MEC 600Jr - convert or buy another?

When I was shooting competitive skeet, I bought a 600jr for each gauge. To me, it looked like the change over was more trouble than it would be worth. While it was very easy to just swap out the whole press at the reloading station.

You can buy a used one for 75 complete

I sold a MEC Jr in 28 for 60 a few months ago - with the Universal charge bar and primer feeder

I had converted a 12 to the 28 - it worked just fine

I stopped reloading 28 when I reloaded 20 and 12 to 3/4 oz

I switched between 28 & 410 for a while. Reloading 250 shells at a time. To much of a pain to readjust each station. Placed a want ad in a Penny Saver for a 410 mec Jr. Cost was 1/2 of a new one.

I agree with the others... buy another press. It's too much work and headache to switch back and forth.

A dedicated press for each guage that you actively shoot.

pita

Be careful, you HAVE to get the correct kit to change over. Don't try to convert a 600 jr. to another gauge with a kit made for a 600 jr MARK 5. It won't work! Ask me how I know. There's a cut-off date, IIRC it's 1985? After that, the presently available gauge change kit will work.

As for doing the changeover, if it's only done once and left, then it's ell worth the $. But changing back & forth is a PITA.

As stated, a good used press costs about as much as the changeover kit and changeover is a PITA. I have one used press for 12 and another used press for 20, $75 each.

Considering how much adjusting is needed making it a rather cumbersome task, it would be far more practical to just buy another.

You can probably find a used 600Jr for ca $7--$90. That would be my preferred option.

I have changed a few 600's to another gauge but it's not something you wanna do often. Really not sure why they even sell the conversion kits anymore.

So I spent the extra $70 difference between the changeover kit and the full-up unit and bought a 28ga 600Jr MkV.

Click to expand...

I think that you made the right decision, as I converted my 410 from 2.5" to 3" and then back again, and although I'm fairly mechanically inclined, it was a PITA to get it right, especially switching back to 2.5".



NCsmitty

If your truelyl considering to make the conversion a permanent change it will be an economically worthy choice, but only if your not going to be converting back and forth. I tried it with 12 ga to 20 ga. many years ago and it was time consuming, and certainly not something you want to do more than once.

I'm in the same boat, I shoot 16ga trap really well with my browning sweet sixteen and stink with my 1100 12 ga. I have a pre 85 mec jr 12 ga reloader and figured it would be easier to just buy a new machine for 16ga.


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I wouldnt waste the time and trouble to convert one. It always takes hours to calibrate one not to mention all of the wasted components and the mess. A used one can be found for much less that $150.00. I personally dont like mec, but , the other options are way more expensive even used. Just my 0.02 and I have loaded thousands of shotshells. I hate to even change a loader to make a different load. Whenever I do , let's say changing over to do some heavy pheasant loads. I will do several hundred and a variety at that so when I change it back to my gun club load it will be set up for another few yrs that way.