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Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308 Location: Western WA

Through unexpected circumstances I recently came into possession of a 12 ga MEC Grabber. Can it be adapted to 16 ga in any practical manner?

If not I will dispense of it at the club. The last thing I need is yet another reloading endeavor to occupy my time.

TIA
B.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 818

Yes. You can order all the dies from mec to make the change over
. I

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

The one part that MEC can be a little funny about is the black shell guide that is riveted to the base of the machine, it keeps the hulls properly positioned in the shell carrier.

When I changed over a 12 gauge 9000G to 16 gauge, MEC asked a lot of questions and I ended up using cap screws in place of the rivets. They would not sell me the rivets. At the time I was working for a distributor of MEC products and was on a first name basis with the people in the MEC office. LOL

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Posts: 1696 Location: Minnesota

MEC had a booth at Phezfest. I asked if they could convert my 12ga 9000 to 16ga and they said straight out no. HMMM??

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 818

I have converted mec, hornady 366 and RCBS from 12 to 16. It's very easy. However the mec takes a little more doing. Basicly changing the rotating shell plate. If you have a mec 16 super sizer then the biggest to use separately then the biggest task is done.
The easiest to convert and the most useful is the are RCBS. VERY LITTLE TO DO. very simple to use. Very easy to make special loads on .any people missed the boat on that loader. Some complained about the primer drop but that is a minimal thing to worry about. I'll take that RCBS any day over the rest. Bill

Savage 16 -- MEC says "no" on conversion of their progressives (500s, Super600s, 650s, Grabbers and 9000s), because it usually results in a lot more frustrated calls to MEC service than make it worthwhile for them. Therefore, no conversion kits are made available. The average fellow really can't do it, and can't really be helped over the phone. MEC is trying to keep the user "out of trouble" so to speak, and keep their reputation good among average folks, who tend to be not mechanically inclined. e.g. Lots of their customers can't even figure out crimp adjustments, and probably not even die conversions on single stage MEC's (600 Jr), let alone on their progressive reloaders.

If you are mechanically inclined and can read a parts list and a parts blow-up, the conversion is no problem. However, the cost of all the parts from MEC also can make it impractical, unless you got the "donor" Grabber or 9000 for a really low price. So Brewster11, it sounds like you might indeed have acquired such a good candidate for conversion -- and a Grabber is a little easier to convert than a 9000, too. Give it a try. One key part is that base shell guide plate mentioned by MSM2019. It is not on the parts list, and only available if you talk to the service guy at MEC. I'm pretty sure they don't like to supply it, but will if you seem like you know what you're doing. By the way, MSM2019, they gave me the rivets with mine, if I recall correctly. Since it takes a special tool to put those rivets in, capscrews are a better idea. Older progressives don't have that shell guide, and such feature is machined into the base! i.e. Every base was originally a gauge-specific part. The black plate was no doubt a cost reduction, so all the base weldments could be the same, and the gauge specificity could be done with those simple stamped-out sheet-metal shell guide plates. I have described elsewhere on these forums how to deal with conversions of those older style bases.

Good luck with your conversion. Scope out the parts and the prices and see how it will shake out. PM me if you need any help. I've done two 9000s, a 12 to 16 and a 20 to 16, and two 650s, 12 to 16. If I was nearby I'd do it for you in a jiffy, but it is probably impractical to ship your loading press to me, or vice versa.

Cheers!
Tony

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308 Location: Western WA

Thanks all. It appears to be an older model with a cast base plate welded to the uprights. The spinning rotor sits on top. Everything looks intact and it seems to be in operating order. Even the little index ball is in place with a spare taped on.

It will need a 16ga rotor and dies. I have a 16ga supersizer but not inclined to cannibalize it yet. The decapper is oversize, I might be able to turn it down to fit. The priming shaft and powder & shot drop tubes will fit a 16ga hull. Might be able to use the 12 ga crimp starter. That leaves the sizer (which I typically don’t use if supersizing) and crimp finisher. And a couple other items as well.

Will have to see if it can handle 2 1/2” shells. I can’t raise the base because the rotor spins under a set of cast tabs. Maybe find a way to lower the crimp finisher?

All in all, it doesn’t look insurmountable if the base can contain the shells.

Thanks
B.

When I did my 650 I used 14 ga wire JB Welded on the baseplate to resize for 16 ga, but if were doing it today I would look for a piston ring of the appropriate size.

When I converted my 9000 I called MEC and asked for the baseplate & carrier (rotor) replacements for my “16ga 9000”…avoided the “no conversion” conversation. I used regular rivets with washers…cap screws are better. I cannibalized my supersizer for the collet, and when I need to resize for the 600 I just slide the shells outta station 2 after resizing.

The 650 is still ready to go as a backup. Eventually I will replace the 600 with a Sizemaster if I can find a parts donor with what I need.

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 371 Location: mpls mn

I converted a 20 gauge 9000 to a 16 with Tony's help. It was a rusty freebe now It works better that my 4 other 9000's I used aircraft grade pop rivets to secure the shell plate. They are perfect for this application

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308 Location: Western WA

I like the piston ring idea Citori16, thanks. I was considering JB weld but unenthusiastically. Seems like half of my things are held together by that stuff.
B.

Tony, Mark & Wyochukar were very helpful in the conversions I did, piston ring was Wyochukar’s idea. The JB Weld has held for hundreds of reloads, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use again, especially with a piston ring. Just have to clean extremely well with alcohol and/or acetone. Good luck!

Brewster11 -- I just replied to your PM, but I hadn't first read all the responses. Looks like you already got good advice.

Good luck with your project. Let us know how it all worked out.

Best Regards,
Tony

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 818

Something to try. Before you try to replace the 12 resize collet. Try resizing the hull thru the supersize first then place the hull in your loader to deprime. Just a hunch, but since the base of the hill is smaller than the 12 and the deprime pin centers the base it should deprime and the 12ga collet not do any harm. Just a hunch. If it worked then you wouldn't need to remove the collet in the 16 supersizer. Just 🥔 couch thinking.
As far as the crimp starter the 12 will work. Hornady uses the 12 for the 16 also. Replacing the final crimp should be no problem.i even modified the mec final crimp and use it on Mr RCBS.. one good note. The old brass metal crimp starter works best on my Mec and RCBS.
You may need to unscrew the deprime punch from another 16 loader to replace the 12 deprime temporarily to see if it works. If it works then it's easy to turn down the 12 deprime punch.