MEC Grabber?

[El Sobrante Kid]

Hi Howdy All,  I have a chance to get an older but little used MEC Grabber for the cost of shipping. As far as I know it is only missing the two containers that sit on the top of the machine. My only experience with shotshell reloading is using the Lee Load-All (many years ago). Searches show that the Grabber seems like a good machine that is reasonably well liked. Before I get anything shipped, I thought I would come to the Wire to get opinions, suggestions, comments, and your thoughts on the Grabber and its operation. Looking for both good and bad. Thank You Muchly,   The Kid

 

Additional question, also added below. Has anyone had success using the MEC Grabber to load 12g shells that are 2-1/2"? I see that MEC sells a "Short" kit, but there is no option that takes a 12g 2-3/4" to 2-1/2". I'm trying to build up my skills on an '87 lever action shotgun. The gun is OK with 2-3/4" shells, but it doesn't seem to tolerate me trying to load them (LOL). I have had much better success with the Kent 2-1/2" shells. Sadly, I cannot find that particular Kent ammo anymore. Thx!

Edited July 7, 2023 by El Sobrante Kid

[SHOOTIN FOX]

Regular 1liter soda bottles can be substituted for the mec bottles.

[Texas Maverick]

18 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

Hi Howdy All,  I have a chance to get an older but little used MEC Grabber for the cost of shipping. As far as I know it is only missing the two containers that sit on the top of the machine. My only experience with shotshell reloading is using the Lee Load-All (many years ago). Searches show that the Grabber seems like a good machine that is reasonably well liked. Before I get anything shipped, I thought I would come to the Wire to get opinions, suggestions, comments, and your thoughts on the Grabber and its operation. Looking for both good and bad. Thank You Muchly,   The Kid

It is a good reloader. I have upgraded to the MEC 9000E and like it for me since all I have to do is hit 2 buttons for each round. The bottles are relatively cheap but as stated above you can use the soda bottles as well.

 

TM

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

I find the Grabber to be just about right for making enough shells to shoot Cowboy and/or Wild Bunch every weekend (Maybe 200).  On a Grabber I can knock that out in an hour.  It sizes with a collet (adjustable) and fairly easy to learn to run.  Makes shells that are MUCH nicer, more uniform, than a LoadAll.   If you get one for shipping, you might as well buy a lottery ticket too.

 

Before you start running it, find a cookie sheet or similar pan to mount underneath the machine.  It will catch the 101 shot and powder spills that are coming up over the first month or two of operation.

 

good luck, GJ

[Yul Lose]

I started out with a Grabber in 16 gauge and loaded a ton of shells on it. Mrs. Lose  came out to the reloading room one day and saw me cranking that handle and said “isn’t there an easier way”? and I mentioned the MEC 9000E and she ordered it. I sold the Grabber to a fellow 16 gauge CAS shooter. I believe I’ve got a Universal Charge Bar that will work for a Grabber.

[El Sobrante Kid]

Thanks for all the comments so far, keep 'em coming. I do feel lucky being able to get it for just the cost of shipping. Though I probably used up my luck for this month, so no lottery ticket, LOL. In my searches I did see the recommendation to put a cookie sheet down before bolting it to the bench. Awesome to know that soda bottles will work as containers!

Edited July 7, 2023 by El Sobrante Kid

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

MEC bottles cost ~$12 each.  It is likely that bottle grommets and washers are missing too.  The EZ fill funnel that sits on top of the bottles is well worth buying.

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

Way to finiky, have it shipped to me for immediate disposal. Go ahead and buy the Mec bottles for easy fill in the top.

[El Sobrante Kid]

12 minutes ago, Jefro, SASS#69420 said:

Way to finiky, have it shipped to me for immediate disposal. Go ahead and buy the Mec bottles for easy fill in the top.

 

Well good-golly gee whiz, that is most neighborly of you. But I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that I had taken advantage of your generosity, No sir, I will just have to suffer through this tribulation as best I can. Thank you though for your most kind offer... and for the comment about the easy fill top(s).

[Yul Lose]

2 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

 

Well good-golly gee whiz, that is most neighborly of you. But I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that I had taken advantage of your generosity, No sir, I will just have to suffer through this tribulation as best I can. Thank you though for your most kind offer... and for the comment about the easy fill top(s).

I’ll look for the Universal Charge Bar in the morning and if I find it I’ll donate to the cause if you pay shipping. I don’t believe they make the Universal Charge Bars anymore.

[El Sobrante Kid]

Just now, Yul Lose said:

I’ll look for the Universal Charge Bar in the morning and if I find it I’ll donate to the cause if you pay shipping. I don’t believe they make the Universal Charge Bars anymore.

