B&M Powder Measure

[ColColt]

Anyone know about Belding and Mull powder measures? I ran across a mint one with micrometer charge tube and thought about getting it. It looks nearly pristine but not cheap. I was wondering about the accuracy and consistent throws more than anything else.

[Ickisrulz]

There is a thread on this...scroll down.

[Bret4207]

I think they are extremely accurate. Of course a lot of that depends on the operator. I find it's very useful for small batches of loads, for long grain powders, for working up loads. It's great for regular loading but is a bit slower and more involved than a regular Redding/Lyman.RCBS powder measure. The tube settings are very repeatable. In fact, using a B+M guide book from the 40's I found their measurements were spot on over 50 years later with the powders I had that they listed.

[Kevin Rohrer]

How much is the owner asking? They normally go for around $75 +-20.

It's a top-shelf measure that is very accurate. I will NEVER sell mine. Instructions for it's use are available thru a Google search.

[ColColt]

The owner claims it's mint and wants right at $200. It must be a honey to cost that much. It does look new from the pic and has the original box and instructions but, $200?

[PacMan]

I would like to own a mint condition B&M but 200.00 is pricey i would think.Just food for thought.If your charges are going to be 60gr or less and i wanted to spend 200 on a measure i would put 20.00 more with it and buy a Harrells from Buffalo Arms. Mater of fact i just did and received it yesterday.What a thing of beauty it is. You just want to sit in front of the tube and admire and work it. It is twice as accurate as my RCBS and Lyman.
Sorry to stray from your question but i could not resist.

[ColColt]

Which one did you get...the BR? The Schuetzen / Pistol Measure seems to fit the ticket for me weighing 2-25 gr loads which is primarily what I work with.

[PacMan]

I got the Schuetzen pistol.
It is small and compact and with the clamp on the back you can mount it just aboiut anywhere.I was a little leary about spending that much but after it arrived i am happy that i did. There is only one problem-now i have to come up with the money for the BR 6-60 grain model.

Dwight

[KCSO]

Last one I bought was in real nice shape and cost $75 and I sold it for $100 and thought I done good. Used with instructions they are going for $135 at Amazon.

[ColColt]

Up until recently, I had never heard of them...or the B&M for that matter. Take that back, I did hear of B&M back in the 70's but I always thought they were second to Lyman and RCBS. I have a 70's vintage Ohaus DU-O-Measure I've been well pleased with. I'd love to find another but you never know for sure what you're getting off ebay. You have to ask a lot of questions as they seller's aren't that descriptive in what they sell many times.

The Schuetzen pistol would be the one that would do me more good but it's hard to cough up that much for a powder measure. I'm sure they're worth it but...

[xbeeman412]

I have one for sale http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...d.php?t=109073 if interested holler

[Bret4207]

They aren't worth $200.00. I love mine, but not $200.00 worth. There isn't a powder measure made worth $200.00, I don't care what it is or who makes it.

[Kevin Rohrer]

In mint condition it's worth $100 +-25. He won't get more than that on Ebay or any other auction site unless the bidders are really stupid.

[PacMan]

What Bret4207 may be true for him and most others but not for all. I have been reloading for the better part of 40 years and using the same equipt for the most part of that time. Years only used a Rochchucker and then a combinationof that and then 2 550b's in my hay day of reloading.Sold one of the 550b's last summer and the other sits mostly unused.
About a year ago i bought a Foster Co-Ax and never looked back.Sold my 2- RCBS uniflo's,kept my two Lyman 55's and bought the Harrells.
Point is i came to a point in life that i decided that quality and pure joy of use out weighed quanity.Absoulty nothing wrong with the RBCS equipt. just wanted an upgrade. I have always been a person that liked things that have some amout of character and beauty(eyes of the beholder) and RCBS does not meet those needs.

