survivalshop Posted December 13, 2016 Report Share Posted December 13, 2016 MEC getting into Metallic Reloading with a new single stage press Press Assembly by MEC RELOADINGMEC has introduced the new Marksman single stage metallic reloading press for 2017. This heavy duty cast iron press features a patent pending self-centering shell holder base that centers every cartridge. It also features a smooth ram for accuracy each round you load. Standard 7/8-14 threaded dies from all major reloading manufacturers are compatible. This sturdy press also features a wide enough clearance to load calibers from 22 Hornet all the way up to 416 Rigby. Best of all, the Marksman Press is made in the USA!Weight: 16lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted December 13, 2016 Report Share Posted December 13, 2016 MEC ... Not just for shotguns anymore ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2016 I just ordered one for myself for Christmas , $ 188 shipped to my door. Don't even know how old my Pacific Press is , I bought it from an much older friend of mine , when I first got into reloading & who knows how long he had it . Its starting to get more play in it then I like . I give a review when I set it up . I see they also put out some accessories for it & it seems by the other products they now have available , they are into Metallic reloading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2016 Press arrived today , when I get time to mount it on the loading bench , I give a run down , looks very well made . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2016 Got a chance to do a little testing with my new MEC single stage Press last night & it warrants more testing & curiosity . Had to remove my RCBS Bullet sizer to make room for it . I took two Match , once fired 308 Brass & lubed them . I had a brand new never used # 3 RCBS Shell Holder to use for this test & used the same Die , a Redding Bushing Die , & found out real quick , there is no Cam over with this MEC Press , none , it stops when the Shell holder contacts the Die period . One other note , the Shell hold is loose on the Ram , it moves around I would say an 1/8 " in any direction, kinda weird . I measured two Cases , # 1 was 2.004" & # 2 was 2.0035" , sized # 1 in the MEC & it came out to 2.0045" , moved the Shell Holder & Die to the old Pacific Press & I know I can Cam over with this one , but did not , Set the Die to so as the Ram stoped when all play was out of the system ( My Press handles stop a the Benches bottom desk top ) Put #2 case in & sized it , came out to 2.008" , needless to say I was perplexed & said , this can't be , there has to be something I did , so I took the full length sized # 1 case & sized it in the Pacific press & it measured afterward to 2.008" , so it went from 2.0045" to 2.008" just by changing presses which are set up the same , why ? Why would it make a difference , if both Sizing Dies are set the same & the only real difference is the Press & that doesn't make sense to me , yet ! I have to do more testing, that is for sure . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted December 24, 2016 Report Share Posted December 24, 2016 That's curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2016 Yes , it is ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2016 Is is possible that the Floating Shell holder has something to do with it ? I have read where a floating Shell holder would let the Cartridge case align better in the Die . I think there is a Thread on that here , that I posted from MidSouth news letter . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted December 25, 2016 Report Share Posted December 25, 2016 27 minutes ago, survivalshop said: Is is possible that the Floating Shell holder has something to do with it ? I have read where a floating Shell holder would let the Cartridge case align better in the Die . I think there is a Thread on that here , that I posted from MidSouth news letter . That article is what came to my mind when you mentioned how much movement the shell holder had. Never would have guessed it could make that much difference though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) I guess it is possible that the Cartridge case being skewered to one side or the other could make a difference in sizing . I know that if I use my SB sizing Die , the sized case will grow because you are sizing deeper on the case , but when the Shell Holder is contacting the Die Base , that should produce the same results , the Die is the same , same Shell Holder , the only thing thats different is the Press , even so , its the same equation , Shell Holder contacting the Sizer Die Base , dimensions should come out the same . Saying that the only thing that is changed is the Floating Shell Holder , unless I'm missing something . I can see if I used different Shell Holders or Sizer Dies , but didn't . This makes me wonder have loaded ammo will perform from this Press , can't see a Velocity change ,because the case volume isn't going to change by how the Case is sized , then again , if the Case is being sized & you have to trim it & take brass mass away , that had to come from somewhere & that may indeed change Case Volume . If the Sized case holds to the over all case length from sized case from this MEC set up , I will not have to trim any cases or trim far less . My tolerances for sizing are 2.0045" to 2.0055" , that is what I load , if less I don't use them for anything but blasting ammo for testing & if more then they get trimmed . This is going to be fun , testing using this press , I have to copy some of the loads I have already test , jut to see if there is a difference in some way . If anything , Case life should be lengthened if this sizing dimensions hold true . Edited December 25, 2016 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted December 25, 2016 Report Share Posted December 25, 2016 SS, sounds like you need to do a volume test on the stretched/trimmed cases vs. the unstretched cases. I'd be surprised if it changed the case volume by 1/2 grain of water. Get on yer lab coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted December 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 I resized two once fired LC Brass , probably shot from a Belt fed , they were stretched pretty good already , the difference was around 0.003" less stretch with the MEC on those also . Close to what the Match brass was . I 13 hours ago, planeflyer21 said: I'd be surprised if it changed the case volume by 1/2 grain of water. Probably not even that & I really don't see it making any difference , except on Brass life span. