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Thread: no love for old mecs

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    no love for old mecs

    ive been thinking of thinning the herd, I have too many mecs and a few have accumulated dust. so ive been looking around and they just dont seem to be worth much of anything or they just dont sell or I'm looking in the wrong places. during the last big shortage it seems like things were much different.
    what's going on? are there just not that many people who reload for shotguns or are they so flush with cash that they want new freshly painted shiny stuff?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Sig's Avatar
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    With 209 primers either non-existent or stupidly priced, not too many getting into it. Shot is also super expensive.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Single stage 12 and 20 ga MEC's will be hard to sell unless you find someone who wants to make hunting loads

    I used to load 15k 12 ga target shells a year and had to buy shot by the ton, wads and powder by the case to make it worthwhile. At the time I had both a PW 800+ with Autodrive, and Spolar hydraulic. I could produce 20-25 boxes an hour so saving $1.50/box made sense. With a single stage, saving $3 an hour is silly. BTW, at the time, promo shells were less than $6/box and the good stuff was $8/box. My trap reloads were as good as AA's and STS's but for practice and singles I could have shot promo shells so that is what I based by savings on.

    Savings with 12 and 20 ga hunting shells can be significant as well as with any loads for 28 ga and 410.

    So the reloading market is small.

    BTW I sold the Spolar when I downsized and kept the PW800+ as well as two PW375's to make 2 3/4" and 3" hunting loads for the 12 and 20 gauges and loads for my 28 ga.

    I doubt you will get more than $60-70 for a 12 or 20 ga MEC.
    Don Verna


  4. #4
    Boolit Man
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    For anyone getting in to reloading right now, the cost of a new vs old press is pretty negligible compared to the cost of all the other components - if they can find them at all.

    That, and the fact that the bells and whistles on the newer progressive units are incredibly handy for anyone planning to load volume. It's a lot of cycles on a 650jr to pump out one shell.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    I may be able to find you a buyer if they are 12 gauge. Cowboy action shooters really download and you can’t always find those. Do the charge bars have powder bushings? Which charge bars are included? Primer feed? Shipping is at least $20. Where do you live? Shot, powder, hulls and wads can be had, primers are of course spotty.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    I happen to be looking for a 28ga MEC 2 3/4 starter for a young man wanting to learn shot shell reloading. He is a quail hunter of all things not done much anymore. He and his family own 1200 acres including some in row crops.
    I have three MECs on the bench but none for sale myself. I will use my setup to teach him with.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master super6's Avatar
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    I would pay $60 for a mec 12 GA. Just to do one offs, The rest would find a home on the SL900.
    Give me something to believe in. Poison
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    From the feedback I’m hearing from my group, MEC’s are in high demand. I place one for sale on MeWe (Facebook don’t allow it) and it sold the same day.

    Let me know if you need help selling.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Before the last panic I drove around NY & CT and also found one in Kittery Trading post in ME. Between my buddy & I we grabbed 6 old MECs for about $50ea. 3-12ga, 2-20ga & a 28ga.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Vintage and condition also effect salability.

    The older single stages are harder to sell, the ones with the steel dies and old style wad guides and crimp starters. I personally like the older crimp starter but the steel framed wad guides don't work as well as the new plastic ones.

    That said, if you have any trap or skeet clubs nearby I'd hang a flyer up in all of them. The county I live in there are 8 active trap/skeet/sporting clays clubs. There are always newbies coming through that want to get started on reloading.

    And reloading shotgun is not always about bottom line dollars. I load a lot of reduced loads for practice. Try finding 1175 FPS, 3/4 oz. 12 gauge or 20 gauge loads for practice or small shooters.

    And there are still enough hunters out there that want to load up hunting loads that are a buck a round or more.

    Plus the sub-gauges, 410 and 28 for a reloader make a huge amount of sense. $15+ a box for 20 rounds of 410 is pretty common around here.

    I've bought, sold or horse traded 30+ reloading presses over the years, they all sold without a lot of hassle. Down to the 5 I need, 12, 16, 20, 28, and 410. All MEC progressives of one stripe or another.

    But if something came up cheap, I'd grab it in a hurry because I know at least locally there is a market for them.

    Good luck. I'd hate to think that good reloading equipment is going unused.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    This information probably won't be much use to you, but some might find it interesting.

    Here in Western Canada, shotshell loading seems virtually dead, and has been for years. Shot is $70 a bag, primers I don't see often enough to even know the price.

    But, at the same time shotshell reloading died, the asking price on presses seemed to take a big leap. starting price on a MEC 600 Jr seems to be $125. Prices right up to $200 are commonplace for 12 or 20gauge, and if it is set up in something less common the price just keeps on climbing. And they seem to sell. I don't get it.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by BattleRife View Post
    This information probably won't be much use to you, but some might find it interesting.

    Here in Western Canada, shotshell loading seems virtually dead, and has been for years. Shot is $70 a bag, primers I don't see often enough to even know the price.