Was the increase in cost worth it? To me yes.Others have to make that decision.I will say that the Harrells is the only measure that throughs charges of Unique plus or minus .1 of a grain without any voodo.
Dwight

[ColColt]

Old and no longer in production, I'd stack my Ohaus DU-O-Measure up against most. It's been consistently excellent but unfortunately, no longer around. I bought one online the other day but the chrome drum had strips of chrome flaked off and the metering rod was slightly bent. I ran across an excellent synopsis of Harrell's measure that show some goo d internal pics and one man's opinion that's worth reading. It's mostly how much are you willing to pay and is the extra $50+ worth it. It's all about accuracy and consistency but from experience and what I've read many places, none will through 28.3 gr each time, time after time for 100 rounds or more.

http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar63.htm

One thing I don't understand about Harrell's. Why such a long drop tube. Moreover, I don't see a cap for the powder hopper. How is the powder put in?

[PacMan]

Well i read the article.What year did he write it? Any way the part about sitting on the floor is beyond my understanding. First you do not need the drop tubes unless you are loading compressed charges and trying to get all you can in the case.
I sold my RCBS so i canot compare distance but mounted on a bench with the supplied mount i would say that it may be 1" higher at the mouth than the Harrells now when mounted side by side with my lyman the Lyman sticks down almost 3" lower,no ideal about the Hornady.Those comparisons were ridiculous.
Price diffrence between the RCBS with Micro adjustnment (midway 180.00) Harrells precision 6-60 grain( Buffalo arms 220.00 ) $40.00.
As far as filling the hopper that can be done 2 ways.On the top there is a plastic plug you can remove and fill hopper.The way i am doing it is hold the measure unside down and unscrew the hopper. Hopper also has a screw on cap,if you have two hoppers,they can be changed without dumping the powder.
As i said earlier the extra cost will not be worth it for most but for be it is.
As far as accuracy of each i never had any complaints about the accuracy of the 2 uniflos or my 2 Lymans using most powders. Do i expect any measure to throw 28.3 grains every time for 100 throws? No I am not stupid.
The only test that i have done with the Harrells is with Unique. 60 throws after setting for 5 grains.
Results- 4 charges that were .2 grains high.Did not count anything that was .1gr or less.I would say that 50% or more were 5gr's with the remaining being off .1. Intersting part was all but maybe 3 that was 5.1 the others were always low.4.9 grains. Go figure that one out.

I cant kelp but think the person doing the comparision was a little bias in his test. Maybe not.

We all walk to a different beat.
Dwight

[ColColt]

The only place I saw a date was at the very bottom where there was a copyright of 2011 so, had to be fairly recent. I don't know enough about B&M and Harrell's to form any sort of opinion but both look like great engineering to me. That said, I don't know if either would be any better than my Ohaus. I'll say this, the Harrell's looks like a Rolls Royce version of what I have whether it throws more consistent charges or not. It's a fine piece of work.

This is the B&M I was looking at for $200.

[Green Frog]

The B&M in the picture looks great, but as others have said seems to be overpriced by about $50 give or take. I will say that among the schuetzen crowd the B&M is highly regarded for the measure of stick powders such as 4759.

Dwight, I'd like to get a product report from you... how does that Harrell do with the sticks? I've heard good things so far, but I can't recall anyone talking about using with 4759 or similar stick powders.

Regards,
Froggie

[HARRYMPOPE]

i have used the B&M measures for quite a while and two are standards on my bench.For 4198 and stick stuff its hard to beat.I also find its the only measure to meter TrailBoss and the surplus VV stuff Bartlett was selling accurately.A buddy make fixed measures for his favorite loads an its really handy. MVA sells new "sort of" knock off ones for $189.I love mine,but not for $200.

HMP

[PacMan]

Green Frog
Just quickly i have some R-22 that i use in my 244 AI so i tried that. I have the small pistol measure so i opened it up all the way and then closed it back 4 clicks.
After throwing 5 charges it settled on 27grs.
Threw 30 charges
5 were 26.8
2 were 26.7
23 were +/- .1gr. with only 2 being 27.1

Not real sure how one of the larger measures would do with the stick powder.
Also intersting is once again there are way more lows than highs,same thing with the Unique.
Dwight