Anyone here use a lanes handload kit?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Those crimps in Post #16 are as good as it gets for a .410 from any machine and I would not complain a bit if my Paco Kelly kit did anything remotely similar. I have never gotten anything close out of that tool, and it was over $100 with both length dies.

My Pacific DL266 makes perfect crimps every time. They look about 2% better than the ones in the pic above, which is not saying much, and like I said they are as good as it gets.

.410's are really tricky because after the crimp is started it has to be supported and pushed down just right to form the crimp correctly. It is very critical on a .410 as it is easy for the previous crimp to not re-fold closed exactly right everytime. I also use a MEC Crimp Starter, and that starts the crimp fine but the tool doesn't close the crimp right and just squashes it.

Most hand tools don't do this very well and even my Lee 12ga hand tool doesn't do it very well.

The machines do this right and why a hand tool can't is beyond me since the only difference would be the method used to push the hull into the die. Seems like all they'd have to do is duplicate the inside of a MEC closing die.

Here's a pic of a AA loaded on my Pacific.

Now the machine is faster and I can do about 2 a minute on it so if you need any production a used Pacific or MEC would be worth buying. Unfortunately the Pacific's are getting expensive and especially the .410 version. I paid $250 for mine and it was a really good deal. I paid $50 for my Pacific DL266 12 ga that was nearly new.

MECs are a different story and since they are still made, and they have made a bunch already,,, they are readily available and you should be able to get a .410 model for less than $100 off Ebay.

Randy

[Buckshot Bill]

Well it roll crimps good too! Dug around and found a few federal once fireds that were roll crimped, did a fine job, the overshot cards are a bit ugly because they are homemade, my cutter is a touch large but it works. I get the frogskins saved up I'll probably grab one of these in a few other gauges too (if anyone has one in 10, 12 or 20 ga they want to trade off gimme a holler.