Just happened to look one day

[amlevin]

I'm not sure how the "top" of the shellholder not being square with the press is an issue. I know the face portion that the shell sits on is an issue. I was once trying to figure out how to determine whether my shellholder was "true" with the press. I took a case, chopped it way down and trimmed it with a Wilson trimmer, put it in the shellholder which was in the press and raised to the bottom of a seating die while I held a small machine square between the die and the casing mouth just so the case mouth was joining a flat surface. This was a pretty crude test of a press and shell-holders but it was enough to show me I had some real problems. Use of a light all around the case mouth showed me that two of my shellholders were too far out to want to save. This was AFTER determining that my press was so far out it was a miracle my ammo came out as straight as it did and accounted for why I HAD to have my dies all sitting loose. I replaced the press and shellholders and life has been pleasant since. I since went to using the Redding Competition shellholders and they are great! I guess using hand dies is the best way to go for accuracy but sometimes we just need speed and acceptable accuracy - not necessarily absolute extreme accuracy. There are some really cheap presses out there that are really good and expensive ones that don't always measure up. For too long, I looked at everything except my press.

Get yourself one of these and measuring the surface that the case head sits on is easy.

Use a standard Dial Indicator holder and use this little gem to measure runout of any surface you can rotate. Also works great for measuring case runout as it doesn't stick up in the air above the case.

Not too expensive either

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1249

People actually buy those junk chicom indicators?

Buy what you want. Pay 10X more for one if you wish. Unless you're working in a production shop they work just fine. The only thing they might lack is durability but if you're the only one using it, and don't use it 40 hrs per week, why not?

Why? Durability, reliability, repeat ability, the calibration is accurate through the complete range of travel...

I've got a handful of Interapids that have lasted me through 34 years (and counting) of use in precision machining including splitting tenths in a grinding room. I can't afford cheap test indicators.

You just made my point for me.