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Old January 23, 2007, 02:19 PM   #1
rickh
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Join Date: January 10, 2007
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Help with older MEC charge bars

I am trying to set up Dads old MEC 600 jr.
The charge bars that I have only state gauge and then a #. They will not take a bushing. I have looked and looked and can find no chart that decodes these numbers, including MEC web site, pre - 1982 section.
At this point I am considering these old charge bars scrape aluminum and looking at replacing them with the 302 line and bushings.... Ouch thats gonna cost!
The unit is from around the late 60's to early 70's as a guess.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Rick H...
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Old January 23, 2007, 03:02 PM   #2
BwanaDave
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I had the same problem with my old 600 jr. I purchased one of those adjustible bars and haven't looked back. I use them on both my 12 and 28 gauge 600jrs. I like the flexibility to tweak the loads. This is important on the 28 since there are alot of problems fitting the published loads in the new AA hulls. I have heard people complain about the adjustable bars coming out of adjustment but I haven't had that problem as long as I tighten the set screws after perfecting the load.

I think the adjustable bars are about $30.00

Good Luck

Dave
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Old January 23, 2007, 05:24 PM   #3
rickh
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Thanks Dave,
Yes I looked at them today and read some of the post on here about adjustables. But to get off and running, I went ahead and bought 3 new style bars and some bushings today.
Also looking at adding a second old 600 jr to setup for 20 ga and then just leave them, one for 12 one for 20.
These old press's to a great job and can load a lot of shells pretty quick!
Thanks for the reply.
Now I have to post another ? about wads!
Rick H...
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Old January 24, 2007, 07:54 AM   #4
Rico567
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If you want to keep using the older bars, just call MEC and ask them what those bars drop. MEC has always been very helpful to me, and I'm sure they still have the references for the older bars. I have a 20 ga. 2H bar for my old 600 jr., and (if I recall correctly) it dropped 7/8 oz of shot and {enough} Herco....which was all I ever attempted to load on it.

If I were still using this machine, I would do as others suggest, and just get the modern bushing or adjustable bar.
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Old January 24, 2007, 06:36 PM   #5
Randy_che
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I had the same problem and called MEC for help. They told me that the bars were obsolete and that I needed to get new bars.

After doing my best to research the bars hole diameters vs. bushing diameters vs. the old powder drop tables, I finally decided that the uncertainty wasn't worth it and just bought an adjustable bar.

I gave my bars to the local cub scout troop for scrap.
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Old January 25, 2007, 09:47 AM   #6
BwanaDave
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Rick:

With my 600 jr I knew that the prior owner had been using 700X so I weighed the powder and shot dropped. It didn't help me too much because the load was a bit stout for shooting a couple hundred targets at a time.

Dave
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Old January 25, 2007, 10:18 AM   #7
rickh
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Thats what I found

Dave, I went through the same thing even though there are a bunch of these old charge bars on ebay pretty cheap, I just sprung for the new style 302's and use bushings. I will hang on to the old bars becuase they were part of the original reloader equipment.
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