DisAPPOINTED! Charge-Master hesitation.

[Pond, James Pond]

I recently asked about the Hornady LnL, Lyman Gen 5 and Gen 6.

A few people addressed the question but many said "Sell a kidney and buy the Chargemaster 1500!".

I had dismissed this all due to the exorbitant price of the RCBS. Until I saw the price and the discount they offered in a local shop. €415 out of the door. I converted to GBP to see how it compared to the Hornady and Lymans that I'd have to buy from the UK and it was very favourable.

Then the disappointment. It is still steep but I went this morning to buy it, but it turned out it was the older model. A bit of research says it is the "Powder Master and Pro Scale".
It's been on display for 3-4 years. That makes it a little less exceptional value.

What is the real world difference between the older and new Chargemaster 1500 models?

So, my question should I still consider it? It is £100 less than the current model from the UK, but still more than the current model of the others.

Here is the picture:


In fact, locally I could also find the Hornady. Admittedly that could be had for €350, so about €65 less than this, older RCBS model. Is the RCBS older model still head and shoulders above the Hornady?

Bottom line is that if I have to pay the full whack price, I'm not buying a new model RCBS. Bought from the UK, that equates to about €550. Unjustifiable for me.

Should I walk away? Should I go back? Should I go Hornady, after all?

[Pond, James Pond]

Let me put it another way.

For the price of that older RCBS, I can buy a Lyman Gen 6, 500 240gr Plated bullets for the .44, and 500 FMJBT 69gr PRVI bullets for the AR.

Delivered from Germany...

That is a might tempting alternative!!
Can you still give me reasons why the RCBS should still be the choice?

[mehavey]

`Never even SEEN a 1500 that looks like that... and mine's 9 years old.

Short answer: "NO"
and a brand new one shouldn't cost you more that $365 (US)

[Pond, James Pond]

It's an RCBS Powder Master, I think.

Short answer: "NO"

Yeah, but which was the question?!

and a brand new one shouldn't cost you more that $365 (US)

A lot of things shouldn't cost as much as they do here, but I am sadly used to the disparity in cost and prices!!

Honestly, leaning toward the Lyman/bullet stock combo!

[F. Guffey]

James, the price was inflated from the beginning. The Manufacturer of your scales sold the same set-up under their own brad/name for less, problem for some. Their brand of scale is gray, not green.

I have a lot of work to do, it is easer/faster to use the Pro scale when compared to beam type scale. My Pro quit, I called Pact, I have a choice, I can spend $80.00 to repair it or purchase a new one for about $150.00, That is less than it cost when new (about $240.00) because of the number of companies involved in getting it from Pact to the end user.

Your dispenser can be sent to Pact, they will speed it up.

F. Guffey

[F. Guffey]

The combination pictured has a docking system. The dispenser dumps powder onto the scale, then the scale tells the dispenser when to quit. In the small circle of reloaders etc. there are two that have two sets/combos. I can not find fault with their results, they build the rifles and load for them.

F. Guffey

[Jim Watson]

That is an old Charge Master probably made for RCBS by PACT.
It looks just like my PACT except that it is green where my PACT brand equipment is gray.

My PACT is fine but a friend bought one that was not and he exchanged it for the current model RCBS.

[mehavey]

No docking system on this one -- and it's been discontinued for years.
"Just say No"

[F. Guffey]

No docking system on this one -- and it's been discontinued for years.
"Just say No"

The powder dispenser pictured has two black dots on the left side, the Pro scale has a corresponding hole in the right side. To work the reloader must align the corresponding holes/black dots,

I am surprised you are so desperate for attention, for reference purpose I am surprised you have not saved your 'old' catalogs.

Then there is google, google instructions for RCBS equipment.

Forgive, the 4 windows on the scale is a dead giveaway for a scale that is compatible with the 'COMBO'.

F. Guffey

[MarkCO]

I can beat the RCBS1500 throwing 95% and using a manual trickler to finish it off. I kept the scale and the third time my RCBS went down, threw it away instead of sending it to RCBS for the third time.

Biggest waste of money to ever be on my bench.

[Pond, James Pond]

OK, folks.

Could we stay on track? The scale they are selling appears to be a Powder Master and Pro Scale which, I believe, communicate with one another by infrared. I do not believe it is a Chargemaster, but its predecessor.

One comparison I read was not complimentary of the older Powder Master.

My OP asked a few questions. I'd appreciate some input on those.

1. Should I still buy it, or not?
2. For that product, at that price, is the LnL or particularly the Gen 6 a better choice?

Please bear in mind, I am not in the States, so State-side customer support, promotions or re-branding schemes are utterly inaccessible to me.

