Is Your Gram Scales Reading Correct?

[Ridge Runner]

Lots of you may know this but to check your gram scales just drop a clean US penny on it and it should read 2.5 grams. That’s the weight of one American penny for what it’s worth department.

 Chuck 

[Dutchman4]

2 hours ago, Ridge Runner said:

Lots of you may know this but to check your gram scales just drop a clean US penny on it and it should read 2.5 grams. That’s the weight of one American penny for what it’s worth department.

 Chuck 

zinc and copper penny the same weight?

[Ridge Runner]

4 minutes ago, Dutchman4 said:

zinc and copper penny the same weight?

Good question: It’s the zinc penny is 2.5 grams and the copper penny is 3.11 grams. Something may take up the same space but we know it may not be the same weight.

 Chuck 

[Ridge Runner]

Here’s something else a 1943 steel penny hits the scales at 2.7 grams but I have a rare 1943 silver steel penny and it’s 2.8 grams. They call it silver but it’s zinc coating but it’s not worth enough to buy that SDC you got listed yet.haha 

 Chuck 

[rvpopeye]

 

Thx Ridge Runner . That checks out ! 👍

I always used wheat pennies on my tone arm to keep old records from skipping..

The tone arm scale (I still have) said they were 3g but that was the 60s so close enough to 3.11g .

FYI : Two pennies was too much ! The music started to lose clarity every play so I had to send it back for re-grooving.

(I had friends that used quarters ! 🙄 arrrrrrgh )  

[JCR]

Precision check weight kits are available that are applicable for reloaders.   I have one that I use if my scale gets moved or I feel it is time for a tune up.

[GB_Amateur]

18 hours ago, Ridge Runner said:

...A clean US penny... should read 2.5 grams.

Good in theory, but not necessarily in practice.  There is an allowed tolerance for coin blank weights at the mint.  Below is something I posted a couple years back of measurements I made of 'new' 1982 95% copper cents (recall both metallic compositions were minted that year, the old 95% copper and the 'new'97.5% zinc variety).

I'm with JCR.  You can buy calibrated weight sets on Amazon for cheap.  That's what I use (and in fact *did* use to calibrate the scale I made the above measurements with).

 

[Ridge Runner]

I’m not a reloader but a friend has been one for years and when it comes to gun powder you better be right on the weight the first time because you may not get a second.

 He’s got more guns than a lot of gun store but not me being one is enough for me. I wish I was that way with detector’s.

 Chuck 

[JCR]

Then you and George would have the market cornered.

And where I come from, if you know exactly how many guns you have;   You ain’t got enough.