 

Thank you sir, that is an offer that I just cannot pass up. Very thoughtful, thank you. If you find the bar please let me know how I can pay you.

[Hoss]

Dramworx makes really nice Pyrex powder bottles. I have them on all my presses. 
I put hash marks about 1/4 Inch apart on my powder bottle. You can see the level dropping as you load. Just in case you get a clump or bridge stuck in your powder drop. 

[Yul Lose]

13 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

 

Thank you sir, that is an offer that I just cannot pass up. Very thoughtful, thank you. If you find the bar please let me know how I can pay you.

PM on its way.

[Sedalia Dave]

MEC made two versions of the Grabber. The original also known as the 76 Series Grabber has the collet sizer on the left. The current production model has it on the right.  I have the 76 Series Grabber and like it a lot.

 

As stated bolt it to the bench with a small cookie sheet under it. You are also going to need 3 hulls with the crimps cut off and a spent primer installed. Use them on the powder and shot drop stations when first starting the machine and when running the last rounds out of the press. There is supposed to be a lockout lever to prevent the charge bar from moving when no hull is in the station but my experience is that it is not reliable so I removed it and just use the empty hulls.

 

The adjustable charge bar is the cats meow.  The powder baffle is also another nice accessory. It cuts down on powder leakage a lot. 

[Eyesa Horg]

7 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

MEC made two versions of the Grabber. The original also known as the 76 Series Grabber has the collet sizer on the left. The current production model has it on the right.  I have the 76 Series Grabber and like it a lot.

 

As stated bolt it to the bench with a small cookie sheet under it. You are also going to need 3 hulls with the crimps cut off and a spent primer installed. Use them on the powder and shot drop stations when first starting the machine and when running the last rounds out of the press. There is supposed to be a lockout lever to prevent the charge bar from moving when no hull is in the station but my experience is that it is not reliable so I removed it and just use the empty hulls.

 

The adjustable charge bar is the cats meow.  The powder baffle is also another nice accessory. It cuts down on powder leakage a lot. 

+1 on all above. I also have a 76 series and it works great. There is an adjustment for locking when no shell. Got mine working well, but still have empty crimpless hulls just in case. I keep a good eye on it on the last shells. 

Always make sure the plugs are in the bottles, they make an incredible mess if you fold the bar back without the plugs in!!! Guess how I know.

[Eyesa Horg]

8 hours ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

 

Well good-golly gee whiz, that is most neighborly of you. But I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that I had taken advantage of your generosity, No sir, I will just have to suffer through this tribulation as best I can. Thank you though for your most kind offer... and for the comment about the easy fill top(s).

Also, since I just added the large primer feeder to mine, I can help with the standard primer feeder parts if you need them. Just send me a PM and pay shipping.

[Texas Maverick]

10 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

I started out with a Grabber in 16 gauge and loaded a ton of shells on it. Mrs. Lose  came out to the reloading room one day and saw me cranking that handle and said “isn’t there an easier way”? and I mentioned the MEC 9000E and she ordered it. I sold the Grabber to a fellow 16 gauge CAS shooter. I believe I’ve got a Universal Charge Bar that will work for a Grabber.

The 9000E is great. I love mine. So easy to crank out a couple hundred rounds in no time. Finished shell looks just like the new ones.

 

TM

[Texas Maverick]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

+1 on all above. I also have a 76 series and it works great. There is an adjustment for locking when no shell. Got mine working well, but still have empty crimpless hulls just in case. I keep a good eye on it on the last shells. 

Always make sure the plugs are in the bottles, they make an incredible mess if you fold the bar back without the plugs in!!! Guess how I know.

and I bet even having a cookie sheet under it didn't help. LOL 

 

TM

[Eyesa Horg]

22 minutes ago, Texas Maverick said:

and I bet even having a cookie sheet under it didn't help. LOL 

 

TM

Nope, I didn't have a cookie sheet under and still don't. But the enormous spill of powder and shot would have missed anyway. I'm way more careful now!

[Texas Maverick]

9 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Nope, I didn't have a cookie sheet under and still don't. But the enormous spill of powder and shot would have missed anyway. I'm way more careful now!

Yeah, I don't have a cookie sheet under my 9000 but I do have a large wet vac sitting next to my work bench. LOL I just hope no one lights a match near it when I am emptying it. LOL

 

TM

[Eyesa Horg]

16 minutes ago, Texas Maverick said:

Yeah, I don't have a cookie sheet under my 9000 but I do have a large wet vac sitting next to my work bench. LOL I just hope no one lights a match near it when I am emptying it. LOL

 

TM

I sorta lucked out! There was so much powder, it more or less contained the shot on the bench. Took longer to separate the two than it did to load the shells! I need to get a strainer for future mishaps I think.