[Jim243]

Should I still buy it, or not?

NO, NO, NO!!!!

This is what we are talking about. Mine's about 8 years old.

Jim

For that product, at that price, is the LnL or particularly the Gen 6 a better choice?

I have no idea about that.

[Pond, James Pond]

This is what we are talking about. Mine's about 8 years old.

Well, that is what I had initially thought they were stocking. They even called it a Charge-Master 1500 over the phone, when I called to confirm. So, needless to say I was not happy when I got there this morning to discover it was not what I'd been told...

[mehavey]

Originally Posted by Guffey

I am surprised you are so desperate for attention...

You must explain yourself on that one.
(I'm sure there's a good one)

postscript:
The ChargeMaster 1500 is a docking system -- both parts physically connect .
The PowderMaster/PowderPro are two separate systems, and do not "dock"

.

[F. Guffey]

OK, folks.

Could we stay on track? The scale they are selling appears to be a Powder Master and Pro Scale which, I believe, communicate with one another by infrared. I do not believe it is a Chargemaster, but its predecessor.

Dock, align, park next to, port to starboard. The power supply cable to the scale limits/prohibits bumping them into each other. the powder supply on one model is 12 volt A/C.

F. Guffey

[SHR970]

POND, DO NOT BUY THAT ANTIQUE! If you do, you'll have a paddy when you realize that you wasted your time and money on it.

[SHR970]

Speaking of antiques, the Lee Hand Press in the back ground must be pretty old too. My first one was bougt 24 years ago and it was red, not silver / unpainted. My new one is two years old and it too is red. That cabinet looks to be populated with N.O.S. items that the shop has not been able to foist upon some one.

[Marco Califo]

Look at the picture by Jim243.

There is something very important in that picture. And it is not the powder machine.

It is the layer of dust on it.

That alone should tell you your plan is not sound,
and buying such a gizmo is not a wise investment.

Sorry to mention that Jim. Warm water on a rag will fix that. I use air purifiers with a carbon pre-filter to combat dust.

[SHR970]

Dust on the dust cover. No big deal.

[Marco Califo]

The dust indicates it is not frequently used.
If it isn't frequently used,
you probably can do fine without it.
Normal volumetric powder measure and a scale to check is all you need.

[Pond, James Pond]

Normal volumetric powder measure and a scale to check is all you need.

I've made the following point before but I'll say it again.

With VihtaVuori powder (extruded stick) the volumetric measures like the PPM get you most of the way, but cannot be trusted to just load straight into the case, at least not the way I like to load.

I used to get huge variations in the auto-disk, and the PPM will still throw under my chosen weight regularly, requiring the trickler to be on hand.

So while, yes, I have managed to load with just a scale and dipper on occasion and now with the PPM too, it takes me a very, very long time to reload. I mean hours for a single OCW test string of .308 etc.

This means that so far, I have just abandoned any idea of reloading .223. I would revisit that idea once I have a thrower.

This isn't about what is possible, but what is convenient and makes reloading something I can one evening instead of pencilling a whole afternoon a fortnight before hand.

[Nathan]

I like my a Hornady. It looks cheap, but throws accurate charges every time.

I think you should buy the hornady and forget it.

[F. Guffey]

I do not allow this stuff to drive me to the curb. I have dippers from the eighteen hundreds, I have adjustable dippers from the same period. I have dial-O-matic, cam-o-matics and Herters, Redding, and almost all things RCBS like Uniflow and Little Dandy. And tricklers, I have tricklers and all things Lee in black, red and yellow.

I have the non-docking, docking RCBS combo. If it does not run fast enough it can be 'speeded' up, it can be sent to PACT FOR A FEE to be speeded up, so it can run faster. I also have the VISUAL by B&M.

Just an opinion, I believe the trickle-r is the equalizer. remember, I do not get into mortal combat with reloading.

F. Guffey

Jim243, I did not notice the dust.

[mehavey]

Personally.... I'm a Harrells fan < goad, goad >

My ChargeMaster1500 lays largely unused over the past
3-4 years except to occasionally do a checkweight on a
thrown charge from either the Schutzen or the Culver .

[Pond, James Pond]

Well, my question about the merits of the pictured RCBS, the Hornady and the Lyman seems to have fallen by the side as the great Powder Master vs Charge Master debate rages on....

Those who warned me against the older RCBS, thanks for the heads up.
It matches my reading elsewhere on the net. The Powder Master may be perfectly adequate but would have been a hugely over-priced purchase.


...so I took a leap of faith and ordered the Lyman Gen 6 and some .223 bullets.

We'll just have to wait and see...