These presses are more substantial and geared for larger-scale production. They offer a number of models to meet most needs without busting budgets. MEC also sells some pricier models with extra features, some of which permit upgrades to their basic presses. The star of this show, my 12 gauge MEC Progressive Press , was purchased at a lawn sale sometime in the early s! This was a great way to get into reloading shotgun shells with minimal investment.
Later, I added a 20 gauge MEC which works the same way. Powder and shot are dispensed from two plastic bottles, and metered through a reciprocating charge bar. A series of resizing, charging, and crimping dies below are aligned with a six-position, rotating shell plate or holder. Each press of the handle forces the die assembly downward over the shells to perform the various steps while activating the charge bar though a linkage.
An empty shell is manually inserted from the slot, advancing as the shell-plate is indexed manually counter-clockwise. Once everything is working properly the choreographed steps will result in a machine full of shells in various stages of completion — including one finished shell per handle-stroke.
And, even veteran reloaders can experience an annoying deluge of stray powder or scattered pellets caused by operator error. That said, once a rhythm is established, shells can be cranked out in large quantities.
Because I shoot fewer. Each is reloaded one at a time and manually repositioned to undergo each step. Of course, the production rate is slower, but a Jr. To better illustrate the reloading process, I manually fed shells through my progressive 12 gauge MEC in a manner similar to the simpler MEC Jr. The steps are pretty much the same though regardless of your method. Step 1 The fired primer is punched out on the downstroke.
Upon full downstroke, the charge bar shuttles to the right, dropping a charge of powder into the shell. Step 3 A new wad is seated positioned manually above the shell. At full downstroke, the charge-bar will shuttle left again, depositing a load of shot into the wad.
The loaded shell is removed when it reappears at so the process can continue. My simpler. I use it for pheasants as the first shot. At around fps, recoil is mild and improved-cylinder patterns are excellent. Any misses will permit a quick recovery for a more potent following load from the tighter-choked barrel.
Trouble is, this mild load of 6s is pretty much non-existent in factory form. Since a couple boxes will cover two seasons, I used them to illustrate the various reloading steps. This load could see further use in a semiauto, so I added an additional step. This tool is a separate press of sorts with powerful steel fingers, designed to squeeze metal shotshell bases back to factory specs.
Although unnecessary with most double-guns or pumps, it can improve semiauto function. Well, at this point, I view the acquisition of components more like buying silver and keep a watchful eye for any items of value.
A stash of fired shells makes a good start, so save what you shoot. Primers of all kinds are scarce and expensive. Wads are sketchy. Shot is hard to find, although I did recently find 10 lbs. The cost for primers and wads is fairly consistent regardless of the gauge. Because shot is the most expensive component, with claybirds on the horizon, I switched my 12 gauge charge bars to build a lighter 1 oz.
This shot is cheaper, and sold in 25 lb. Assuming my math is correct, per-shell shot cost will decrease by 10 cents. Actually, I was shocked to see a price this high. The above Winchester AA-equivalent reloads cost a third less — without a mask. Lighter loads or smaller gauges can yield more savings, especially with shipping factored in. A 20 Ga. Result: Cheap shells! The maximum pressures for shotguns are very low when compared to metallic cartridges and there is no practical way for reloaders to gauge when the pressure is becoming dangerously high.
Flat primers and sticky extraction might be indications of rifle loads that are too hot, but you cannot visually measure shotshell pressure and even a small change in components can cause a large change in pressure. Stick with the recipes and everything will be fine. The components you will need are: hulls, primers, powder, wads, and shot.
The new primer is inserted into the base of the hull, which is then filled with propellant powder, a wad, and then shot. The first and very important step is to sort and properly identify your empty hulls.
Many cases can appear the same when in reality they can be very different. The height of the base wad on the inside of the case can greatly influence case capacity, which in turn influences pressure. The base wad is the wad that forms the thick bottom of the case on the inside; it is what protects the bottom of the case from the pressure and gas as the shell is fired.
The base wad has little or nothing to do with the height of the brass base; brass height serves primarily for a visual identification for the factory load and its intended use. Despite the persistent myth to the contrary, brass height is not a reliable indicator of which base wad is used in the case, or the power of the shotshell.
You can use the Lyman or other reloading manuals to confirm the hull is correctly matched with your loading recipe. The type of case is important. Compression formed, one-piece hulls are the best for reloading.
The base wad and plastic hull are all formed from one piece of plastic. The result is a base wad that will not deteriorate or slip from its position within the shell. These cases can be reloaded several times, usually until the crimp fails. The other common hull style is a plastic tube case with separate base wad, sometimes called Reifenhauser or polyformed cases. Because the base wads are a separate piece of material they can deteriorate or slip free from the base of the hull after repeated use.
These cases are fine for reloading, but they should be inspected carefully and should only be reloaded twice for a total of three firings before discarding.
The same applies to old-school paper hulls, two reloads and toss them. Always double-check the charge weight of both the powder and the shot charges after setting up your press and before reloading. Shotshell loaders typically use pre-set shot charge bars and bushings to measure the shot and powder by volume. With my MEC loader the bar is dedicated to a specific shot charge weight while the powder bushings can be changed to accommodate several powder options.
You change the bushings to change the charge weights, but as a rule, they are not adjustable. The bushings are only approximate and the charge weights can vary, so it is important to weight-check your set-up before loading. For that you will need a good handloading scale. Electronic or balance beam , both are fine. Most shotgun scales need a weight capacity of at least 1, grains to allow weighing shot charges.
After the initial set up of the loader is complete, find the charge bar and bushings that fit the recipe you are using. Then install them in the loader. Throw several charges to settle everything. Simply dump the powder or shot back into the appropriate hopper. Then throw a charge and weigh it on your scale to verify the bar and bushings are correct.
Shot charge bars are based on use with several shot sizes and actual charge weights will vary with the pellet size. A charge of larger shot will likely weigh slightly less because the pellets will not pack as densely and there is more air space. Additionally, powder bushings may not give exactly the charge weight specified in the chart, as there are many variables. Even humidity can affect charge weight. In that case, most of the work is done just setting up the machine.
However, no matter what style of loader you use, there are some simple tips that will make your reloading experience easier, faster and safer. This is not a complete guide to reloading. Use Good Hulls You can save money in the long run by reloading, but you still need to make an investment. It starts with the hulls. They have brass heads and durable plastic cases that last for quite a few reloads.
You can either buy factory loads and save the hulls or purchase empties from gun clubs or online. As a rule of thumb, avoid anything with a nickel head and expect to get only a few good reloads from hulls with a ribbed case.
If you shoot less than that, a single-stage machine will work just fine. For that, a single-stage machine is the better choice. It performs only one step of the process with each handle pull. Charge bars deliver a specific weight of shot and powder, but they actually measure in volume. So if you change to a powder with a different size grain or to different size shot, it might not drop the right amount.
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