I'm getting ready to beef up my handloading equipment and am contemplating the purchase of a micrometer. Somehow, I forgot to get awash in money so I'm interested in best use of limited resources.

I figure 0.0001" increment is a must. Would I be better served to pop for a blade mic now, or wait until such time as micing case heads is more of an issue? Any recommendations as to mics to buy and mics to avoid? Any other thoughts, words of wisdom, strongly-held opinions? Thank you all.

Daryl, a mike thatyou can learn to read in the .0001" increment is definitely a step in the right direction.
I wouldn't waste one cent on blade mike. Get a chrony for under a &#36100 and develop loads with it per Marshall Stanton"s reccommended procedure.
I never relied on primer appearances or any other case head miking for reading pressures.
Having 6yrs experince in quality control, machining and industrial engineering in a hydraulic and liquid flow control valve manufacturer, I can attest that brass work hardens easily and the process or the attempt to read case head expansion to equate to chamber pressures
is alchemy at its best. It certainly can't be learned over the internet.
I've read many posts extolling this system, but personally don't know a soul to ever try it.
I definitely watch trim-to length on my cases and test for case separation with a sharpened paper clip. Primer pockets get the feel test for expansion. Stick to accepted loads for the first 10-15,000 rounds then you will probably have a good feel for a venture into the twilight zone of reloading.

Daryl,

I've a regular flat anvil Mitutoyo mic that measures to .0001"  It's been very handy for measuring cast bullet diameters and in my case, the expansion rings on cases of a wildcat cartridge I've been loading for lately.

Once you get one and get the hang of measuring with it, you'll tend to use it often.

The digital ones are nice but are not really needed. Shop around and get a decent one that measures to a full inch or so but don't spend an inordinant amount of money on one. You'll get cheap readings with a cheap micrometer.

A blade mic is not really needed and is less commonly available. (ie- expensive)

Regards, Ray

MY FIRST MIKE WAS A PLAIN JANE MITOTOYA BOUGHT ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO. IT STILL WORKS JUST FINE AND IS STILL DEAD ON THE SETTING STANDARD I USE. SINCE THEN I'VE USED STARRETT, FOWLER, RCBS, MIDWAY, HORNADY, AND ANOTHER WHO'S NAME ESCAPES ME.
A BLADE MIKE IS MOST HANDY AND YOU CAN! READ PRESSURES WITH IT ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND YOU DON'T AND WON'T FOR QUITE A SPELL YET. I ONCE COMPARED BLADE MIKE READINGS WITH LOADS WORKED UP ON THE PRESSURE EQUIPMENT HERE AT THE PLANT USING ALL NEW BRASS AND IT TRACKED KEN WATERS SYSTEM REMAKABLY WELL.
AT THE MOMENT I'M USING ONE OF THE NEW RCBS ELECTRONIC MIKES AND I'M QUITE TAKEN WITH IT. WITH IT MOUNTED IN A MIKE STAND I CAN MIKE BULLETS TO 1/2 OF .0001" SO FAST IT IS SPOOKY. IT HAS ALSO A BUNCH OF OTHER ELECTRONIC FEATURES LIKE PIPING ALL THE DATA INTO A 'PUTER IF THAT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU.
BUY A GOOD MIKE AND YOU'LL BE USING IT FOR YEARS. YOU DON'T NEED A 3-500 DOLLAR MIKE BUT PUTTING A GOOD 100 BUCKS OR SO IN ONE IS A GOOD INVESTMENT.

Terry,

Can you recommend a good Mic stand? Where can you get one?


Regards, Ray

Thanks, all, for the good advice.

I meant to get one mic but find myself now with two, a Starrett and a Tesa, both slightly used. I bid on both on eBay, expecting to get sniped on at least one, but I think market jitters kept people away on Monday.

My micrometer stand was made by Starrett.