Best single stage press: MEC v. Forster?

[Mowgli Terry]

It's apparent here and on other forums that this is a hot button topic. Best and better are non-statements. What does this mean? What does precision loading have to do with the press? What actually aligns the case and seats the bullet? Do the dies have much to do with this? Does all this mean it's not possible to load good cartridges on single stage presses of other makes? One fanboy claimed the Co-Ax was stronger than a Rockchucker. I still say, based on my experience, that the Co-Ax is being oversold in some ways. It's a good machine. I might add that Forester sells an adapter to use standard shell holders.

 

[mdi]

I have had little trouble priming on my Co-Ax, but I'm pretty mechanically inclined (life long machinist/mechanic). Maybe some have trouble adjusting the shell holder jaws on top of the press or maybe some think it's too slow, but I used a ram prime for many years and my Co-Ax ain't slow for priming (and some reloaders are challenged by correct hammer use). The adjustments for the jaws are really simple, straight forward, just takes a bit more care than sliding a shell holder in a ram...

Precision reloading and past "experienced" loaders tell of the presses' potential, not much about who pulls the handle. The case "self centers" in a "floating die" so there is much less possibility of getting misaligned bullet seating and case sizing. All these things just point out how good a Co-Ax is and is not a comparison to any other press. If there were other presses built on the same style/principle as a Co-AX then a comparison would be appropriate, but there ain't none.

The adapter sold is just, in my opinion, for reloaders that cannot get the dynamics of a shell holder not like the "RCBS" universal style.

In my opinion, the Forster Co-Ax is a very well designed, well made press that is easy to use and has the potential to make precision handloads. Better than a single stage? In many ways, yes...

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Sorry, no magic in the Co-Ax press. All this alignment stuff is wonderful if you are a believer .You can only be precision as far as your dies allow you. No press is going to overcome lousy dies. No press is going to overcome poor selection of components. Precision is measured by run out and such. You cannot load better ammo than your bullet seater allows. Your cases will only be as precision as your dies allow. I know from experience. Buy which every press you want. If you expect miracles you are in for an unhappy awakening. As a Co-Ax owner for decades I find the press greatly oversold by unsupported claims etc.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Sorry, no magic in the Co-Ax press.
...I find the press greatly oversold by unsupported claims etc.

While there may be no magic, I still want one

I'm just enthralled by the innovation of the design.

Gavin Toobe has been using the Mec quite a bit recently and it looks interesting, but it just doesn't do it for me, I just dislike having to to screw in dies whenever I have to change them...that's why I went with the Hornady conversion on my Lee Classic Cast

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Your threshold of enthrallment is low.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Another passion of the presses thread.
I have a Coax press, a Lee classic, a Lee turret (the cheap one) and a Hornady LNL.
They all work well for what I do with them. None are magic.
I could replace them all with similar presses of different brands and be perfectly happy.

 

[jski]

Gavin Toobe has been using the Mec quite a bit recently and it looks interesting, but it just doesn't do it for me, I just dislike having to to screw in dies whenever I have to change them...that's why I went with the Hornady conversion on my Lee Classic Cast

This should do it for you. Gavin installing (in the MEC press) Hornady’s Lock ‘n Load conversation kit to allow you to swap out dies without having the unscrew/screw anything:

 

[mdi]

Using my Co-Ax is easy, very accurate (I checked some runout on some 308 I reloaded with LC brass; .001" runout at most).

With Lee sizing die, Lee bullet seater die. I attribute this to the press design and quality...

If a person doesn't like a specific product, why would one go to such lengths to prove it is inferior? Just don't buy one! I am among thousands of Co-Ax users who over many, many years think the press is an exceptional piece of equipment, and I hate Fords...

 

[Skgreen]

I really enjoy how spent primers are handled with my LNL AP. My RockChucker,, eh,, even with an aftermarket catcher,, not so much.
Just not a fan of any 'crud' spitting out where the ram meets the base.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Look, you can't fool somebody that's actually used a Co-Ax. Some of this enlightenment flunks the smell test. Name dropping and telling us who uses anything is the battle cry of the Kool-aid drinker.

