[Naterater]

Please take a look at the pictures. The top rim of every single one of my crimped shotshells has a divot in one spot so that the rim is not flat or flush all of the way around.

I am reloading using a MEC 600 jr. Mark V. I believe everything is working well except the crimp.

1. Is this normal?
2. If not, what am I doing wrong here?

[oneounceload]

That's the Federal shell you are reloading - what is the rest of the recipe? Is it a published one?

Your crimp depth is just fine, and as long as they feed, should not be an issue

[Naterater]

Lead Shot: 7/8 oz.
Powder: Longshot 23gr
Primer: Fed. 209A
Wad: WAA20

It's under max by a bit according to Hodgdon Reloading Data Center and their book.

and they function fine, so I'm not worried; just asking.

[oneounceload]

At 1400fps, that will be a VERY stout load, I load my 20 gauge with 3/4 oz at about 1250 - works great

You might try using some Gun Clubs or AA hulls - they reload the best

[Naterater]

Agreed! They tend not to have this weird divot. They are a lot harder to find and more expensive to buy the 1st time though. I've got a thousand or more federal hulls from a sportsman's retreat.

[gamestalker]

Are you using the correct crimp starter. To elaborate on that, some hulls are a 6 point crimp while others have an 8 point crimp. I've loaded 8 points hulls using the 6 point starter, and visa versa just to see how it effects the finished crimp. They came out looking much like your's do.

Another possibility is you may have the crimp station adjusted to low which can also produce some that look like that. Those Mecs are really great shotshell loaders and will kick out near perfect looking loads if everything is adjusted properly.

What ever the case, as long as those will chamber they are perfectly safe to shoot.

GS

[Naterater]

right! I am using the correct crimp starter and what's weird is that the 6-point crimper never does this! I may have had the pre-crimp a little bit too low and that helped a bit. Other than that, everything is fine.

Thanks

[JimKirk]

For some reason Federal hulls will do that.... I've been reloading 20 ga since the early 1970's.... and I always had the same looks as you.... they are good to shoot...

I believe ... that what is happening is... the plastic between the little grooves in the hull is stretching a little and when the crimp folds there is some odd pressure that will not let it fold back as it was from the factory... may not be the case...

But Federal case have always done that for me....

[Uniquedot]

1. Is this normal?

No it isn't normal, not even for those cheap federal hulls. Although a mec doesn't usually make pretty loads from federal hulls they shouldn't look that bad. My first thought when seeing your pictures was that you have some type of foreign matter stuck to either the side of your plunger or tapering rim of your sizing die. You might also check your cam roller for wear also.

I would check that and clean as necessary. You might also have a worn plunger or rust in the die. If it's not dirt then i would work on the adjustments if i intended to load a bunch of those hulls or pick up a lee load all just for those hulls. I use the load all for federal hulls as well as new hulls because those hulls look better when loaded on them.

[JimKirk]

You might try using some Gun Clubs or AA hulls - they reload the best

Agreed! They tend not to have this weird divot

If he is saying that he has no problems with other hulls... then it most likely the Federal hulls...

I know that I get that same problem when using Federal hulls ... I try and stay away from them..

[Uniquedot]

If he is saying that he has no problems with other hulls... then it most likely the Federal hulls.

I read all his comments, but he didn't mention whether or not he had loaded other hulls since the problem occurred and looking at his photo's it appears to me that the deformity is on one side of the tapering on every load and that does not appear to be a hull problem. My my mec is set for sts hulls and with federal hulls i will get a swirl because the crimp is set too deep for the thin straight walled federal hulls or i will just end up with shells that look like cheap promo loads, but if i start getting loads with a deformity like his on one side of the shell it's usually because the die needs cleaning.