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 Sized a bunch of 308 brass today , half once fired Match ( thanks Drew ) & some once fired commercial & about ten once fired LC ( probably from a Belt fed ? ) I noticed one thing right when I got to the LC , that I hadn't tightened the Press handle lock nut sufficiently , it loosened up first LC I tried to size . If you look at the Handle , it kicks off to one side or the other , which ever way you want to index it . I tightened the nut up again & had no further issues with it for the rest of the sizing process . It sure is strange inserting the case in that floating Shell Holder , not used to the thing moving around , but seems to work pretty good . I have not figured out how to see exactly why the two presses size the cases differently , its so consistent in how one stretches the Case more & at the same time is really not much . Kinda reminds me of the difference in what a Small Base Sizing Die does in comparison to a Full Length Sizing Die . Except here its the same Die & Shell Holder & press set up , just different Presses , maybe it just because the MEC is new ? . I will be comparing loads between the two presses , not that I think there will be anything thats going to jump out at me , but ya never know . I can tell you this , I like this Press so far . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 I wonder if the floating case holder sort of "wiggles" the case out of the sizing die, as opposed to brute "yanking" of a fixed holder, allowing the brass to stay put instead of flowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted January 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 2 minutes ago, planeflyer21 said: I wonder if the floating case holder sort of "wiggles" the case out of the sizing die, as opposed to brute "yanking" of a fixed holder, allowing the brass to stay put instead of flowing. Or it allows the Case to stay aligned during the Sizing process , maybe an locked in case stretches differently . Hard to tell & Maybe I will make a set up to test for Case concentricity, I'm not going to purchase one for a couple Cases , I have Dial indicators & bases & can use one of the other Case Trimmers I have . I do know this , them LC stretch a bunch , compared to the Match & commercial , nothing any of us didn't know already . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted January 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) I removed the spring clip that holds the Shell holder in my Pacific Press & replaced it with an O-ring , as was in an article I posted a while back & man did it give that Shell Holder some play , about the same as the MEC Press . I have some photo's , but will include them in a new Thread with the outcome of the comparison between the two Presses to see if the loose type Shell holder , is why the Cases stretched less . Edited January 24, 2017 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) SS can you make the mini-case 12ga ammo that we will start using within the next year ? Edited January 23, 2017 by MikedaddyH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted January 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, MikedaddyH said: SS can you make the mini-case 12ga ammo that we will start using within the next year ? No Who the Fuk wants mini 12ga. , sissy's ? Edited January 24, 2017 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 Hell yah I want a mini 12ga gun. I'm going to get one of the 3gunners long tubes and fill it with about 20 to 24 of those little bastards and bump fire the $hit out of a 930 Mossberg ! The little metal piece is like $14 shipped. Or maybe do it to a Mossberg 500 Chainsaw ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 5 hours ago, MikedaddyH said: Hell yah I want a mini 12ga gun. I'm going to get one of the 3gunners long tubes and fill it with about 20 to 24 of those little bastards and bump fire the $hit out of a 930 Mossberg ! The little metal piece is like $14 shipped. Or maybe do it to a Mossberg 500 Chainsaw ! Get the 930 Jerry Miculek special! 24" barrel and the mag extension on some stick out an extra 1 1/2"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 5 hours ago, planeflyer21 said: Get the 930 Jerry Miculek special! 24" barrel and the mag extension on some stick out an extra 1 1/2"! Hell yah .... 40 plus mini rounds ! That would be fun as hell ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted January 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 (edited) Interesting results with my experiment , here's what I did. As per above Post , I removed the spring clip that held the Shell Holder in a locked position in the Pacific Press & replaced it with an O-Ring . Took three LC 308 Brass cases , three of each , 2006,2010& 2011, measured each one ( there were some differences in the Unsized case years )& marked the bottom of the case with I, II & III , sized the # I's in the MEC press & the # II's in the Pacific Press , (now with the Shell holder loose to move a little ). Now ,No measurable difference in size length from one press to the other , this is with the same Bushing Sizing Die & same Shell holder . I took the sized cases from the MEC press & re-sized them in the Pacific Press & this time , no case got longer ! Theory ; the locked in Shell holder some how , by locking the case in the Press ram , it must not be aligned with the Sizing Die & sizes the case differently , by around 0.003" , on my testing anyway, on the comparison Pacific Press I have . Now it may not be much , but two things come to mind , one - if its sizing differently , how ? At an angle & two- Brass life has to be longer if its not being stretched by sizing it needlessly by misalignment . That brings up something else , if it is misaligned , in what way & does it effect how it sits in the Chamber , is the case deformed enough to cause the Bullet to be angled in such a way as to no hit the Lands or Forcing cone or Lead dead center ? I was going to use a larger test count , but after this , I don't think it will make a difference . That article about getting rid of the locked in Shell Holder was dead on , I can't believe just having slop in the Shell holder would have made any difference . Edited January 30, 2017 by survivalshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 On 1/7/2017 at 8:10 PM, planeflyer21 said: I wonder if the floating case holder sort of "wiggles" the case out of the sizing die, as opposed to brute "yanking" of a fixed holder, allowing the brass to stay put instead of flowing. I still think it's this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Looks like I better get the old rock chucker set up with an O-ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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