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< 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Another Tip For MEC 600 Jr Users |
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Posted:
Mon May 29, 2023 10:42 am
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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First, unless you are reloading large batches of shells (200 or more) at a time, please skip reading this post, its not for you.
This tip assumes you are repriming a batch of hulls only, no other operations.
Repriming hulls in the 600 JR is tedious and time consuming. To reduce the manual manipulation, attach a small 5mm or so wide strip of fuzzy velcro to the priming post. This will allow lifting the freshly primed hull off the platform without having to touch it. Then with one motion with the right hand, drop a new primer into the seating hole and then slide the freshly primed hull down off the post while lifting the lever with the left hand. Toss the freshly primed hull in a bin and place the next unprimed hull on the platform with the right hand, lower the lever with the left hand to prime, and repeat.
That’s it. We’re not trying to do it faster, just easier. You could insert a resizing step in the process if you wish as I sometimes do.
B. |
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Posted:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:17 pm
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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After reviewing my previous post, I believe it is totally incomprehensible. So with apologies for the confusion, here is priming procedure description v.2, after applying the little fuzzy velcro strip to the primer punch:
Start with unprimed hull in primer station with new primer in primer seating pad.
1. Lower handle lever to seat primer
2. Partially raise handle lever with left hand (note: this lifts hull) while placing new primer in primer seating pad with right hand.
3. Fully raise handle lever with left hand and slide primed hull off primer punch with right hand and drop into bin
4. Place new unprimed hull in primer station
5. Repeat step 1 and continue
I realize this procedure may sound like pointless minutiae but after a few hundred repetitions it will start to make sense.
B. |
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Posted:
Tue May 30, 2023 5:36 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3443
Location: Illinois
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MEC sells auto feed primer trays for single stage presses. |
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Posted:
Tue May 30, 2023 9:51 am
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Joined: 21 May 2015
Posts: 135
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I bought a Sizemaster 20 ga a while back for $100. Absolutely love it, especially the primer feed and smoothness of the sizing collet. I'm converting a primer feed from my 12 to the 16 ga machine. |
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Posted:
Tue May 30, 2023 7:32 pm
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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Thanks, Autofeed ordered today.
UPDATE June 2: Autofeed arrived from MidwayUSA via Amazon. Some parts were loose in the plastic Amazon shipping envelope, brief inspection indicated all parts accounted for, but will assemble and test tomorrow.
B. |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:30 am
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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Follow up on the MEC Primer Autofeed on the 600 Jr: Installation was accomplished although some shims were needed under the primer container.
Setup was not entirely successful as the chain adjustment was too coarse. It either wouldn’t snatch the primer or not feed the drop tube, only one or the other but not both. Some manual teasing of the little lever was necessary each time. The design lacks the full range of adjustment needed, and build quality seems a little loose.
Eventually I got it mostly working. Since batch Autofeed operation requires two cycles of the main lever handle, it’s not as efficient as my manual single pull method.
I don’t expect to use it much for my regular manual reloading, but I’ll keep it around for my Sizemaster 12 to 16 adaptation project.
B. |
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Posted:
Wed Jun 14, 2023 9:23 pm
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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One further tip for handling bulk primers (inspired by a product demo at the club).
This one is for those who do not use an Autofeed primer unit:
Slide the plastic primer tray out of its cardboard wrapper. Carefully lift the primers out of the primer container tray, 30 or 40 at a time, using a rectangular refrigerator magnet. Flip the refrigerator magnet over onto bench with primers attached. (You may want to affix the refrigerator magnet to the bench with blue painters tape, double backed tape, velcro, etc.) The primers should all be standing upright in rank order on the refrigerator magnet. Then slide each primer off the refrigerator magnet with fingertip as needed during the priming process.
Many of you are probably already doing this. Its much easier than fumbling with loose primers in a tray or container.
B. |
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Posted:
Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:51 am
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Joined: 21 May 2015
Posts: 135
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I found that when the primers hang in the tray and the chain adjusts too coarse a small adjustment to the final crimp can work.
I've converted my 16ga to an auto primer feed that I orginally got on a 22ga eBay machine.
It's well worth it, even for 2-3 boxes a week! |
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Posted:
Thu Jun 15, 2023 10:07 am
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Member
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
Posts: 1550
Location: Minnesota and Florida
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I find MEC auto primer feeds quite useless on MEC single-stage reloaders. For just one thing, the mechanism, with its necessary spring loading and friction, robs the user of feel for what's going on at the crimp stage of the reloading process. Additionally, the fiddling around loading the tray (or unloading it -- lets not forget that is sometimes necessary or desirable) is a time consumer not often considered. Remember, whomever purchases a thing can often go to great lengths justifying his own wisdom in doing so, regardless of drawbacks in such purchases. I think this is especially true with those who purchase the E-Z Prime.
The beauty of the MEC single-stage loaders, particularly the 600 and 700, is the ability to fiddle a bit in the process to perfect the look of the shells -- i.e. rotating the cartridge and giving it an extra stroke on the cam-crimp station, or having a couple of different wad insertions to tailor your wad height, etc. If productivity/speed/quantity is really the issue, one should be using a progressive. If a person feels the need for speed, and to do so is willing to slam the loader around and accept the resulting loads, then a primer feed might be the gadget for that person. There is a video out there where a guy (a Canadian fellow, by his accent -- a way to find the video, the fact he might be Canadian is definitely not intended to be a negative toward him, or anybody else) does a timed exercise to show the time benefits of using the E-Z Prime on a 600. He really zings along in the process -- pretty much just slams the loader around and definitely accepts the results. If you find this video, you can easily see the quality of his crimps apparently make absolutely no difference to him. OK -- I suppose that could be corrected by adjustments, however, even so, paying any amount of attention to the process and the appearance of the result would likely swamp the time benefits of a primer feed on a MEC single-stage -- just my not-so-humble opinion. |
_________________ "What we don't need to know for achievement, we need to know for our pleasure. Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight." -- William Safire |
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Posted:
Sun Jul 23, 2023 4:42 am
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2081
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
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we keep talking about getting short kits for JR's - I use change and a washer ... however ... maybe we are missing a real easy one . The platform is held at level by a bolt , easy to find . Once I lowered my 410 loader off 3'' to the correct height - loads are perfect . What we may be missing is if there is a bolt position to lower the height for 21/2 '' shells same as what worked for the 410's . I haven't needed to do this , but it may be an option ! |
_________________ Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
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Posted:
Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:29 pm
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Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 1354
Location: Western WA
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The bolt in intended to raise the head for 3” shells. The holes in the base are 5/8 of an inch apart. The holes in the column are 3/8 of an inch apart. Unfortunately the various bolt/hole installation combinations do not include 2 1/2”. Would be nice if it did however. The little 2 1/2” short kit plate gets the job done with very little fuss (other than the $50 expense).
Speaking of MEC expenses, they now charge $61 for a reloader cover. I find that an old pillowcase works just fine.
B. |
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