Cheap RCBS Plastic Case Length Caliper

[9.3X62AL]

I think it's dead. Second time it has "skipped" (dial cog slippage), and it won't cooperate despite several attempts to re-assemble.

Need to know what you guys are using for case length measurement--leaning toward a metal tool, reasonably priced with good accuracy. TIA!

[grumpy one]

I started out using a metal vernier caliper, and wasn't happy - it's a Chinese one, and it reads up to .007" wrong depending where you are on the scale. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for using a vernier anway. I've given up using a metal dial caliper, because it trashes the ruby bearing every time I drop it, and they are expensive. Now I measure OAL with a conventional micrometer. I have a set of them for each one inch increment anyway, and I find I can make very accurate readings of OAL very easily, so that's what I use. If you don't do precision metal-cutting, though, it isn't much of a solution because you need a micrometer for each inch - they only have a one inch range. I'd suggest a cheap Chinese vernier caliper, and calibrate whatever error it has. They read consistently, it's just that the reading is wrong.

Geoff

[DLCTEX]

I'd test RCBS and their lifetime warrenty.

[P Patcher]

Al,
I've got a couple of plastic dial calipers that I'll send you then you'll have one and a spare. I use Starret and Brown & Sharp dial calipers and love them but like someone said they don't survive a drop very well. I also have a Chiwaneese six inch set that I carry in my pocket when I go to gun shows but the slide on them is so rough that their aggravating to use. If your interested in those plastic calipers send me a PM, free if you want them.
Addison

[kenjuudo]

I find the digital calipers to be handy when sorting brass by length as I can zero them at the target dimension, they have the added advantage of not useing a rack to gather chips or wear. One drawback is they don't do well if the temerature is close to freezing.

jim

[David R]

I have a nice Brown and sharpe dial caliper in the fancy $24.00 wood box. It set me back a total of $111.00. I also bought a couple of frankford aresonal calipers. They measure the same as the brown and sharpe. Not as smooth, but for $19.95, I bought 2.

I think the $19.95 measures the same, so its a great deal. Unless I got a couple of good ones. Never could trust an elecronic one.

When I buy any new measuring tool, (caliper, torque wrench, pressure guage....) I compare it to my others to make sure its on.

YMMV
David

[Jon K]

Al,

Metal(stainless), magetic track lots of them out there now inexpensive. Harbor Freight for example has many different models, you can look and touch. take a hardened dowel or mic standard with you to check the calipers for smooth movement ant repeatablility and accuracy.

http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=calipers


A lot of these inexpensive calipers are good for shooters. If you are going to make your living as a machinist or measuring accurately on a daily basis, then I'd say get a good reliable set that has a warranty and can be calibrated and certified regularly.

When I retired I kept an 8 inch digital, my favorite size to use.

Jon

[mag_01]

:coffee: Al give RCBS a call and you will have a new set of calipers within days they wont even ask to see the old ones (good company). I had a nice dial set that disappeared from my home work shop someone wanted them more than I . My son picked a new set up at harbor freight--price is right---Mag-----:castmine:

[9.3X62AL]

I'll run into Harbor Freight this morning and check out one of the 6-inch Cen Tech dial critters. That seems pretty reasonable for $20, and I'm not thrilled with digital readouts. The RCBS warrantee route is another fine plan, which I will follow on Monday. I need the tool NOW, so a plastic back-up will be nice to have. 95% of its use is for case/cartridge length determination, I use a 0-1" micrometer for bullet diameters. Naturally, this takes place as I discover the need for case trimming on 357 Magnum (unplated Remingtons) for the 357 Maximum GB 180 grain boolits.

Another thread mentions this "mic standard" checking process.......I'm revealing my total lack of knowledge here, but where would these standards or hardened dowel pins be found? I've used jacketed bullets as mic standards for a while, which may be lame--but that's what I had, and my mic is spot-on with those items. I noticed that the deceased plastic tool was reading about .002" variance from the mic about a month ago, so I figured the plastic caliper's days were numbered.

I'm hoping the metal tool outlasts the recent RCBS plastic one. I got about 10 years out of an old RCBS plastic vernier caliper--followed by a Lyman plastic dial caliper that went about 12 years. This present example lasted about 18 months, and it didn't hit the floor. I had this cog-skipping thing occur once prior, and was able to re-assemble the tool and have it work afterward, but no joy this time around--after 2-4 measurements, the cog slips again. To conclude--you don't realize how much use a caliper gets until it craps out, so a spare is a good thing to have around.

Many thanks for all the info and guidance, gents.

[Jon K]

Al,

You can get hardened dowels at your local hardware or auto supply store.

Just a note gear rack tools "spring" and rely on uniform tension applied and location in rack to repeat, and the gears wear, magnetic digitals are more constant.

Jon

[9.3X62AL]

Jon--

Hmmmmm.......so magnetic/digital is the way to go. Back to the Horror Fright site.

[Jon K]

Al,

How's the smoke and fire out there today?
We're not having the ash fall out & smoke we've had for the last 2 days, here. Hope the winds don't come up again.