Glad I keep a clean bench top!

Edited July 7, 2023 by Eyesa Horg
Added text

[Hollifer A. Dollar]

I started loading shotgun ammo with a Lee Load-All II as well.  When it was just me shooting, it was fine, I could load a box of shells in about an hour.  When Kay Sadeeya started shooting, & we were shooting 3-4 matches every month, I suddenly was spending a LOT of time loading shotshells.  One afternoon I was on the phone with a friend, we had been talking less than half an hour & he suddenly said "well, there is a box of shotgun shells done".  Of course, I asked what machine he was using & he said a MEC.  Then he said that another friend had a rebuilt Grabber for sale, so I bought it!  2nd best equipment buy ever.  Once it is set up & you know how to use it, you can do a box of shells in about 25 minutes.  It is VERY quirky & takes a bit of effort to push down on the handle, but makes damn good ammo.  Invest in a Ballistic Products crimp starter - they work better than the MEC starter die.

 

One thing I did notice right away - the shells that I had loaded on the Lee Load-All would not drop into the shell checker I was using, but the Grabber shells would.  The MEC "turkey feather" collet sizer does a much better job than Lee's ring sizer.

 

I recently got a reconditioned Ponsness-Warren 800 - THAT is the best equipment buy ever.  The design makes the Grabber look like a Rube Goldberg contraption.  When I was using the Grabber, I would load in the afternoons after work til I got 20 boxes done - it would take me 4-5 afternoons.  With the PW, I can load 5 boxes in an hour without getting in a hurry.

 

Holler

 

 

[KingSnake]

34 minutes ago, Hollifer A. Dollar said:

I started loading shotgun ammo with a Lee Load-All II as well.  When it was just me shooting, it was fine, I could load a box of shells in about an hour.  When Kay Sadeeya started shooting, & we were shooting 3-4 matches every month, I suddenly was spending a LOT of time loading shotshells.  One afternoon I was on the phone with a friend, we had been talking less than half an hour & he suddenly said "well, there is a box of shotgun shells done".  Of course, I asked what machine he was using & he said a MEC.  Then he said that another friend had a rebuilt Grabber for sale, so I bought it!  2nd best equipment buy ever.  Once it is set up & you know how to use it, you can do a box of shells in about 25 minutes.  It is VERY quirky & takes a bit of effort to push down on the handle, but makes damn good ammo.  Invest in a Ballistic Products crimp starter - they work better than the MEC starter die.

 

One thing I did notice right away - the shells that I had loaded on the Lee Load-All would not drop into the shell checker I was using, but the Grabber shells would.  The MEC "turkey feather" collet sizer does a much better job than Lee's ring sizer.

 

I recently got a reconditioned Ponsness-Warren 800 - THAT is the best equipment buy ever.  The design makes the Grabber look like a Rube Goldberg contraption.  When I was using the Grabber, I would load in the afternoons after work til I got 20 boxes done - it would take me 4-5 afternoons.  With the PW, I can load 5 boxes in an hour without getting in a hurry.

 

Holler

 

 

I went from a Grabber to a PW800+. The Grabber made good ammo once I got used to the idiosyncrasies of the press. The PW makes excellent ammo and never needs adjustment. I do run all empty hills thru a Super Sizer first. 

[Eyesa Horg]

I load and check 500 in about 2-3 hours on my Grabber if I don't do anything stupid. ID10T comes into play on occasion. Like failing to add a wad. Time doesn't include what I spend wiping the hulls with a rag and Armor-All first. Now I'm also going to add the time to run them thru a "Quickloader" I set up on my old 600jr. which I still use for BP shells.

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I load and check 500 in about 2-3 hours on my Grabber if I don't do anything stupid. ID10T comes into play on occasion. Like failing to add a wad. Time doesn't include what I spend wiping the hulls with a rag and Armor-All first. Now I'm also going to add the time to run them thru a "Quickloader" I set up on my old 600jr. which I still use for BP shells.

Just timed myself to make a box of 25 after all set up and running on my old Grabber. It took 5 min & 4 seconds. So 500 will take 100 minutes or just over an hour and a half not counting time to replenish supplies.

FWIW.. So far I really like the new large capacity primer feeder, it seems to work flawless, a primer every time. The original wouldn't drop one every now and again! Gotta watch for that!!

[El Sobrante Kid]

8 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

... So far I really like the new large capacity primer feeder, it seems to work flawless, a primer every time. The original wouldn't drop one every now and again! Gotta watch for that!!

 

Is the Large Capacity Primer a MEC accessory, or from a different source?