    But, at the same time shotshell reloading died, the asking price on presses seemed to take a big leap. starting price on a MEC 600 Jr seems to be $125. Prices right up to $200 are commonplace for 12 or 20gauge, and if it is set up in something less common the price just keeps on climbing. And they seem to sell. I don't get it.
    People are probably finding the components they need to load ammo. Otherwise there may be a growing market in the Art World for used reloading presses. You are near Seattle and that is where the Art Lovers are.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Mec-art.............I can only imagine!
    "We take a thousand moments for granted thinking there will be a thousand more to come. Each day, each breath, each beat of your heart is a gift. Live with love & joy, tomorrow is not promised to anyone......"

    unknown

  14. #14
    Boolit Master


    fecmech's Avatar
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    Just sold my Mec 650 20ga loader to a fellow skeet shooter for $200. I bought a 9000E with automate because my shoulders are not tolerating the handle pulling on a progressive. Right now in the Western NY area with current component prices 7/8 oz reloads cost about $6.50/box. Walmart promo loads run $8.50-$9.00/box so there is some savings. I'm working with powder that is pre-panic as is about half my shot so I'm still in the $5/box range. I shoot 3/4oz 20ga for skeet and 7/8oz 12ga for sporting. There is still a market for reloaders.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Russel Nash's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by farmbif View Post
    ive been thinking of thinning the herd, I have too many mecs and a few have accumulated dust. so ive been looking around and they just dont seem to be worth much of anything or they just dont sell or I'm looking in the wrong places. during the last big shortage it seems like things were much different.
    what's going on? are there just not that many people who reload for shotguns or are they so flush with cash that they want new freshly painted shiny stuff?
    I bought a used Mec 9000GN in August 2012. It is in 12 gauge. It came with a bunch wads. All for $260.

    Back in October 2021, I ran into an old hunting buddy of mine at Bass Pro Shops. If the weather us good, we shoot two or three rounds of trap maybe once a week but definitely once every two weeks.

    Since I have had my eyes peeled from October, finding Winchester AA’s on the shelf anywhere is dang near impossible. Same with Remington “gun club” type hulls.

    I did buy two flats of AA’s about a month ago. That was 500 shells for about $249 out the door. So basically 50 cents a shot.

    In turn, that caused me to get that old Mec 9000GN of the floor and onto my reloading bench.

    There was a learning curve to it.

    There was a lot of cleaning up to do. And there were a few hiccups a long the way. And obviously some stuff I had no clue about. An old hunting buddy clued me onto some things. Then there is the Shotgun World Forum reloading section.

    Sooo yeah, I think if I were to do it again I would just buy new from the git go. Between my Mec and the various used Mec’s I have seen online, there have been missing parts and in general a “That press has been bubba’ed!" feeling when I look at the pics.

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    And like somebody mentioned above 209 shotgun primers are dang near impossible to find. I am lucky in that a local gunstore / reloading store has Cheddite 209 primers for sale.

    That’s the upside.

    The downside is that pool of legit published reloading recipes using Cheddite primers is very small or limited.

    My personal jury is still out on whether it is safe to automatically ASSume a Cheddite primer is a good “one-for-one” substitution for Winchester 209 primers.

    One last thing, those folks looking to get a shotgun reloader might be doing it because their kid or kids are starting out with like a 4H trap league or a high school clays team. (These are kids who aren’t glued to their phones watching Tik Tok videos or are not entranced by Call of Duty on the X-box) Pretty soon, the demand for 200 shells or more per week necessitates getting a progressive press. A single stage ain’t gonna cut it.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Russel Nash's Avatar
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    By the way, I have seen bunches of used Mec’s on facebook marketplace.

    But like I said above, they look rough, dirty, and bubba’ed .

    My hunting buddy decided to order a new in the box Mec (650???) Mark 5 from Scheels.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    I need a set of dies for a 410 and 10 ga conversion .
    A few years ago I bought a bunch of decoys stupid cheap and the seller threw in a 950 Grabber for like $30 more .

    For just shooting and at that particular moment it was dumb I was buying steel loads for like $40 a case that were all but identical to what I'd been loading . $38-44 a case for medium game loads it just wasn't even a question of it being a dumb buy . I mean it cost me like $6 a box for steel and 5.50 for lead in loaded ammo .
    So here I am sitting on 1000# lead shot no steel in sight and a few useful wads and presses in 12 , 16 , and 20 ga also with cases of loaded ammo . But Ive had 25 yr to get to this place and I think 5 12 ga presses is probably a little overkill except that there's 1 set up for ea 2-3/4 and 3" 1-1/8 oz lead , a 2-3/4 1oz lead , and a 2-3/4 and 3" for 1-1/16 and 1-1/8 oz steel . 3 have large shot kits . The 20 ga is set up for 2-3/4 but has an adjustable steel shot bar and large shot kit , it's a Size Master . The 16 ga is set up for 1-1/8 oz lead at present but has an adjustable steel bar also and the large shot drop tube .

    I have a 12 ga Texan progressive and 2 Pacific DL155s . One was my grandfather's the other is basically parts .

    Tools are never worthless , yep it's pretty easy to end up with too much of a good thing , nope I don't think I'll be getting rid of them any time soon .
    On the other hand in the face of my own mortality and recent changes in family health history it might not be a bad idea to prune the warehouse back a little .
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  18. #18
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
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    Hello
    What model numbers?
    250, 350, 600, 700?

    What gauges?
    12, 16, 20, 28, 410 ??

    Are they complete or are they missing parts?

    Thank you
    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  19. #19
    Boolit Bub
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    I've sold some for good money on Ebay not too long ago. The fees are pretty high there now though. 13% iirc.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    In 12 gauge I load slugs and buckshot loads mostly. 16 gauge I load shot loads, there are no cheap “promo” loads in 16 gauge around here.

    I don’t like Mec’s, I use a Pacific 366 and a couple of P&W 375’s.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check