Shooting Chrony, out of business?

I notice their patent ran out last year. Are they out of business for sure or just down due to the many closing of the Virus?

Copyright © 1997-2019

I don’t know for sure but seems odd to disconnect all your phone lines and loose your fax line to another business, if you plan on making it back at some point. How about a “We are temporarily closed due to...” message?

As far as shooting one, I haven’t done that yet. Generally just take a step back and make sure I’m not going to hit it. If it looks like it’s a possibility, I move the firearm or the chrono, until the bullet can miss it.



Just goofing around I have wasted time aligning things much smaller than the window a chronograph allows, relative to the bullet path.



If it’s so inaccurate it can’t miss one at 10 feet, it’s not a load I need to know the speed of.

whughett said:

Don’t think one would come back from even a pistol strike full on.

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They don't!
Don't ask how I know that one.

I have a Competition Electronics ProChrono
It's been shot several times.
Scoped rifles are the bane of it's existence.

They charge a max of 1/2 of the MSRP ($65).
They will charge less if they can fix yours.
If not they'll replace it.

I have a Competition Electronics ProChrono
It's been shot several times.

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It must be a very badly behaved chrono, one would have thought it would have learned to behave the first time you shot it

whughett said:

Bought this in the late 70’s. Uses the printed screens visible in the photo. The steel mount opens to 24” spacing and mounts to a camera tripod. Reads one digit at a time. Uses big old lantern battery. 6 volts. I hit the mount and screen brackets a few times. View attachment 924014
The box was the brides roller skate box when she was a girl.

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Does that still work. I have seen those before in old books and articles but have never seen one person. I love the old tech.

I just conjured up the Shooting Chrony website. No "closed down" note and the "how to order now" information is still up. 1837 Central Time Zone, 18 Jun 2020.

I bought my Chrony MasterBeta ( ) unit a couple of decades ago.

After close inspection (and reading about its cobbled-together, antiquated computer interface "upgrade") I realized that it was probably originally designed in the mid-'80s.

Several years ago I took them up on their inexpensive (!) offer to upgrade my unit from 60 shot memory to 1000. IIRC, it cost me less than $30 including shipping.

Manually transferring the data to an Excel spreadsheet is a PITA but I am used to it now.

If CHRONY has, indeed, closed up, IMO they will be sorely missed by many in our shooting community.

Thanks for heads-up GW I was fixing to order another diffuser.

I used my Chrony yesterday. This is the second one I bought. The first had a run in with a 9mm bullet....

I really like them. I did look up the replacement cost and found out it was less expensive to by one through Midway with a discount code. Not a dig at the company, just a statement that Chronys are inexpensive enough to shop around for. As for the wands, I think I managed to shoot all the wands and replaced them with dowels. I just got close enough - I think 1/8 inch and whittled the ends down to fit.

I finally killed my Shooting Chrome Beta after 12 years of frustration, and I'm glad I did. Dam thing never worked right on bright days, always errors or blank screen. Bought a cheap Caldwell now and it works much better. hdbiker

mcb said:

Does that still work. I have seen those before in old books and articles but have never seen one person. I love the old tech.

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Haven’t used it in decades. But it worked fine when I last used it.
I replaced it with a Chrony purchased used from a friend.

It’s old tech. One shot, record the velocity one digit at a time, walk out replace the two screens, repeat.

whughett said:

Haven’t used it in decades. But it worked fine when I last used it.
I replaced it with a Chrony purchased used from a friend.

It’s old tech. One shot, record the velocity one digit at a time, walk out replace the two screens, repeat.

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So, I assume the printed screens were printed with some type of conductive ink? Or was it metal foil?

Metal foil on thin paper. 2 1/2 by 5 the actual hit zone was only 2 1/2 square. The screens were spaced either 2 or 4 feet apart. The bullet had to break one of those thin lines of foil to start the count and again on the back screen to stop.
One shot two screens. So a supply of screens were needed.
Of course hitting that small area took some patience and practice.

hdbiker said:

finally killed my Shooting Chrome Beta after 12 years of frustration, and I'm glad I did. Dam thing never worked right on bright days, always errors or blank screen.

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Always be an Alpha, never a Beta!

Just for fun, here is a picture of my Chrony. I was comparing some handloads and Privi ammunition in my Carcano.

CMV said:

Great idea. Where do you find wood dowels that small diameter? Or do you turn larger ones down?

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Hardware store or craft store will normally have them.

whughett said:

View attachment 924218 Metal foil on thin paper. 2 1/2 by 5 the actual hit zone was only 2 1/2 square. The screens were spaced either 2 or 4 feet apart. The bullet had to break one of those thin lines of foil to start the count and again on the back screen to stop.
One shot two screens. So a supply of screens were needed.
Of course hitting that small area took some patience and practice.

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There was also a design before that, that used 4 foil sheets, two sets of two close together a known distance apart. When the bullet passed through the first set it made contact and started the clock, that stopped with the second set made contact with each other.

The concept worked well enough, one could use the concept to trigger a flash and capture a hammer bending glass on a light bulb, before everyone owned a high speed camera.

That chronograph was in my early days of loading for rifle and hunting. Sitting at a bench one quickly learned the proper hold. When I took up pistol and loading for that I pretty much gave up trying to keep a bullets path in those small areas.

I gave up on sky screens and just set up one of those 10X10 canopies and located the crony inside. Some chop sticks, colored tape at joints and so far I have not shot my second one yet! Subject to change hourly.

jmorris said:

There was also a design before that, that used 4 foil sheets, two sets of two close together a known distance apart. When the bullet passed through the first set it made contact and started the clock, that stopped with the second set made contact with each other.

The concept worked well enough, one could use the concept to trigger a flash and capture a hammer bending glass on a light bulb, before everyone owned a high speed camera.

View attachment 924399

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Those are some cool images. Thanks

If you don’t want wood dowels, hobby lobby has one foot long stainless metal or brass rods that will fit.

Update. I shot mine last week. Only the second time in twenty years, more or less. The scope above the trajectory of the bullet got me. I know better, but I had a fuzzy thought moment.
You will be happy to know it didn't suffer. Died instantly. I got the front cover, the front and rear light sensors and the wiring connecting the rear sensor with the processing unit.

I have another Chrony (Beta, remote controller and read out) but have to replace the dead one with a live one. Always nice to have back up.

berettaprofessor said:

If you don’t want wood dowels, hobby lobby has one foot long stainless metal or brass rods that will fit.

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Wood is recommended. A hit on it reduces the risk of damage to the unit. Hit a stainless rod or the supplied rods and the impact will damage the case as well.

Archie said:

Update. I shot mine last week. Only the second time in twenty years, more or less. The scope above the trajectory of the bullet got me. I know better, but I had a fuzzy thought moment.
You will be happy to know it didn't suffer. Died instantly. I got the front cover, the front and rear light sensors and the wiring connecting the rear sensor with the processing unit.

I have another Chrony (Beta, remote controller and read out) but have to replace the dead one with a live one. Always nice to have back up.

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It's in a better place....

.455_Hunter said:

Numrich Gun Parts, also in NY, just now resumed operations.

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I don't think that anyone would have noticed a difference between the current version of Numrich Gun Parts being open or closed. The unresponsive and comatose nature of their customer service and shipping times would have been the same.

Numrich was once a great company. Now it's a great company to avoid.