MEC .410 collet sizer failure - 09/12/17 12:37 AM
Just a heads up for the .410 fans out there.
Before I launch into this, I'll state that I'm a big fan of MEC reloading tools. For the buck they represent good value and good serviceability. Parts availability is also good.
But, like guns, they are just machines. They have design compromises, and they break down.
The collet sizer system does not have an infinite life, no matter how well it's lubricated or how it's adjusted. I'm on the third one in my 1981 model Grabber 12 gauge unit and the number of cycles on each before failure I consider to be satisfactory. The advent of steel head shells such as the 'Gun Club' does not help longevity of this component.
I selected a 'Sizemaster' when I started shooting .410 in any volume. A guy needs a way to resize, and this seemed like a good unit. Many people use a progressive in .410, but I've elected to stay single stage.
The flaw in the design just became obvious. The collet failed after about 7,000 loads.
The flaw is that while 7,000 shells have come off the press, the sizer has cycled 6 times that or 42,000 times. Only once per shell is the sizer under load, but the spring steel in the collet flexes every stroke of the press. 'Snap'.
I load AA, the factory shells measure .474, my loads measure .475, and the SAAMI drawing shows max .477 -.009 tolerance. Adjustment was perfect, lubrication was not neglected.
If I had it to do again, I'd get the 600jr and a 'Supersizer'. That way, one sizer stroke = one shell.
Before I launch into this, I'll state that I'm a big fan of MEC reloading tools. For the buck they represent good value and good serviceability. Parts availability is also good.
But, like guns, they are just machines. They have design compromises, and they break down.
The collet sizer system does not have an infinite life, no matter how well it's lubricated or how it's adjusted. I'm on the third one in my 1981 model Grabber 12 gauge unit and the number of cycles on each before failure I consider to be satisfactory. The advent of steel head shells such as the 'Gun Club' does not help longevity of this component.
I selected a 'Sizemaster' when I started shooting .410 in any volume. A guy needs a way to resize, and this seemed like a good unit. Many people use a progressive in .410, but I've elected to stay single stage.
The flaw in the design just became obvious. The collet failed after about 7,000 loads.
The flaw is that while 7,000 shells have come off the press, the sizer has cycled 6 times that or 42,000 times. Only once per shell is the sizer under load, but the spring steel in the collet flexes every stroke of the press. 'Snap'.
I load AA, the factory shells measure .474, my loads measure .475, and the SAAMI drawing shows max .477 -.009 tolerance. Adjustment was perfect, lubrication was not neglected.
If I had it to do again, I'd get the 600jr and a 'Supersizer'. That way, one sizer stroke = one shell.