Jon

[9.3X62AL]

Not real bad, Jon--no ash at all, smoke is visible but at a distance. I gotta check and see if the USFS closed access to SBNF for hunting, the Red Flag alert being on and all that. I haven't heard is sis is working the evac project or not (she's a LT at Jurupa Station/RSD).

[flhroy]

Al, picked up a digital at the local napa auto parts store a few years ago. seems to work okay, at least the readings are consistant. Seems like I payed a bit less than 20 bucks for it

[montana_charlie]

Just a note gear rack tools "spring" and rely on uniform tension applied and location in rack to repeat, and the gears wear, magnetic digitals are more constant.
Al,
If you were able to get a service life of 12 years from a plastic caliper, a steel one should last you for about a century.
If you were satisfied with the 'one hundreth' resolution of the plastic tool, the 'one thousandth' capability of a steel dial caliper will get you well within your usual tolerances...even if it does have a rack for turning the pointer.

The increments on the dial are far enough apart, and the pointer is slim enough, it's easy to guestimate readings that are finer than one thousandth.

The thing I hate about digital readouts (especially doing something where one thousandth of an inch matters) is when you come to a stop at a point where the tool is 'undecided'...and the last digit keeps changing back and forth. The tool is trying to 'read between the lines'...like you would do with a dial caliper...but it can't.
Whether it's in my mind, or the 'mind' of my 'smart' tool, I am aggravated by 'indecision'.

The digital caliper will still have ten times more resolution than your old plastic tools, so it would be a good 'upgrade' for you. But you sound like you would be just as happy with a dial caliper...which doesn't need electricity or a warm environment.
CM

[BruceB]

In several decades of measuring for handloading (and some low-tech machine work with my Unimat) I've worked my way through a couple of vernier-reading calipers and now use Mitutoyo digital electronic calipers. The price was somewhere around (maybe) $90 some years ago, and they work extremely well for me. For handloading purposes, they may be more quality than I really needed, but they sure are nice.

Just a few months ago, I finally bought a proper micrometer as well, also digital/electronic, this one having the RCBS name stamped on a model that I've seen wearing MANY other companies' trademarks. This tool also seems to be a useful and valuable addition to my bench. I didn't really know how badly I'd "needed it", until after I bought it!!

[BCB]

I had a Craftsman stainless caliper for over 20 years. Then all of a sudden during one of my reloading sessions, I dropped it onto the concrete floor in my basement—no more Craftsman caliper! I then took it back since at that time they were warranted for life. I was uncertain it would be covered since it had been dropped. Well, it was, sort of. They wanted to exchange it for an off-brand make of the same value as the one if broke. Hmmm, that one was 20 years old. I am sure they have increased in price so I should have gotten one that was comparable. Well, since it was abuse that ruined it, I took the value of it and made up the difference on a Starrett stainless caliper. It was nearly twice the money of the Craftsman but it has been great and severely accurate—at least according to the pieces of metal that are of known thickness that I use to test it from time to time…BCB

[Hip's Ax]

Another vote for the Starret dial caliper. Last time I bought one I think it was $125, its the last caliper you'll ever need. I did manage to screw one of mine up once and I think the Starret repair charge was like $26 no matter what was wrong with it.

[RayinNH]

Deputy Al, I have a pair of Enco calipers that work very well. See link, and go to bottom of page...Ray

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=177&PMITEM=610-5026

[9.3X62AL]

I got a 6" stainless steel dial caliper (Cen-Tec) at HF yesterday for a bit over $15. It is dead-on using several bullets of known diameters to "calibrate". I don't think my needs--or skill level--could justify Mitutoyo- or Starrett-level quality, and I couldn't determine if any of the digital calipers were magnetically-activated from their packaging--so I'll get one of them a little later, and get by with this dial critter for the present time--I needed something RIGHT NOW. It IS an upgrade from the former plastic tools, for sure. Many thanks for the suggestions and info!

[crazy mark]

I have a HF digital and dial caliper. I also have a RCBS metal and a plastic dial calipers. The HF digital and dial stay out with my lathe. The plastic RCBS gave up the ghost after 8 years. The steel RCBS dial is on my loading bench along with a HF digital reading micrometer. Actually the HF calipers seem to be an excellent buy. Mark

[Dan in Wa]

Am surpised that the stainless caliper that Midway sells was not mentioned.
Mine reads right with my Sterret 1" micrometer and the Midway unit cost about $20.00 or so 10 years ago. And it keeps on ticking.

[wills]

HF has digitals for $16

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47257

[j4570]

I have the Midway (different name now). I really like it. A friend that quit reloading gave it to me, or I paid him one.

I also have one of the HF digital ones. They measure the same. The annoying thing is the HF battery last a little over a year, and goes dead, even if I turn it off every time. It happened to me last winter when I was doing a lot of loading, and guess what? Out came the dial. Kept on trucking.

The HF ones are the best bang for the money right now, and I wish I could get a dial one cheap (the digitals always seem cheaper), don't know why I need another though.

JW