized to use the reloading equipment. He was doing well with a couple Lee loaders before enlisting so that may be his reloading method for a couple years but he could still use the scale and a powder thrower.

Anyways, as with the OP I am still a "beamer" too..........:drinks:

I have a magnetically dampened Ohaus which I bought in the mid 60's. It is the only scale I have and it continues to serve me well.

Larry, kids and grandkids are the reason I haven't traded or given any of my powder measures or scales away. I have traded and sold a few presses to help defray the cost of the "new upgraded" replacements but my son have warned me they expect to see the rest of my stuff in the will or my obituary may occur sooner that I'd like.

These new fangled gizmos will come and go,
but the beam, the trusty ole beam...
will always have the final word, 'yes' or 'no'?

https://i.imgur.com/iMv3dHL.jpg

I just got a RCBS Scale check weight set...kinda pricey but it gives some credence to these digitals, at least you can see whether or not the digital needs a full calibration or not...and it's a good set to make sure that they both really do agree on weight. Gotta keep the knives and bearing slot clean on the beam but she'll always be on my bench.

I still use my old brown colored Herters Scale, that has a paddle and a reservoir for oil, (never used this function).

It was bought in the late 60's.

I have some electronic scales, I only use them to weigh bullets/boolits, broadheads, arrows and such.

The old Herters Model Perfect is used for all powder charges.

That sounds like a fun day at the loading bench. I have also owned several scales. Most of them are gone now but I still have the original Herters scale that Grandpa bought that is the one that I learned on. I'm pretty sure that Redding made it. Its oil dampened but I run it dry. I use an RCBS Chargemaster now but my old Herters scale keeps it honest! I've also had a RCBS 1010, another RCBS beam, one of the first Dillon scales and maybe another one or two. Due to bench space I'm down to the original Herters scale and the Chargemaster. I've always wanted an RCBS 304. Shoulda bought one when they were making them I guess!

Back to beam scales. Once I learned to trust my readings I quit waiting for the scale to settle back to zero. I read it on the move. Once it swings the same way a couple of times I grab the pan and dump it. I read years ago that the lab guys used this method before digital scales were made and it works for me. I really appreciate digital scales for weighing unknown weights.

On another note, I get a little tickleled reading about the guys that weigh to .0001 of a knats readend! It seems that + or - 1/10th has always been the industry standard for reloaders. This is closer than a lot of factory charges that I have weighed. Winning benchrest guys throw their charges too! You can bet that they are experts with their measures but they trust them.

I got my first beam scale in 1971, a Lee Safety Scale, and have been reloading with beam scales since then. (I still have a Lee SS and use it occasionally. To slow the swing I placed a rare earth magnet on the bench under the pan.) I have never had a beam scale "go bad" on me and I have owned 3 digital scales and two have died. One, the most expensive, refused to tare, then could not calibrate it, just a little over a year old. One drifts and the scale must be "tared" every time the pan is lifted/replaced. The one I have now, a cheap Frankfort Arsenal, is working OK so far, but I set it up against my RCBS 5-10 or Lyman D5 scale...

Love my beam scales too - Not quite sure how many I have just at the moment, more than 30 anyway. I have ones with no damping, oil damping and magnetic damping. One of my favourites is a nice Webster oil damped scale - very nicely made and still working as well as it ever did. My "every day" scale is a Lyman M5.

http://i.imgur.com/LaymAujm.png?1
http://i.imgur.com/Nfn63Cul.png?1
http://i.imgur.com/lyGeUdWl.png?1
http://i.imgur.com/TcSgjYbl.png?1

My scale is from the early 70s which I purchased used. After all these years I've seen no reason to upgrade.

I am not very impressed with some of the new stuff, it works but isn’t as precise as a good old beam scale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmxBSOOL7Ks

You can mix old with new and get very repeatable results though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA0_KDjbBGQ

I've check my RCBS electronic unit 1000s of time with my Redding scale. It has never been "off".

I still do it but it's really a waste of time.

This is an interesting thread. I've owned 3 beam scales and sold a Redding oil dampened scale. I've settled on my Ohaus 10-10 and RCBS (Ohaus) 5-0-5.

I also recently, out if curiosity, spent some time with check weights running up and down the scales' ranges of capabilities. They were both reassuringly precise.

The 505 is so danged convenient and easy to use that it gets used most often.

https://i.imgur.com/u8wa60q.jpg

NyFirefighter357 can I be in your will?

NY Firefighter you are causing me to drool all over my keyboard.
That is one beauty of a scale.

I still have my first Lyman scale bought over 45 years ago. I hardly ever use it.

RSBC Chargemaster is my go to unit.

Now, I'll make you jealous. I bought it at the LGS used for $40. I know they got it cheap because I found a $5 tag sale marking on it. I didn't know anything about them until I google searched and found what they were selling for on-line. I put it together in the store to make sure all the parts were there, didn't argue about the price and laughed all the way home!