So flipping hot in the AZ I thought I would weigh something.

[Sitting Duck]

I picked up a used (free) laboratory scale to augment the two beam scales I have on the bench. I've always wondered about the accuracy of beam scales and decided to check one of them against the electronic scale.

Using a 1999 quarter, I weighed it using the Lyman D-7 with the pan and scale perfectly zeroed. The measurement was 87.22 grains. I then weighed the quarter using the electronic scale (which has built-in calibration weights) and the measurement was 5.6484 grams.

So . . . what this tells me, compared to to the online grain to gram calculator below, is that this old beam scale is pretty **** accurate.


87.22gr = 5.6518g

Enough playing around. I have to go out and rake Mesquite pods out of my rocks in front of the house. 109° for a high today. It still beats mowing grass, though.

[J.Baker]

I would actually venture to say that the beam scale is likely more accurate, or at least will be far more consistent, than the electronic scales. Why? Because as we've all been reading on gun sites for years the electronic scales can be affected by a number of things. Air movement, florescent lights, etc. Besides, it's pretty hard to scew up gravity once you have the beam scale zeroed.