 

[9mmepiphany]

This should do it for you. Gavin installing (in the MEC press) Hornady’s Lock ‘n Load conversation kit to allow you to swap out dies without having the unscrew/screw anything

Adding the conversion to the Lee Classic Cast was settling for the economy route because I couldn't afford the Co-Ax at the time. If I'd had the monies available, I would have just gotten the Co-Ax without a second thought. The Lee fills a supporting role to my Hornady LNL AP

I don't see the Mec as an upgrade to the Lee Classic Cast. I chose the Lee over the RCBS Rockchucker for it's superior spent primer handling capabilities, I gave away a RCBS Jr when I got the Lee

 

[9mmepiphany]

Name dropping and telling us who uses anything is the battle cry of the Kool-aid drinker.

It isn't a "battle cry" when it is directly in response to a question in the OP

 

[marchboom]

I used many presses in my 40+ yrs of reloading. Got a Co-Ax from a friend last year and I wish I had bought this when I first started out. By far the best press I've ever used. No more screwing in dies and hope that they are still adjusted properly. And the runout is very small.

The price is what keeps most people away from this press, IMO. That's why I never bought one (a friend gave me my Co-Ax). But the price difference between the MEC and the Co-Ax is what...$100? Amortized over 40 yrs that comes out to $2.50 a yr! And you will never screw in dies...over and over and over...

Don't let this small price difference determine your choice. Get the one that you think will make your hobby more fun and less work. You will have this press for the rest of your life. Get the best one. If that means saving up a little longer for it, then do that. But in the long run you will be a happy camper.
As far as quality ammo is concerned, I think that it is a sum of the equipment (the press, dies, scale, etc.) that makes good ammo...along with good loading practices.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

You gotta be kidding.

 

[SamT1]

I’d sure Want to spend an afternoon running one before I dropped the kind of money for a forester. Looks too high and uncomfortable to me.

I tend to worry that real high priced stuff isn’t as good as it sounds. It’s hard to give something a bad review when you spend that much on it.

 

[jmorris]

You gotta be kidding.

If he was kidding he would have started with, “A horse walks into a bar...”

A $100 ain’t what it used to be, almost a single tank of fuel for my pickup these days.

I used to be a penny pincher worse than I am today but watching other people waste my money on things I think are completely useless, I buy whatever tools I feel like I want for myself.

I still don’t think my Co-ax is the “best” press I have but I do like it for some things because there are times it is “best” at the job I want done.

That said, it doesn’t make much difference what you are talking about “best” is a qualitative description based on a moving target of factors, budgets and people. In other words, there is no such thing as “best” at everything. Almost every press I own or have owned had something going for it that none other offered.

 

[Walkalong]

This should do it for you.

Between the "floating" shell holder of the MEC Marksman and the flex of the o-rings in the LNL bushing set up there is no reason at all the rounds souldn't be very straight indeed (Assuming good dies and straight brass). I like it.

 

[jski]

Between the "floating" shell holder of the MEC Marksman and the flex of the o-rings in the LNL bushing set up there is no reason at all the rounds souldn't be very straight indeed (Assuming good dies and straight brass). I like it.

Are you referring to bullet run-out or as it's more correctly called concentricity?

 

[Walkalong]

Yes. Things should line up extremely well with the LNL kit installed as well as the floating shell holder.

 

[jmorris]

If you have the ability to measure rounds, a bunch of different presses, a bunch of different die sets, you can learn how little difference the press actually makes.

 

[daboone]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks the CO-AX's priming is excellent, precise and consistant. No it's not as fast as my RCBS bench primer but it seats all my M1 Garand, Carbine and SKS precisely and consistently.

 

[jmorris]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks the CO-AX's priming is excellent

It is the most versatile for sure. I once acquired a rifle and dies only to find I didn’t have a shell holder that worked for the weird rim size. The co-ax was the only solution I had at the time. I’ll concede the priming system is not as easy to set up as sliding in a shell holder but if you can setup the rest of the things required for the reloading process, it shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[sequins]

I love my Co-ax and while not it's strongest point I've gotten used to the on-press priming.

I really can't recommend it enough, it's such a good press.

 

[Walkalong]

If you have the ability to measure rounds, a bunch of different presses, a bunch of different die sets, you can learn how little difference the press actually makes.

Bad dies or crooked brass will do poorly no matter how well the press lines things up.

 

[mdi]

Well, so far the Forster Co-Ax has a lot of positive posts from knowledgeable owners and one detractor...

Yes, it costs more. Yes priming can be challenging (but so can removing a left hand thread bolt to the uninitiated). Some cannot grasp that a handle can be shortened or modified. Yes it takes a small amount of mechanical ability to change shell holder jaws. All these "problems" are minor and should have nothing to do with choosing a Co-Ax...