I have 2 older Mec Jr 12 gauge presses that don't get used any more. I was thinking of buying some conversion kits , and changing them into .410 & 28 gauge machines. Where / who sells these kits in Canada? I've googled my arse off trying to find these. The Mec page says there are 3 dealers in Ontario that carry their stuff , but none of them list what I want on their sites. So.... who has gone through this? Where did you buy yours? suggestions please.
Mec conversion kits
- Thread starter triggerman42
- Start date
As shotshell reloading is something of a rarity these days, you'll probably have to be lucky to find all in one place, may be just as well off to buy straight out of the US and be done with it. Depends on how big a hurry you are in too. If you can hit a few gun shows, you'll likely find them there. Or put a WTB up in the EE.
I was also looking at buying the extra die sets. I ended up finding complete Mec 600 jr's used for about the same price as the die sets. Too bad you don't need a 12 set as I have an extra.
I realize reloading 12 gauge is non productive , but with the price of the sub-gauge shells , and the comparative cost to load them, it's silly not to. I am really surprised the conversion kits are not MUCH more readily available . There are a lot of dusty Mec 12 gauge loaders out there , that haven't seen any action in years. If these kits were available at all the local gun shops , I'm sure they'd sell themselves. .410 , and 28 gauge ammo takes a small charge of powder , and a small payload of lead which equals a very small cost compared to store bought ammo. It only makes sense to reload for these two.
I just bought 2 boxes of 11/16 , 3" .410 ammo , and 2 boxes of 1 ounce 28 gauge ammo, and it cost $100.oo for the 4 boxes.
That is insane pricing . 12 gauge target ammo is a steal when it goes on sale every other month , and I do take advantage of the low pricing on that stuff. There is just WAY too large of a difference here , in what you pay , for what you get.
The sub gauge guns are fun to shoot. They make you try harder , and perfect your form / skills.
I bet if the gun shops carried the reloading conversion kits , and had them on display , with a great big sign ! lol , They'd sell.
There are a lot of dusty Mec loaders out there that never get used any more.
I bet they'd find there would be a resurgence in gun sales in these sub gauge guns as well . Just my 2 cents , and maybe a nickel.
I just bought 2 boxes of 11/16 , 3" .410 ammo , and 2 boxes of 1 ounce 28 gauge ammo, and it cost $100.oo for the 4 boxes.
That is insane pricing . 12 gauge target ammo is a steal when it goes on sale every other month , and I do take advantage of the low pricing on that stuff. There is just WAY too large of a difference here , in what you pay , for what you get.
The sub gauge guns are fun to shoot. They make you try harder , and perfect your form / skills.
I bet if the gun shops carried the reloading conversion kits , and had them on display , with a great big sign ! lol , They'd sell.
There are a lot of dusty Mec loaders out there that never get used any more.
I bet they'd find there would be a resurgence in gun sales in these sub gauge guns as well . Just my 2 cents , and maybe a nickel.
Yes , Hummason is one of the 3 sites Mec has listed , for their Ontario dealers. But none of the three list conversion kits on their sites . Just presses.
If they have to special order it from Mec , I can do that myself. Thanks for all your replies though !
If they have to special order it from Mec , I can do that myself. Thanks for all your replies though !
If I need one and have the time to wait I buy them on e-bay or direct from MEC
Cheers
The MEC 600 came in 3 flavors, the original produced up until 1983. This model is referred to as the pre '83. The next version was produced for a short time until the Mark V was released. It is still a current model. Kits are available for each model. Ballistic Products (USA) is a good outfit to deal with, they ship to Canada. Bilozir in Alberta will import most of the Ballistic Products line.
A conversion kit will end up costing about $150. IMHO, I wouldn't invest that much into any of the 600 models.They were entry level reloaders, built solid, I still have my 600 Jr, pre '83 and it still makes nice ammunition. However, it will not deal with any shells with high brass. I believe the Mark V addressed that, but a much better press is the MEC Sizemaster. I have one in 20 ga and another set up in 410. I have a spare 12 ga kit, although converting gauges is not just a 5 minute job, so I kept my 600 Jr. A conversion kit for a Sizemaster is around $175.
When I acquired a 16 ga 870, I bought a LEE Load-All instead of buying another die set for my Sizemaster. I saved some money but I regret not buying a die set. You are on the right track.
Used sub 12 ga presses sell cheaper than what a kit costs, but they are not easy to find, unfortunately. One thing to keep in mind, as the gauge gets smaller, they get a bit more difficult to reload. 410 can be a challenge, took me a bit of time to set up the die set. My suggestion, buy a Sizemaster in 410, then make a decision on the die sets for the other gauges.
Don't buy any of the older pre MEC era brands, this one still haunts me, what was I thinking.
A conversion kit will end up costing about $150. IMHO, I wouldn't invest that much into any of the 600 models.They were entry level reloaders, built solid, I still have my 600 Jr, pre '83 and it still makes nice ammunition. However, it will not deal with any shells with high brass. I believe the Mark V addressed that, but a much better press is the MEC Sizemaster. I have one in 20 ga and another set up in 410. I have a spare 12 ga kit, although converting gauges is not just a 5 minute job, so I kept my 600 Jr. A conversion kit for a Sizemaster is around $175.
When I acquired a 16 ga 870, I bought a LEE Load-All instead of buying another die set for my Sizemaster. I saved some money but I regret not buying a die set. You are on the right track.
Used sub 12 ga presses sell cheaper than what a kit costs, but they are not easy to find, unfortunately. One thing to keep in mind, as the gauge gets smaller, they get a bit more difficult to reload. 410 can be a challenge, took me a bit of time to set up the die set. My suggestion, buy a Sizemaster in 410, then make a decision on the die sets for the other gauges.
Don't buy any of the older pre MEC era brands, this one still haunts me, what was I thinking.
IMO die sets for mec are nothing more than a pain in the butt unless you use them to convert a loader and leave it that gauge after you adjust it
That is the only time I use them but you need room after to store all the loaders you now have especially if you reload all gauges and steel it is easy to have more than a dozen or more
Cheers
That is the only time I use them but you need room after to store all the loaders you now have especially if you reload all gauges and steel it is easy to have more than a dozen or more
Cheers
Shop around. You can buy a used Mec 600 Jr. in small gauge cheaper than a conversion kit, with patience.
Some obsolete loaders like Pacific are usable, but better be cheap because of hard to find parts, except those parts common to later Hornady models.
Some obsolete loaders like Pacific are usable, but better be cheap because of hard to find parts, except those parts common to later Hornady models.
