My MEC Died

[Griff]

I bought this MEC 600 Jr. about 1974 after I got discharged, was working construction and going to college.... Needed to load to support my skeet habit. I couldn't begin to estimate the number of Remington "Blue Magic" hulls that loader loaded! In the mid-'80s I started cowboy shooting... and by 1987, the wife and son were shooting with me. Even more shotshells were loaded... I was shooting BP and the family was shooting smokeless. Fast forward to Saturday afternoon... I'd decided to shoot a match Sunday, but didn't have any shot-shells. Heck, the previous weekend I had to mooch half a box to finish that match! I swear cowboy action shooters are the best folks on the planet! Thanks Rusty!

Started loading and got about 3 rounds in, and the rammer tube wouldn't stay in position... I know that it's supposed to move, to indicate the amount of wad tension you're exerting... but this was collapsing all the way up... wouldn't even push a wad thru the fingers into the case...

I inspected the press and saw that the screw that holds the tensioner on the rammer tube was broken... But, never fear... MEC has all the parts I need to fix it! I ordered a few extra parts... and if the receipt from Grant Boys in Costa Mesa, CA is correct, it added up to more than the press cost new!!!! But hey! Still less than a new press would run...

[GunnyMack]

Only company that's better than MEC is Dillon as far as parts availability. MEC used to refurbish machines for minimal cost.
Couple years ago I picked up an estate sale of MEC Grabbers, 410,28,20,12 presses as well as a couple 600s, wads, primers, shot, hulls for $500! I was able to sell a couple presses but I've kept the 410,28& 20 Grabbers. A few parts and calls to MEC and I've got those machines working good.

[piller]

Hope the new parts last as well as the originals did.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Sounds like you have gotten your money's worth.

My Dillon 550 has loaded more ammo than I care to keep track of over the years. I bought it because I was having trouble keeping up with my IPSC habit with a single stage press. But it evolved into my favorite and most used loading tool.

When things have broken (and there have been very few) Dillon went above and beyond.

[GunnyMack]

Above & beyond for sure with Dillon.
The little white plastic doodad on the powder bar i managed to mangle on my SL900. I called Dillon and they shipped a new one. As I'm opening the new one I promptly drop it and it no more than hits the floor and Parker, a puppy at the time slurped it up and all I heard was crunch! Call Dillon and I got the same guy I spoke to, he says didn't I just send you one? So I told him what happened and he was laughing and was nice enough to send me 3.

[Griff]

Above & beyond for sure with Dillon.
The little white plastic doodad on the powder bar i managed to mangle on my SL900. I called Dillon and they shipped a new one. As I'm opening the new one I promptly drop it and it no more than hits the floor and Parker, a puppy at the time slurped it up and all I heard was crunch! Call Dillon and I got the same guy I spoke to, he says didn't I just send you one? So I told him what happened and he was laughing and was nice enough to send me 3.

Yep, what I love about Dillon! They did the same after my son decided to "help" me out and ruined several parts on both my 550Bs!

Anyway, after I got home from NC, I found my MEC parts waiting and got them installed and the machine running in about an hour!

20220303_124753.jpg

20220303_124746.jpg

And output!

20220303_131540.jpg