MEC 9000GN

[J. A. EARLY]

Edgar,

I am attaching a link to Precision Reloading so you may see a brass spacer bushing. I use these on 600 JRs to load shells that are 1/4 shorter than what the press is set up for. They have 12, 20, and .410 (1/2"). They don't yet make a 28. But I'm sure with your machinist ability or contacts you could make them for 28.

Since the first three stations on the MEC 9000 only deprime and resize the metal, prime and dump powder, then seat the wad and drop shot, I believe after that station at the crimp starter station you could pull the shell, put the spacer under it, and put it back in its slot to move on after starting the crimp to the next two stations until at the last one where the shell and spacer would be dumped into whatever container. This would require making three of them to follow the 2 1/2" shells until they are dumped then remove the spacer and use it for the next shell. A few more actions but it would work. These spacers hold tightly to the shell and fit precisely in the MECs slots.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...!l=MM&i=SB2014

[Mike of the Mountain]

Jerry, those spacers will not work on the progressive presses. The turret revolves with each pull of the handle to advance the hulls. Those spacers work on the 600 Jr because you are manually moving a single hull from station to station.

[6pt-Sika]

Probably the easiest but a bit more costly is to order a new PW 800 Plus and when ordering tell them you want it set for 2 !/2" shells which they'll be happy to do for you for an additional $35-50 dollars on top of the cost of the press .

[J. A. EARLY]

Originally Posted by Mike Koneski

Jerry, those spacers will not work on the progressive presses. The turret revolves with each pull of the handle to advance the hulls. Those spacers work on the 600 Jr because you are manually moving a single hull from station to station.

Mike,

Yes, I have four 9000 so this is why I am sure it works. What I wrote is when the shell gets to the first crimping station, pull it out and put the spacer under it. It will follow the shell until the end when it is ejected. Thus one would need to rotate three of them in the three final stages as the machine progresses and ejects the shell. Pull the spacer and put it on the next shell at the crimp station. The shells are easily pulled there at the first crimp station, the spacers fit the shell and the MEC firmly, and should work if the 28 gauge spacer can be made.

[Mike of the Mountain]

I got ya. I thought you were trying to have the spacer follow the hull around the entire turret. If you have to move them like you are saying, I'd just get a 600 Jr and load with it. If you're not looking to do Spolar production numbers, then the Jr would suffice.

[edgarspencer]

Craig, The press was a birthday gift, so, easy or not, MEC threw down the gauntlet when they told me the press will not load 2 1/2".
Jerry is correct, and I follow his train of thought completely, except The spacer is needed under the wad guide/shot drop tube also, because the hull needs to be Inside the fingers of the was guide, at least on a reload, in order for the wad to slide smoothly into the hull. This thought came to me in the middle of thee night, so I went down to the basement to confirm it.

This whole idea is rather silly for the number I need to reload on a weekly basis, which is 200 on average, 300 if I get more time to shoot. I've been feeding my habit on a row of 600Jr presses just fine, but when a 9000 press falls in you lap, you do stuff that only makes sense to yourself.

I've had "ideas" sent to me by a couple people, and apart from Jerry's spacer, none of the others will work, BUT, since I'm going full steam ahead, I plan on making my 'modified part' and proceeding.

The parts that I ordered from MEC came today and I plan on spending some time at the Bridgeport next week. My wife leaves for the month of November next Tuesday, and Apart from the myriad of daily chores, I'll have a clear head with no distractions. When I'm done, I plan on discussing it with MEC. What I don't have a handle on is whether there are others who would like to load 2 1/2" shells on their 9000. MEC could implement the change for only the cost of modifying the tooling used (by an outside vendor) to make the part I'm making. I think it will take about 10 minutes to change the part and go from 2.75" to 2.5"

[Double Lab]

I'd be interested in that modification Dad. I can shoot 2 3/4" in all my 28's except for a beautiful little Pieper 28 hammer which absolutely will not digest a 2 3/4'' round. I'd shoot it more if I could reload for it on my 9000.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Craig, The press was a birthday gift, so, easy or not, MEC threw down the gauntlet when they told me the press will not load 2 1/2".
Jerry is correct, and I follow his train of thought completely, except The spacer is needed under the wad guide/shot drop tube also, because the hull needs to be Inside the fingers of the was guide, at least on a reload, in order for the wad to slide smoothly into the hull. This thought came to me in the middle of thee night, so I went down to the basement to confirm it.

