odd problem with mec junior shot shell reloader

[horsearcherwannabe]

I purchased a mec junir shot shell reloader at a show. I loaded 500+ rounds of low brass skeet killer rounds with out a problem. I was working on a turkey load when I ran into a problem. The high brass hulls stuck on the first station. The used primers popped out fine but the hull did not want to come off the former. I did a little reading and adjusted the cam on the right hand side all of the way down. That helped but did not cure the problem. I then unscrewed the silver tube to get the hull off. After running the arm up and down a few dozen time to figure out how things worked, I grabbed a couple of 7/16 wrenches and turned the nut on top of what I would call the ejector pin loose and wound the ejector pin down. A bout the time I got to the point the hull would be pushed out of the tube, the pin fell off. Tomorrow I am off to buy a new longer bolt. My questions are
1) does anyone know how long the factory bolt was?
2) Do I need to get a grade five bolt for this. I can see what I think is the grade five headstamp on the top of the old bolt. The cam rides the top of the bolt and has worn the top of the bolt shiney smooth

 

[gamestalker]

You can find new parts for that Mec Jr. just about any place. Also, Mec has great customer service and parts aren't expensive at all. I resize high base all the time on my Mec Jr. and don't have any problems. When the resizing die is at full stroke can you feel the linkage pop over a little bit, it should. Resizing high base shouldn't actually require any adjustments.
The only thing that matters is the hull lehgth your press is set up for. My Mec Jr. doesn't do 3" hulls out of the box, but it's an old one. Take a close look at your press such as the resize die, see what it is stamped as in 2 3/4" or 3". It sounds like your trying to do 3" hulls on a 2 3/4" set up. Just one word of warning though. What ever you adjust or change make sure it doesn't effect how much of the base gets resized, and what I mean is, make sure the entire base gets full resized.

 

[243winxb]

There may be a difference between the old model and newer Mark 5. Good advice from gamestalker.

 

[JimKirk]

The ejection bolt is just a course thread 1/4"-24 bolt... I bought a 3" or what ever size that was longer than the one in the press. I went to the hardware store and purchased several grade 8 bolts of varying lengths... I wound up cutting a few threads off to make it fit like I wanted it to.

Jimmy K

 

[horsearcherwannabe]

thank you Gentlemen. I have just purchased a couple of bolts
I will try them out tonight and let you know what happened.

 

[horsearcherwannabe]

"What ever you adjust or change make sure it doesn't effect how much of the base gets resized, and what I mean is, make sure the entire base gets full resized."

I have the black ring on station one wound down to the point it presses a little on the flange on the bottom of the hull. I think I can be a little less critical about this than some people in that I only own double guns. When you are putting the shells in by hand and it doesn't want to go it is real clear you done something wrong.

 

[oneounceload]

One of the issues is that the little sizer ring on the Jr. will require some force for "high brass" hulls. Personally, I have never bothered to reload high brass hulls as they get stuck in station 1 a lot. There really isn't anything (talking 2-3/4) that needs anything more than your basic target hull - they'll reload longer and nicer without as many headaches

 

[rcmodel]

It helps a bunch to use just a light film of case sizing lube on the heads of hi-brass hulls.

rc

 

[snuffy]

High brass shells have always needed a longer bolt for the older 600 jr's. Mec has them, a call would probably net you one for a small price, maybe free.

I agree that it's pointless to load the high brass. Low brass will work to the same pressures that hi brass will. However if I had a bunch of them, I might take the time to switch out the bolts to load them.

 

[horsearcherwannabe]

The longer bolt works. It is ejecting the high brass just fine now.

OK guys favorite turkey load please.