Didn't want to buy a quick change top plate for a press I didn't like, so I hadn't done any shotgun reloading on the new bench. I finally decided to upgrade my shotgun loader and put a MEC Sizemaster on backorder at Brownells a couple of months ago. I chose it over their standard press for the collet resizer that gives it its name, and the automatic pr!mer* feed. I also considered the "Slugmaster" version since I load a lot of slugs, but it appears to be a one trick pony that ONLY does roll crimps. Since I am not using roll crimps even for my slug loads, it wouldn't have been a very good solution for me. The press finally showed up this weekend and I have some initial impressions to report.
Overall, it does work better than the Lee, but to be honest I don't know that it is $250+ better. "Medium Quality" seems to be a good description since it does do what it is supposed to, but the fit and function simply isn't at the level of what I am used to compared to equipment for reloading metallic cartridges, which is where the vast majority of my experience lies.
Got it mounted to the Inline top plate easily enough, and from there it was a lot of head scratching trying to figure out how and where to install the handful of pieces that didn't come pre-assembled. The included literature was nearly useless in this regard. It's too bad they didn't put even a fraction of the effort into the assembly instructions that they did into the rest of the literature which is mostly geared towards selling you more of their products. But by going back and forth between youtube and the manual, I was eventually able to get it up and running.
First, the good. The resizer is much easier to use than the stupid arrangement on the Lee press. The crimp function is likewise superior, and once the powder leaves the reservoir, it doesn't touch plastic until it enters the hull, so static isn't really a problem, although I never used the charging functions of the Lee (used a standard powder measure), so I really don't have a basis of comparison there beyond observing that the Lee mechanism is all plastic. Pr!mer* seating is positive and I can see if I were using the shot charging function (as opposed to stacking buckshot off the press) I can see that it would be easy to get a good, efficient loading rhythm going.
But there are some definite shortcomings also. First, the depriming ram is not very well aligned with the resizing collet. It doesn't seem to prevent it from working OK, but geez:
There is some slop in the ram mounting hole, but of course it is all in the wrong direction, so if I want to correct this I would have to egg out the hole a bit. Not sure it is worth the effort but it's annoying.
Second, the auto priming mechanism is a shit show and it took some fiddling to adjust to where it works most of the time. I still have to keep an eye on it and jiggle it every few rounds to get it to drop the pr!mer*.
Third, the consistency of the powder charging leaves a lot to be desired... HS-6 isn't a particularly difficult powder to meter, but the MEC is doing well to hold plus or minus a half a grain. Probably good enough for shotgun, but again not what I am used to.
Fourth, the crimp starter only snaps into place on the press, and it comes off and stays on the shell most of the time unless I apply upward pressure on the return stroke.
Fifth, whoever thought it was a good idea to have a return spring on a reloading press handle needs to have his ass kicked. When I pull the handle down, I want it to stay down until I push it back up. Not snap back and nail me in the face while I am trying to get the $#%^&*$#&*( pr!mer* feed to drop the pr!mer* at the bottom of the stroke, sending every pr!mer* in the tray flying.
Anyway, it does work once you get used to it, but it left me wishing a little that I shot enough shotgun ammo to Justify buying Dillon's loader. But I don't, and the need to stack buckshot manually means that a progressive press is not going to work for me.
*Edit; seriously, some schmuck set the forum's word replacement to change pr!mer to "bang button"...
