Pacific M scale issue, need advise.

[pdhntr]

If you still have the scale you may want to check the position of the knife edge that holds the pan yoke. I have two of the Hornady/Pacific M scales. Both purchased used off Ebay..one had repeatability issues...what i discovered was that the knife edge for the pan yoke was turned on it's side. Most likely the result of someone (most likely me) adjusting the calibration weights and loosening the set screw that holds the bar with the knife edge in place. After correcting the position of the knife edge the scale has been much more reliable.

The issue was not repeatability. And I checked everything numerous times when I found the issue.

The issue, for lack of a better word, was linearity. The worst example was 29.9 grains of powder. I could weigh out 29.9 grains and then move the poise to 30.0 and reweigh the sample and the scale would show more than 30 grains. It would do this to some extent at around 9.9, 19.9, 29.9 was the worst and so on.

The scale was used for many years by my father and myself and we never found the problem until I did by accident. It always zeroed well and was repeatable.

Some of the poise detents were off. And if you don't specifically look for the problem, you likely won't find it.

I still have the scale. It is marked junk by me. I now have two beam scales that work very well and I am happy with. I actually have a third coming, but it is for a young guy getting into reloading and I am going to give it to him as a surprise gift. But they aren't the H/P M scale.

Jim

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The issue was not repeatability. And I checked everything numerous times when I found the issue.

The issue, for lack of a better word, was linearity. The worst example was 29.9 grains of powder. I could weigh out 29.9 grains and then move the poise to 30.0 and reweigh the sample and the scale would show more than 30 grains. It would do this to some extent at around 9.9, 19.9, 29.9 was the worst and so on.

The scale was used for many years by my father and myself and we never found the problem until I did by accident. It always zeroed well and was repeatable.

Some of the poise detents were off. And if you don't specifically look for the problem, you likely won't find it.

I still have the scale. It is marked junk by me. I now have two beam scales that work very well and I am happy with. I actually have a third coming, but it is for a young guy getting into reloading and I am going to give it to him as a surprise gift. But they aren't the H/P M scale.

Jim

Put that old scale on the shelf to remember your dad while you load

 

[Dgd6mm]

I was given an old Pacific from the fella that got me into reloading and mentored me for a time. I started loading. 300RUM and .300Lapua first, then .223 and. 22-250. I gave it to a young man that was getting into reloading, along with it I gave him a .223 die set and other things. That press was solid.

 

[TTE]

The issue was not repeatability. And I checked everything numerous times when I found the issue.

The issue, for lack of a better word, was linearity. The worst example was 29.9 grains of powder. I could weigh out 29.9 grains and then move the poise to 30.0 and reweigh the sample and the scale would show more than 30 grains. It would do this to some extent at around 9.9, 19.9, 29.9 was the worst and so on.

The scale was used for many years by my father and myself and we never found the problem until I did by accident. It always zeroed well and was repeatable.

Some of the poise detents were off. And if you don't specifically look for the problem, you likely won't find it.

I still have the scale. It is marked junk by me. I now have two beam scales that work very well and I am happy with. I actually have a third coming, but it is for a young guy getting into reloading and I am going to give it to him as a surprise gift. But they aren't the H/P M scale.

Jim

What did you end up getting ?

 

[pdhntr]

What did you end up getting ?

An Ohaus 10-0-5 scale.

I then used the lenses out of an old set of binoculars and mounted them in front of a cheap web-cam and hooked it up to a chrome book. Sweet setup. I really like it.

Jim

 

[pdhntr]

 

[TTE]

That's cool with the camera. I don't know why they don't extend the line on the beam past the 0 line, would make it easier to read.

 

[1066]

If you are using a camera it might make sense to extend the pointer - if not using a camera it tends to be counter productive as the pointer needs to be mounted on some sort of spacer to stand clear of the "0" scale. With the floating agate bearings found on a number of different scales, when in use, the beam wobbles side to side and must not be able to touch the marker plate.
If not using a camera, with the extended pointer well clear of the zero plate, it can easily lead to parallax error when reading the scale.