impulse buy: Mec 600 jr

[billsnogo]

I was hunting the garage sales today, and came across a Mec 600 jr for sale. Looked at it, decided I would never use it, then made the mistake of going back later with the wife.

She said go for it, and I did. I got the reloader, manual, sever older reloading manuals (late 60's, early 70's?), a box full of express power piston, and winchester hulls, bunch of wads (guessing 700?), around 350 primers, opened powder (probably junk), several small data sheets for reloading, and scale. I forgot to grab the shot that was supposed to go with it :banghead:

So, for this I paid $25. I know NOTHING about reloading shotgun hulls, or the reloaders. Did I do okay?

 

[Maj Dad]

It's all junk. I'll send you $50 & take it off your hands...

Outstanding deal - the primers are worth that alone, and don't assume the powder is bad. I have old powders and use them from time to time, and as long as they don't smell vinegar-ish, they're fine. Smokeless powder is very stable, especially stored in controlled climate (indoors). I store mine in a closet in my garage that is insulated from the SC heat & humidity and have no concerns about it. The Pacific scale is worth 2 or 3 times what you paid for it all, too. I have 3 MECs: 2 600 Jrs & a 700 Versamec, and they are superb loaders. One is set up for 20 ga & skeet, the others are 12 ga for skeet/trap & dove/whatever. Really 1 is all I needed, but I found this great deal on one, then ran across another for practically nothing...

Crank it up & have some fun!

 

[rtpzwms]

Great Job!! Now can you find a shotgun at a sale for a price like that?!

Man talk about stepping into it and coming out smelling like a rose! That's one of the deals you read about and never happen to you! CONGRATS!

 

[bullseye308]

I'd hurry back & get the shot too, just to make it a clean sweep.

 

[billsnogo]

He, he, he...... just did that. Twelve pounds of it


They did have a shotgun for $40, but I never seen it. They told me it sold earlier

 

[rbernie]

The MEC sells for $140 new, and normally sells for about half of that used. With all of the swag that came with it, you did quite well.

Reloading shotshells is quite addictive.

 

[Blackrock]

Good old Red Dot powder will be good and I imagine the bar has the bushing setup for the primer-wad-hull combination. Any extra powder bushings and what OZ. are the shot bushings. That #6 shot is probably going to be for game load. Sort the hulls by manufacturer and type, read the books and start cranking out some finished rounds.

 

[Armored farmer]

That Red Dot bottle shown in the picture isn't very old.....I betcha that powder is just fine.
Red Dot is good stuff...you are set up pretty well.
I have 4 mec loaders including 2 600 jr's

set her up in the basement or garage 'cause you are gonna dump that shot everywhere at some point!! lol

 

[rtpzwms]

set her up in the basement or garage 'cause you are gonna dump that shot everywhere at some point!! lol

Look for a shop vac to dedicate to cleaning up lead with your luck 5 bucks would be good..


Someone told me about mounting it in a cooking pan so when the lead goes flying it won't go to far....

 

[gspn]

Duuuuude...NICE deal!!! I have the same press and I can't imagine that I'll ever need another one...GREAT press.

 

[shootinxd]

WOW,I seem to miss out on the GREAT DEALS.

 

[qajaq59]

Great buy!!! And I have one of those. I've loaded thousands of shells on it and it is not only easy, it's fairly fast once you get going.

 

[oneounceload]

Nice find - one thing I'll add - IF you're going to be loading more than a few boxes of shells, get the auto primer feed for it. That will save time and you won't be handling the primers with your fingers.

Wish I could find deals like that around here - got enough old folks.....

 

[Rembrandt]

You did good......one bad thing about the MEC 600 Jr is the lack of a sizer. Possible problem for you if cycling ammo through semi-autos or if reloads get stuck in chamber. An easy fix is to buy the MEC sizer.

 

[rbernie]

Actually, the 600Jr does have a sizer. It's the MEC progressives that do not.

 

[Rembrandt]

????..........No sizer on the 600 JR I have.....none on the one pictured by the OP. Is this something that's been added to newer ones? My Grabber has a sizer and it's progressive.

 

[rbernie]

The chrome decapper die on the MEC 600 Jr. has a black ring that threads onto the bottom of the die; that ring resizes the base. It has always been there, as far as I know. My pre-85 600 Jr and my 2010 600 Jr have it. It's not a collet resizer but it is a ring resizer, like a metallic rifle/handgun sizing die.

The 650 defintely does not; i believe that the Grabber is their only progressive from MEC that has a base resizer.

 

[oneounceload]

The decapper die on the MEC 600 Jr. has a ring that threads onto the bottom of the die; that ring resizes the base. It has always been there, as far as I know. My pre-85 600 Jr and my 2010 600 Jr have it.

I have three of them and the sizer ring is as stated. It doesn't have a collet-style sizer, but it resizes them very well - one is for 28 gauge which I shoot through a Remington 1100 - always feeds and extracts every time

 

[JimKirk]

My 600 Jr has the sizing ring too. I shoot them in 2 auto guns and 2 pumps with out any problems.

Now if you'll let that "Jeannie" out the bottle and get her to pull the handle, she'll turn out some dang good shells.

My 600 has loaded more than I could even count...

You did well !!

 

[Rembrandt]

Well I'll be danged.....learn something new everyday. Looked at my 600 JR again, you're right, it does have the black ring. Didn't know that the decapper doubled as a brass resizer. Bought it used years ago, previous owner said he'd purchased the resizer because of semi-auto brass inconsistencies. Must not have had it adjusted properly. Thanks for the education.

 

[JimKirk]

He probably bought the collet resizer because someone "told" him it didn't have a resizer, had he read the instructions book he would have known.

If you have ever sized some shells that were shot in an over sized chamber ... you can defiantly feel the sizing going on.

I wish they would make the Activ shells again... no brass and they sized slick as a baby's butt!! I really don't think there was any sizing going on!!

 

[rbernie]

FWIW - I have seen that MEC advises that the 600 Jr sizing ring is a wear item and should be replaced every so often. I dunno what 'every so often' might be; I have a press that's quite old and bought used, so I have no idea how many rounds have been made on it. I have made about 5K on it so far, and the ring seems to be doing just fine. I may replace it 'just because', one of these days.

 

[Cougfan2]

Get yourself a Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook. IMO the definitive book for shotshell reloaders. Mine is well used.