 

2 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

... Time doesn't include what I spend wiping the hulls with a rag and Armor-All first.

 

What does the Armor-All wipe down do for you? Is it like lubing brass cases before reloading? I wonder if anyone else is doing something similar.

 

       Thank you for all the comments/suggestions!

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

 

Is the Large Capacity Primer a MEC accessory, or from a different source?

 

 

What does the Armor-All wipe down do for you? Is it like lubing brass cases before reloading? I wonder if anyone else is doing something similar.

 

       Thank you for all the comments/suggestions!

The large capacity primer is MEC accessory and just used it for the first time. It works flawlessly! Had to bend the tube a bit to get it lined up though. Called MEC first and they said it may need bending!

I use the armor all to clean the dust etc. off the hulls to save wear and tear on the machine. Haven't had any issues with them being slippery in use or noticed any difference shucking, but then again, I've been doing it for 11 years! For the year or so when I was using a MEC 600jr., I wiped down after loading. I do it first now and the whole loading/ checking process is just cleaner.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Eyesa Horg
Otto

[Pee Wee #15785]

Mine are mounted inside a cake pan to a 3/4" plywood 2'x2'.  I use 2 C-clamps to hold it to the bench.  It also makes it portable which works great when you baby set the newborn grandson. 

[Anvil Al #59168]

Been using the same MEC Grabber for 17-18 years now.

 

Never had a problem. Still going.

[Eyesa Horg]

Another plus for the large primer setup, no chain or spring, if you lie it flat as when loading it, it automatically stops dropping primers. If you remove the thumb screw, it falls flat along the loader making it easier to cover and you're not banging into it all the time!

[El Sobrante Kid]

Additional question, also added to OP. Has anyone had success using the MEC Grabber to load 12g shells that are 2-1/2"? I see that MEC sells a "Short" kit, but there is no option that takes a 12g 2-3/4" to 2-1/2". I'm trying to build up my skills on an '87 lever action shotgun. The gun is OK with 2-3/4" shells, but it doesn't seem to tolerate me trying to load them (LOL). I have had much better success with the Kent 2-1/2" shells. Sadly, I cannot find that particular Kent ammo anymore. Thx!

[Eyesa Horg]

5 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

Additional question, also added to OP. Has anyone had success using the MEC Grabber to load 12g shells that are 2-1/2"? I see that MEC sells a "Short" kit, but there is no option that takes a 12g 2-3/4" to 2-1/2". I'm trying to build up my skills on an '87 lever action shotgun. The gun is OK with 2-3/4" shells, but it doesn't seem to tolerate me trying to load them (LOL). I have had much better success with the Kent 2-1/2" shells. Sadly, I cannot find that particular Kent ammo anymore. Thx!

Ballistic Products has primed 2 1/2" hulls and tools to cut regular hulls. For my old BP doubles, I made a simple jig to cut them. The conversation kit for a MEC should work if they have one for the Grabber. I've seen them for the 600jr.

Might be better to just keep practicing with the normal length shells.

[El Sobrante Kid]

1 minute ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Ballistic Products has primed 2 1/2" hulls and tools to cut regular hulls. For my old BP doubles, I made a simple jig to cut them. The conversation kit for a MEC should work if they have one for the Grabber. I've seen them for the 600jr.

Might be better to just keep practicing with the normal length shells.

 

Well yes... nothing wrong with that logic, and probably something I will do to make sure I am prepared for the worst. But, if the shotgun is happier with the shorter shells, then I'm pretty darned sure I will be happier using them in the shotgun. And if my supplier of choice for 2-1/2" shells is ME (and muh Grabber), then I'm going to make darn sure my supplier gives me (and my shotgun) what I (we) want.

[Eyesa Horg]

My jig used my chop saw with a fine tooth blade. I believe @Warden Callaway made a trimmer from a dowel with an Exacto knife blade that you just twist. The BP one uses a blade also.

Just not sure if the Grabber can load short shells being progressive and doing things from top and bottom. 

 

[Yul Lose]

10 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

My jig used my chop saw with a fine tooth blade. I believe @Warden Callaway made a trimmer from a dowel with an Exacto knife blade that you just twist. The BP one uses a blade also.

Just not sure if the Grabber can load short shells being progressive and doing things from top and bottom. 

 

On my 16 gauge Grabber I trimmed all of my hulls to 2 1/2” because they tended to hang up on the front of the port on the 1897sg. I built a sled for the bandsaw to cut the hulls, but then I found the one that CRS (Creative Reloading Solutions) builds and that’s all I use now. The Grabber takes some, quite a bit, of adjustment to get it to load the shorter hulls.