Best calipers for reloading

[Webster]

Trouble with most digital calipers is they round off to the nearest .001 - round off. With dial it's not dfficult to see when something's .0002 or .0008, or be very close. I have a vernier but my eyes aren't as good anymore. If I saw a digtal that read to .0001's, accurately, I'd buy it.

Any workplace where you have to measure accurately you have to have the measuring devices calibrated by a Metrology lab once a year and have a dated certificate of calibration attached to each device. You don’t check them once and they are good for life. All our micrometers were verified once a year. Not allowed to use an in house standard.

A friend of mine was in the aircraft industry. He said before they could measure anything the part had to sit in a temperature controlled room to stabilize for 24 hours. Don’t remember how many decimals they measured too or what type of measuring devices. Probably beyond 1 ten thou.

 

[6MMsteve]

eat more chicken

 

[X Count]

Read every single comment on this topic , and as I have in the past on several of these discussions , I'll give my .02 cents worth . As many are aware ; I am a retired Aerospace Tool & Diemaker with over thirty years doing that type of "Extreme" precision work for the military and the Aerospace industry , so you might say I have a "Qualified opinion on this issue .
I have three six inch calipers on my Bench .
A Starrett Dial .
A B&S Dial
A Mit Dial
The Starrett was my fathers , and they were purchased when he worked at Westinghouse Airbrake in Pittsburgh , when I was four .
The Mit was purchased in 1973 when I was running B&S Screw machines .
The B&S were purchased in 84 when I was working at a Tool Shop .

All three of these calipers have had to go through "Tech Inspection" every thirty days , for years , to be "CERTIFIED" for the DoD work I was doing , and none of them ever "failed" to pass that Inspection .
And last but not least ! I have never worked in any DOD or Aerospace shop that allowed any Digital calipers to be used in either the Toolroom , or the Inspection Dept .
Take that for what it's worth .

Ok I'll bite. Do you think that digital was banned because it was inherently less accurate or that its one button press away from having an alternative zero point which would void all calibration?

 

[Ccrider]

The one that I find first. I have cheaper digital calipers and Mitutoyo calipers. The feel of the Mitutoyo is what I would call tighter. They feel better in my hand.

But, when it comes to measuring to .001, the cheap calipers perform as accurate as the Mitutoyo.

The key is in the operator consistently adjusting the caliper. To a point, I can make all of them vary in reading by applying more of less pressure. There is a skill level that attaches to consistently using the calipers, zeroing the calipers properly and applying the same amount of pressure when measuring.