MEC 650 shotshell loader

[bobotech]

A buddy of mine who was moving gave me an old MEC 650. I'm not sure what is all in the box but there is a ton of misc stuff.

The press looks like its missing some parts but still looks okay.

According to the owner's manual that came with it, its from around 1966 or so.

Should I get it rebuilt/cleaned up? Or should I just rebuild it myself? Is it worth it to fix it up? I don't load shotshells but if I got this press up and running, I would then load them.

 

[NCsmitty]

I would start out by checking the Mec site and look over the schematics to see just what you have and what it may cost to rebuild. That will be the deciding factor I would think. They are fairly straight forward to rebuild.
Check out ebay for some hints at their value, as they still have those items for auction most of the time.

http://www.mecreloaders.com/


NCsmitty

 

[David Wile]

Hey Bobo,

If I am not mistaken, the MEC 650 does not have a shell sizer, and that function must be done with a seperate tool. I have two MEC Sizemasters and a MEC Junior, so I am not a MEC basher by any means. However, I would suspect that most folks who reload shotshells would pass on spending money to fix a MEC 650. I think the 650 was one of MEC early attempts at a progressive, but it was quickly passed by their later progressives.

You may have a lot of valuable stuff you received, but the 650 may not be the best asset in the lot. If you want to start reloading shotshells, you can't go wrong with a used single stage MEC press like the Junior or the Sizemaster. Both will last many lifetimes, and neither is very costly.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[cochise9424221]

The 650 is still a currently made MEC press. It is their bottom of the line progressive press.
The only difference between it and the Grabber is the resizing unit on the Grabber. If you are only loading shells from your own guns no issue, probably still no issue. MEC does sell the Super Sizer as a stand alone unit if you feel you need to resize hulls.
A new 650 is around $250.00 while a Grabber is closer to $350.00. A Super Sizer is about $70.00. I am using a 2007 catalog that is near by for pricing so might be more now.
It is a good press and worth fixing, the missing stuff is probably some of the loose stuff in the box. You can download a manual on the MEC site for free.
The only real difference between a 60s vintage 650 and a new one are yours will have metal dies , an old style crimp and old style wad fingers.
I would by the "spindex" crimp, it is a real improvement. Ignore the other stuff. New, old style wad fingers are available from MEC or any of the dealers.
If you do need parts, get some wad fingers and bushings as the shipping will cost more than the parts.