MEC crimp starters.

Does anyone have any experience with loading new unfired hulls using the newer mec plastic crimp starters? I'm looking at options of trying to get the mec to load a new shell as pretty as the load all does, but i find the asking price of the BPI starter too steep.

I'm also not sure about whether or not the loadall makes them better looking because the crimp is started in a FL die or if it has something to do with the slick nylon the starter is made from. My sizemaster has the steel crimp starter die body and uses the brass crimp starter inserts, but even lowering it with washers it still will not produce new hull loads as nice as the load all does.

Fired hulls are another story though as the old mec makes them look better than a factory shell and even though i load my new shells on the load all i will many times run them through the mec's final crimp at a later time to get that nice taper and sometimes deeper crimp depending on the load. It would be nice to be able to use the sizemaster more often with new hulls. I would like to know how well the mec plastic spindex starters load new hulls from those with experience with them? thanks, UD.

I have had better luck with the 6pt vs the 8pt on new hull, but I sprung for the brass one from BPI and it sure does a nice job.

heat the case with a hair drier and they will be ok. the open one like bp is better as you can heat it too and see how it fits
Look on feebay for a PW they are there time to time

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I have had better luck with the 6pt vs the 8pt on new hull

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6 point is all i use on new hulls now. Does the six point starter make them at least as good looking as factory shells?... and i don't mean promo shell crimps.

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heat the case with a hair drier and they will be ok. the open one like bp is better as you can heat it too and see how it fits
Look on feebay for a PW they are there time to time

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I prefer not to heat the cases as it's just an extra step since the LA will load them nicely whether they are warm or not as long as they are not freezing. As far as the BPI starter goes... it cost almost as much as a new LA so i hesitate to pay the asking price. Will the PW crimp starter fit the mec?

I've got some new Fiocci hulls I'll try a few Friday afternoon and let you know how they turn out. I'm curious about that myself. FB

Well i just went ahead and ordered the kit. If it doesn't work I'll just continue loading new hulls on my LA's.

if your using a single stage Mec, hold the handle down for a couple of seconds on the crimp starter.

They look as good as factory, you might have to adjust your crimp cam a bit to close the centers up.

Good morning, I find the best crimp starter that I have is in Lee load All and then I use the Lee to do a 6 point fold crimp, then I bring it to my Mec Grabber 762R and re-inforce the crimp
and run it through the hull taper die to take away the flaring!
Since I load one shell at a time and am in no hurry it does not bother me,instead I enjoy this process!
Ajay
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Good morning, I find the best crimp starter that I have is in Lee load All and then I use the Lee to do a 6 point fold crimp, then I bring it to my Mec Grabber 762R and re-inforce the crimp
and run it through the hull taper die to take away the flaring!

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This is basically what i had been doing except the final crimp stage on my old SM77 will handle the tapering and apply the desirable depth at the same time. Oh well I'll probably just end up continuing to use the load all and when desirable run them through the mec.

off subject a bit, but i keep a 12 ga. Lee loader on my bench to use as a go no go gauge as if the shell is properly loaded and tapered it will drop into and fall out of the lee loader and i figured out that i can use the power of my cc press with the lee loader to add perfect tapers to new shells. Even works to roll crimp new hulls perfectly using the power of the cc press.

I use the standard Spindex crimp starter on my 600 press on new empties with no difficulties.

I loaded 2 new fiocci hulls on a sizemaster with factory 6pt crimp. They turned out good I ran them through just like always. I did two more on a 9000 mec with factory 8pt crimp. Same result they turned out good. That's not much of a test only doing four hulls but I think they will be fine.

On the other hand if I was loading lots of new hulls I would consider the heavier crimp starter. FB

The kit arrived and after testing it, i am positive that it will never give as good of results as the load all starters will. I was not able to obtain results as good as the load all gives no matter how much adjusting and tinkering i did. It makes decent looking handloads, but they look like handloads or about like cheap factory federal crimps. The loadall gives them the look of first rate factory target loads. I expect it will work well on the hulls after their first firing though.