Can you reload short 10 and 2.5" 12 ga loads with the same press?

[King Cobb]

Just curious as I am looking at getting back into shotgun reloading to reload for my parkers. I reloaded back in Jr. High and High School for skeet shooting on an old Mecc progressive my dad had. I have been reloading pistol rounds for about 5 years or so.

My question when looking at shotgun reloaders is, is it possible to get one reloader for both gauges or do I need to get a seperate reloader for both?

I know Mecc will build you a reloader for the short 10 or 12 if you contact them, but not familiar enough with shotgun reloaders to know if you can adjust the gauge you reload like you can change pistol calibers?

Thanks for any help!

[OH Osthaus]

You would have to have a set of dies for both gauges

It's easier to have two presses



BTW. You don't need MEC to build one - get or make a "short kit" and you can covert an 12MEC to 2 1/2. Or a 10 to 2 7/8 (or 2 5/8 for British). So find an inexpensive used press and load away

[King Cobb]

Rick,

thanks. I remember reading something about the short kit, but can't find it in my notes.

I also have some brass 12 ga shells, but I imagine those would have to be hand loaded...

[OH Osthaus]

See page two here for Bill's homemade short kit. You only need to worry about the two crimping stations

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...t=Short&page=2
Personally. I would stick to hand loading full brass hulls. And any black powder loads

[Paul Harm]

With a Mec progressive, the gaps that hold the shells in the shell plate are so close together by the time you grind them out [ and the washer under it ] for 10ga, the primer holes are almost gone into. If you want to use a progressive you'd have to have two presses. If you have a 12ga SS press then all you'd need are the crimp stations as previously stated. If you want to resize then you'd need the 10ga resizing ring or at least remove the 12ga ring when doing 10ga. A short kit is nothing more than a 1/4" spacer under the plate that holds the shells for powder and shot drops and resizing. Anyone can make it. Myself, I'd rather buy a couple of used Mec Jrs and get the resizing dies for 10ga. They're not that much used, and it would save a lot of grief adjusting the start and final crimp every time you changed gauges. In my Cowboy shooting days I use to load black powder in Magtechs on my Grabber with different dies for the deprime and prime stations. Sure made it go quicker when doing 150 shells at a time. For 10ga I use a old Mec Jr and cut my shells to 2 3/4 - no adjustment or short kit needed. I do have a 1/4" spacer for my 12ga Jr when I want to load roll crimp or 2 1/2" fold crimp shells. It's also a nice back up for my 9000H when I make a mistake. Good luck with what ever your choice is.

[Paul Harm]

King, Mec will make the "short" press for progressive presses. SS presses are done by the owner because it's so simple. Actually, what Rick referred you to will work, but some of the wood parts are unnecessary. That top piece screwed to the other one isn't needed. You're just trying to raise the shell in the last three stations. And the bottom wooden piece should have extended over to the station under the drop tube. If you go here https://www.mecshootingsports.com/short-kit and look close you can see the 1/4" metal plate that slides under the shell plate.

[OH Osthaus]

that was Bill's homemade

i actually just shelled out and bought the MEC metal ones

[William Davis]

Unless loading a lot of short I think you are better off with a single stage Mec or several Mec's. I break the job up in small pieces, box of 25 when passing the press. May wait a day or hour then load another. Never make long runs at one time. I use P-W 375's for 2 3/4 12 & 20 Mec with a short kit for 2 7/8 10. The Mec works very well, just as well as the P-W's who won't load short.

Short, Mec set up for one gage is the way to go

William