This whole idea is rather silly for the number I need to reload on a weekly basis, which is 200 on average, 300 if I get more time to shoot. I've been feeding my habit on a row of 600Jr presses just fine, but when a 9000 press falls in you lap, you do stuff that only makes sense to yourself.

I've had "ideas" sent to me by a couple people, and apart from Jerry's spacer, none of the others will work, BUT, since I'm going full steam ahead, I plan on making my 'modified part' and proceeding.

The parts that I ordered from MEC came today and I plan on spending some time at the Bridgeport next week. My wife leaves for the month of November next Tuesday, and Apart from the myriad of daily chores, I'll have a clear head with no distractions. When I'm done, I plan on discussing it with MEC. What I don't have a handle on is whether there are others who would like to load 2 1/2" shells on their 9000. MEC could implement the change for only the cost of modifying the tooling used (by an outside vendor) to make the part I'm making. I think it will take about 10 minutes to change the part and go from 2.75" to 2.5"

I’d like a 9000 or Grabber that would load 10 gauge 2 7/8” . I talked to them about just such a thing about ten years ago , and atleast they were honest in saying yes they could do it but doubted if they’d sell twenty machines a year for a short 10 so from a buisness standpoint a no winner .

[edgarspencer]

My idea for converting my 9000GN works perfectly.

In crimping a 2 1/2" shell in 600Jr press, it's necessary to raise the shell up 1/4". However, that isn't possible on a progressive press. But on the 9000, it isn't possible to either raise the shell, or lower the crimp die.

My idea was to lower only the internal profile of the crimp die(Thanks, Dave), without changing the way the die is secured in the press. The cam needs to still contact the roller on the die.

I accomplished the lowering of the internal die profile, by buying two new Crimp dies. First, I bored out one of the dies, straight thru. I did this by clamping the die on my Bridgeport milling machine, being sure it was aligned vertically. Using a deep hole boring bar, and machining out the entire internal profile.
Next, I took the second new Crimp die, cut off the side mounted arms, and chucking it in my lathe, turned it to a diameter so as to have a sliding, interference fit inside the first, bored out Crimp die. Using a two part epoxy, I cemented in the turned piece into the bored piece, but 1/4" lower.

The only other changes consisted of removing a 1/4" off the bottom of the side mount of the wad guide, and readjusting the spindex pre-crimp die, and the final 'taper die, both down 1/4". There is sufficient thread travel of these two dies.

After installing the new, modified final crimp die, no adjustment to the cam was required.

I ran a few single hulls through the cycle with no issues, so then ran a couple dozen hulls through in the normal manner.
The whole recipe for the 2 1/2" shell is the same as those run on the 600Jr press.
As is often the case with single stage charge bars, the bar on the 9000 also delivers less than the 3/4 ounce that it's supposed to drop, by about 12 pellets (#8), so I just lowered the top punch of the final crimp die. All crimps were satisfactory.
So much for MEC telling me a 9000 won't load a 2 1/2" shell.

[David Noble]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

My idea was to lower only the internal profile of the trim die, without changing the way the die is secured in the press. The cam needs to still contact the roller on the die.

I accomplished the lowering of the internal die profile, by buying two new trim dies.
Next, I took the second new trim die, cut off the side mounted arms, and chucking it in my lathe, turned it to a diameter so as to have a sliding, interference fit inside the first, bored out trim die.

Edgar, great thinking you did there but I was confused by your use of the term trim die. Perhaps I'm wrong, but should that have said crimp die instead?
I'm prepared to be scolded in the event that I am wrong.