Mec 9000G

[Snakebite]

I've been using Mec 600 series loaders for close to 50 yrs. They work well and are very versitile, but................ SLOW!

 

 

I've been giving some thought to purchasing a Mec 9000G auto indexing shotshell loader. I've watched a couple of You-Tube videos featuring this machine and it appears to be easy to oprerate. It doesn't look like my adjustable bar will work in it so I guess that I would have to bore out a bar to accomodate my BP/Sub loads.

 

I would appreciate any input you might have..... especially if you load BP/Sub shells on one. Is this machine relatively trouble free? What do you like/dislike about it? How difficult is it to adjust for different brand hulls? (Mainly switch between Win AA and Rem STS) Does it do a good job on the crimp?... how about on the sizing?

 

Thanks for any input

 

Snakebite

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

Snakebite , I load with a 9000G , but haven't gotten into different hulls. Load all STS green or gold. I am pretty sure the adjustable bar will work in this machine , although there may be different bars for progressives than what fits a 600. One of my pards had a 9000G with an adjustable set up , but he only loaded smokeless.

I load BP with mine , use a #41 bushing with the 1 1/4 oz. bar , the red Win. wad , column is just right for nice , factory-looking crimp. Have not tried subs , but Triple-7 should work O.K. Not so sure with APP. I had problems with it bridging when I tried loading it in metallics , but that was 2F. Powder bushings are available up to bigger charges than I care to use , so that shouldn't be an issue.

The one thing to watch for sure , and I think this goes for all MECs , you have to keep an eagle eye on the primer-feed tray. I have had more hiccups there than all others put together.

Hope this is of some use , Rex

 

P.S. I'm sure this will not answer everything that you are wondering about , and I'm no expert , but if you want to jaw about it a while , let me know , and I will PM my phone #.

Rex

[Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L]

I have one. Crimps good, needs a little tweaking every once in a while. The resizing crimp for the brass part of the shell does not stay adjusted on mine. The tapper crimp is very nice. You do not have a way to shut off powder or shot individually, you have to tilt the assembly back to stop the powder and shot flow. Mine runs Winchester hulls fine, but Remington's hang up. Not a bad machine over all. Faster than a Hornady, but not as smooth.

[Lucky Lennie, #22244]

Over the years I have had them all Dillon, Horniday, Poness Warren, Mec. I am now using a mec with the. electric motor so far since I got it it has worked GREAT... Some day maybe Spooler but they are hand made and very expensive. There are adjustable bars, but the one for the 600 will not work different hole spacing. I can also mix cases and it doesn't care they all come out good. I load only smokleless so can't help with that information. Lennie

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

I bought a used one from a guy at my club last year for a good price. I only load Smokeless trap loads in it, I would not dream of loading Black Powder on it.

 

If I was going to do it again, I would look seriously at the progressive shotshell presses made by RCBS.

 

No, you cannot use the same charge bar on the 9000 as you use on the MEC Jr. The 9000 charge bar has a hole drilled and tapped in one end for the spring bracket that resets the bar. With the Jr you reset the bar by hand. Same story with the adjustable charge bars.

 

Loading on this thing is a whole lot different than loading on a MEC Jr. I dunno what video you were watching, but they always make progressive presses look foolproof, they never show you the disasters that can happen with them. The way the MEC Jr is designed, it is just about foolproof. You would have to try real hard to double charge with either powder or shot.

 

But EVERY MEC progressive press will happily pour powder and/or shot all over the bench and the floor if there is no hull present at either of those two stations. No problem you say, why would you take a hull out? To make sure a primer really dropped, because the primer feed mechanism on all MECs is mickey mouse and unreliable. As was said, you have to watch it like a hawk to make sure a primer shows up every time. And every once in a while a wad will not slide into a hull for no good reason at all. Instead, the mouth of the hull gets mashed. Another hull that has to be removed from the press. And if you happen to take a hull off of it, and get the rotating table indexed slightly wrong, the bar that pushes the table around will fall off and clatter down behind the machine and have to be replaced.

 

No, I am not crazy about this press. If you buy one, be sure to fasten it to the bench with a big cookie sheet under it to catch all the shot that the press will inevitably pour out.

 

Or look into the RCBS presses. They are advertised as not dropping any powder or shot if no hull is present, just like most metallic progressive presses.

 

By the way, I do love my two MEC Jrs.

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

I load about a 1000 rounds a week on a 9000G. Usually at one time. I average about 350 to 400 rounds an hour loaded and boxed. I'm in no hurry when I load.

 

I wear out parts and replace them as needed. The actuator for the charge bar is watched the most. The holes wear oval and the bar itself wears a notch. This actuator moves the charge bar. If it is not adjusted right the change bar will not lock up when there is no hull in place. This will result in shot everywhere. If you find you have to adjust this often then look for wear. I keep spare parts for this. I also have worn the holes for the handle oval.

 

Anyway. I have adjusted many machines and I find that if I set up for Winchester AA hulls, the STS hulls will run through fine at the same settings. The STS hulls are a little short so you can't adjust for STS then run AA hulls. The AA bulge.

 

I load smokeless, real BP and BP substitutes. It's just a matter of changing charge bars and bushings. And resetting the wad seating tube. All in all a 5 minute process.

 

The MEC jr charge bar not only doesn't have the screw in the side used as a slide stop but the holes are closer together than in the 9000 bar. I find I only uses a 7/8 oz bar and a 1 ounce bar. I have others.

 

The powder bushings that come with the machine are sitting in a draw. I have drilled out a couple for BP use to get up to 65 and 70 grains I use. But now MEC makes larger bushing that can handle BP charges. I use #24, #28 and what is now a #46 or #47 bushing. It will all depend on what powders you choose to use.

 

I really like the sixth station final crimp. It puts a slight taper on the hull and makes loading a double easier. Pumps and lever have no problems.

[Rowdy Yates, SASS #141]

It's not a perfect machine by any stretch of the imagination but works OK.

Cliffhanger is the one to tell you all about it.

I've used one for several years with mixed emotions especially when a primer went off.

 

Like I said it's OK but no Spolar.

[Gentleman Jack Daniels]

Snakebite; Driftwood's suggestion is a good one. I did some research a couple of years ago and ended up buying an RCBS Grand. Every position is totally case activated and it is a really good machine, excellent crimp as long as you use the correct wad for the case you are using, and it ejects the loaded shell. It is also easy to dump either powder or shot if you want to change. Booth the Powder and Shot containers have three positions - On, Off, and Dump. The powder container holds an ample amount and the shot container holds a full 25# bag of shot. It uses either RCBS or Hornady bushings. I bought mine on sale at a sportsmans wharehouse for $499.00.

[Snakebite]

Best advice I received ..... use a cookie sheet mounted under this thing.

 

Worst advice I received .... to buy a Mec Progressive.

 

Best advicde that I didn't listen to..... by something else.

 

It works, but the least little glitch or brain fart, and you have a mess that takes a long time to get cleared... shot gets into the resizer and is a bit*h to get out from between the collet spaces, same for the primer station. Shot gets under the rotating platform (shell holder) and you have to pull the whole thing apart to get the shot out! Primer drop is VERY touchy to adjust ... and if you hicup even a little when you are "stroking it" you end up with a double shot charge.

 

I'm sure that there is a learning curve, but I'm not sure that I'm up to it.... It's sure a lot faster than the Mec jr............. until I do something wrong......... Geeze.. What a revolting development this is!

 

Snakebite