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Force guage for bullet seating

does anyone make a bullet seating force guage or dial indicator set up that can be used with a rockchucker press?
 
Im gona grab some pop corn and watch this thread. I've looked for this contraption for years with no success in a trusting manner. I have found an electronic meter such a digital volt meter (DMV) with a pressure pad for about 1000 bucks but i find it hard to believe that it would read as consistent / precise as a hydraulic gauge on an arbor press, which I now use.

Darrin
 
I know that you are looking for something to use with your existing press, but if you want to measure the amount of force it takes to seat a bullet, get either a 21st Century or a K&M arbor press. Yes I know, you will need to get arbor seating dies but you will achieve two things. Your primary goal and a side benefit of getting VERY straight ammo.
BTW, I have the 21st Century and couldn't be happier.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd
 
I think you’d have to make one, which would probably cost more than buying a hydro press or just putting an arbor press on a scale.
 
Quite simple to make if you really want to. Theres 100s of precise strain gauge cells that, can be connected to a controller/plc with a 0-10V or 4-20 ma input. The accuracy you get what you pay for.

You scale it to the controller pr specs, and check it with a certified set of check weight for linearity.
Hardly challenging to do, but there are simple products there already with hydraulic gauges that works just fine, as a standalone seating press with arbor.

On a rockchucker you'd probably not find a good way to make it mount only for bullet seating, witch would be more of a headache. And depending on what you buy it might cost you more anyways.
 
I would think that any small digital scale placed between the die and the case would measure seating force or under he press itself as in post #6. It's even possible you could find one with a high reading hold function
 
Dave Dohrmann built a few, he was hoping to put them into production before he passed leaving a whole PILE of good products (Tru-Kote, Superfeet, Supertails, Purple Passion, edible case lube, the BEST stock tape, etc etc) on the table. He tried electronic load cells as well as a direct-reading stack-of-washers setup as I recall.

I always thought implementing a small hydraulic load cell like this https://www.noshok.com/force_2000_series.shtml would be fairly simple but when I couldn't get one of Davey's I fashioned a 3/8 square drive on an arbor press and substituted a small lever-style torque wrench for the handle.

Then I chucked the whole idea'r into the trash when my experimentation made it moot.
 
I know that you are looking for something to use with your existing press, but if you want to measure the amount of force it takes to seat a bullet, get either a 21st Century or a K&M arbor press. Yes I know, you will need to get arbor seating dies but you will achieve two things. Your primary goal and a side benefit of getting VERY straight ammo.
BTW, I have the 21st Century and couldn't be happier.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd
+1
 
It's the force needed to push the bullet out that's important. Seldom the same as seating force when fired. Arsenals have specs for that on small arms ammo. 7.62 M80 ammo, at least 60 pounds; M118, at least 20 pounds

Invert a shell holder in a vise past the edge of your bench, put a bulleted case in, clamp a collet bullet puller on the bullet, hang weights on the puller until the bullet releases.

Weigh everything except the bullet.

Reverse the system by putting the bullet puller in a board off the edge of your bench.
 
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Neck prep plays a dominate rule to both seating and pull force.

I use a K&M Arbor w/Force Gauge for seating force.
And a Grawor luggage/fish scale for pull force.

grawer-jpg.1045164
 
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You'll still need to transfer pounds to tensions :cool:
I have that formula BTW
 

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