Completed round counter?

[G19]

I know there are various round counters that people use, but does anyone have a completed round counter (as opposed to an operating handle pull counter) that they built and can share the plans for?

I'm thinking an optical sensor that sits over the completed cartridge chute wired to a digital counter. Those are cheap parts that can be purchased on fleabay, McMaster, etc.

Edited June 19, 2015 by G19

[Youngeyes]

I made this one a couple of years back but have always wanted an electric eye type. I don't know how to wire in the circuit.

[G19]

I made this one a couple of years back but have always wanted an electric eye type. I don't know how to wire in the circuit.

That's pretty cool. So I guess the rounds are depressing a microswitch?

Here's a photointerrupter for $6. Seems these could be placed on either side of the cartridge chute and when a round breaks the beam, increment count on a counter.

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/OPB100Z/365-1628-ND/1636780

Edited June 19, 2015 by G19

[Unibrain]

Why do you want to have an electronic counter? Load 100 primers, pull the handle until all are gone. Subtract anything bad that didn't get through the cycle. QED.

[G19]

Here's an example:

This is the photointerrupter he's using: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/OPB819Z/365-1262-ND/1015177

And the counter: http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/QK129

Seems this could be done with a less expensive counter since round counting is a simple affair and doesn't require counting down. Just count up and reset.

[Youngeyes]

Yes it is a micro switch. Dillon uses them for their primer alarms and case feeder shut off switch. Thanks for the heads up on the photointerupter. I'm thinking to use a clear poly tube and attach it to the drop chute on the XL 650. I already have the counter wired and in place. I'll just substitute the micro switch with the photointerupter.

[Youngeyes]

Why do you want to have an electronic counter? Load 100 primers, pull the handle until all are gone. Subtract anything bad that didn't get through the cycle. QED.

Why add a modification to a Dillon press? Because you can. It adds a personal touch to your reloading setup. I like knowing how many rounds I've made at any point in the reloading session.

[FlightMurse]

How difficult would it be to add some math to this? Perhaps you could add a timer and a rounds per hour?

[G19]

Yes it is a micro switch. Dillon uses them for their primer alarms and case feeder shut off switch. Thanks for the heads up on the photointerupter. I'm thinking to use a clear poly tube and attach it to the drop chute on the XL 650. I already have the counter wired and in place. I'll just substitute the micro switch with the photointerupter.

Your microswitch might be more robust than a photointerrupter setup. Does your setup ever miss a round? With a photointerrupter, you'll have to ensure that the narrow infrared beam gets blocked as rounds pass through.

You'll likely also have to reverse the logic so that counter increments when beam is broken, not when beam is connected. Link to post at Calguns where a wiring diagram is posted: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showpost.php?p=10563822&postcount=28

If you're not a member, I can send it to you.

[WZ4I]

I made this a while back. Uses a plunger switch in the last station. Will only count a completed round, and is 100% accurate.

Less than $50.00 for everything. Looks kewl, but serves no useful purpose, because I simply load until I'm ready to quit, no matter how many rounds I have completed.

Edited June 19, 2015 by WZ4I

[Foxbat]

Why do you want to have an electronic counter? Load 100 primers, pull the handle until all are gone. Subtract anything bad that didn't get through the cycle. QED.

That's what I do, except I load 110 primers in the tube, every time. In fact, the tube comfortably holds 112, but it is far easier to drop 110 primers in the RF100 - as primers are packaged 10 per row.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Foxbat

[427Cobra]

100 primers, 100 loaded rounds, a counter might be nice, but this 737 mechanic has better things to do than make a loaded round counter, IMHO it's not a a kiss(Keep It Simple Stupid) solution to a non existent problem.

[RePete]

I have a completed round counter, and it cost me nothing.

Factory boxes and trays. When one is full, there's 50 rounds.

[justpaul]

Someone should make a completed kit and sell it in the blue press magazine

[cwall64]

I think these guys (http://www.pressmonitordevice.com/pm.htm) have a simple one along with their press monitor. They are giving away a round counter on GlockTalk reloading section.

[WZ4I]

The press monitor counts handle strokes, not completed rounds.

[G19]

The press monitor counts handle strokes, not completed rounds.

Exactly. I want to avoid that. I picked up an inexpensive counter + microswitch on ebay. Will report back once I receive it and rig it up to the completed cartridge chute.

[cwall64]

The press monitor counts handle strokes, not completed rounds.

Oh, ok I just watched the video and it has a RNDS counter, but it does seem to be based on pulls vs dropped bullets... Sorry, still figuring all this out!

[Youngeyes]

I attached a photo interrupter circuit into the system I already have, in place of the micro switch. At first, I had some rounds miscounted when they jumped over the beam. I put in a small piece of metal on top of the chute. This pushed those "jumped" rounds back down. It now counts every finished round without fail. I love it. I used the interrupter that G19 recommended in post 3.

[John Wayne]

This subject comes up perioditically about wanting to have a finished round counter and there is always several people who chime in and belittle the idea with dumb ideas about counting primer boxes, ammo boxes etc. We have our own reasons for wanting counters. I tear down my 6 machines for maintenance based on round count. I don't count boxes etc and consider that foolish for the number of rounds I load and shoot and the number of machines I own. Really, don't the contrarians here think we have the intelligence to come up with those simple ideas in the first place? Please let this be the thread that it is titled. Hopefully someone will put together a simple counter that is practical and for sale here and I'll take 6 of them!

[lockmup68]

Scale, weight of completed round, zero on empty bin, weigh at end, divide by total round weight = number of completed rounds.

[RIShoota]

1+1=2

[Handloader109]

I think these guys (http://www.pressmoni...vice.com/pm.htm) have a simple one along with their press monitor. They are giving away a round counter on GlockTalk reloading section.

I won one of his early versions last fall. Yes it just counts pulls. That really is the problem with this counter. You can make it start with pull x but once counting and you check powder weight,you are a round short. I'd contact him and see what he could figure out for counting at exit ramp. Then you aren't reinventing a counter.

[RePete]

This subject comes up perioditically about wanting to have a finished round counter and there is always several people who chime in and belittle the idea with dumb ideas about counting primer boxes, ammo boxes etc. We have our own reasons for wanting counters. I tear down my 6 machines for maintenance based on round count. I don't count boxes etc and consider that foolish for the number of rounds I load and shoot and the number of machines I own. Really, don't the contrarians here think we have the intelligence to come up with those simple ideas in the first place? Please let this be the thread that it is titled. Hopefully someone will put together a simple counter that is practical and for sale here and I'll take 6 of them!

You have your way and reasons, others have their way and reasons. What I showed was my way and my reason is that this works for me.

No one was belittling anyone, just showing another way.

[G19]

Now that I've got a micro switch in my hands, I'm realizing that it's too stiff for smaller rounds (e.g., .380 acp) to trigger the switch. Not sure if these can be opened without destroying them in order to access the spring and cut a coil off to make the switch easier to trigger.

May have to go with the photo interrupter, but as a temporary solutions, I've got the micro switch mounted to the edge of my bench such that the press operating arm depresses the switch's lever at the bottom of the stroke. The counter has a pause button, so I need to remember to pause/unpause when changing powder charge mid-session or for any other issues that require cycling the press without spitting out a completed round.

Edited July 20, 2015 by G19