[dirt stirrer]

I finally entered the realm of the 'progressives', and not the liberal type. The reloading type. I have for 40 years loaded on my TEXAN DPIIs. As of these days, I am shooting enough to not keep up loading with my shooting. I don't shoot competitive, nor want to, just no desire to travel to meets. I've joined the local sporting clays course, and am having a hoot there, in addition to the trap/skeet/5-stand club I have been in for 11 years here. My 80 year old Dad had this 762 Grabber, and told me this past summer to take it, he never uses it anymore (and he doesn't) I turned it down then but just in the last 60 days, I took him up on it. WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS YEARS AGO???????

2 questions: (1) What is the major difference in the 762R I have and the newer 8567N. I cannot find much, even on MEC's site that really describes the advantages on the newer over the older model.

(2) When loading, and I'll state up front, I reload pretty much all reclaim shot, if that makes a difference in your help answer. Occasionally, A hull will gt around to station 5, get crimped, and completely be caved in when moved to station 6 for taper. Sometimes it will have about 10 or 12 pellets in there, other times none. I have checked the hull following, assuming the bar got stuck from moving at all on that handle pull, but it's powdered with a full charge. Tonight, two in a row like that, when you see the first one caved in, my first thought is not look in station 4 for shot for some reason. I look up at bar to see if linkage is still hooked up, yadda yadda. This old deaf man cannot always hear the shot drop onto the plastic cup. When first starting up, I can hear the shot hit the bottom of an empty hull to preven shot from going on floor, but can't hear it hit the plastic cup.

I am constantly watching the bar and especially, the vertical linkage, as my lock nut seems to want to back off about every 25 rounds, not letting a full barlength be pushed back and fcrth causing a short powder charge if I let it go far enough, but what in the sam hill is preventing any shot at all from dropping. The following hull doesn't have 2 charges in it, as if it were held up in drop tube. This is a conundrum to me.

TIA,

Cary

 

[MhMath]

When done with a stroke, which way is the charge bar camping? It should be all the way to the left. You mentioned hearing shot fill an empty hull, so I'm assuming that the bar is sitting to the right at the end of the stroke. I'm guessing there's something wrong with the linkage that senses the presence of a shell in station 2 where powder drops. There are MEC videos on how to adjust this.... helped me about 6 wks ago.

 

[wireguy]

Your reclaim is "bridging" in your drop tube and not dropping through. Usually if reclaim is properly cleaned and graphited it will flow pretty well. There is a different drop tube for steel shot or something like that available from Mec. It is larger diameter than the stock one. Also there are plastic drop tube inserts that are slicker than the metal ones.

 

[dirt stirrer]

MhMath,

I heard the shot drop in an empty hull when first firing up, ya know when ya gotta have something under the shot tube when charging that first primed hull on the reverse bar stroke. Otherwise, ya get the vacuum out. I hear that real well, but can't hear when it hitting the bottom of a wad, the tube is sitting on the wad, and kinda muffles the drop sound. I do try to keep my downstrokes the same duration for consistency in powder drop on a progressive. I have yet to visibly see it not to the left on a downstroke. And it almost had to be always moving, for like I said, the hull following the "no-lead shot" hull, had powder in it. That means the bar went across on the downstroke in my way of thinking.

I considered the bridging, but why am I not getting a really full shell on the next hull. If it's being held up in the top of the drop tube, and the bar goes back and grabs another charge, I should be getting a double whammy, but I'm not. I'm just gonna have to go real slow for a session, and watch real close. If the shot bar hung up from some rough shot or a rock, the tension on the down stroke would be severe I would think. Incidentally, I did have to straighten the handle after getting it from Dad. It was hitting the turret before full swing. Somebody got rough with it before.

I'm going back out there now, cause I already got laid for November, ha. Nothing else to do tonight.

 

[dirt stirrer]

No comment on the difference in a 76 Series and the newer 8567 Series. Just askin.

 

[Ajax]

The older Grabber have a lower base. They have a habit of collecting the primers and not letting the shell lifter drop and ruining a shell in the collect.

Most 76's have metal dies, not the plastic the newer ones have.

Most of the collects in the older 76's are not adjustable.

Ajax

 

[MhMath]

I think you have a bar travel issue. I'm recently new to the grabber, & have learned with the vacuum, too. It shouldn't be needed. When starting, the machine should park the bar to the left, ready to load & drop the powder, only if the shell is in st. #2. When the powder does drop, the bar should stop to the right.

As long as shells occupy stages 2 & 3, the bar should cycle both directions and stop to the right. At the end of the run, the machine detects the absence of the shell under stage 2 & should not drop powder.

There are adjustments you can make... Either check out the MEC website for videos on adjustments, or call MEC. I do think the problems are related... Empty shells & shot on the table make for an unhappy reloader.

-Matt

 

[mjsweims]

Hear the shot drop? Wow, you must be young.

Jack

 

[dirt stirrer]

"As long as shells occupy stages 2 & 3, the bar should cycle both directions and stop to the right. At the end of the run, the machine detects the absence of the shell under stage 2 & should not drop powder. "

I have not found that feature on my 762R yet. I know I could do what you reference in the first paragraph, but I don't want to take that return spring off. I just put an empty hull (with primer) under the shot and powder tube when starting the first hull in station 1, dump back in respective bottles, then a hull under sot drop while priming/powdering first hull, dump back in shot bucket beneath bench, then I'm rockin' and rollin. When I missfire in anything, like miss the primer tray running out, I just rock the bottles back so they don't stroke, and I catch up in the sequence. My bar is always parked to the right unless I pull the handle down. Then it moves right with that cam arm, than springs back. I did have a delay in return tonight, and it was obviously a jam with something from the shot side powder everywhere. Only one other "no-shot" drop, well about 10 pellets, and I pulled the shot and wad out of the trailing hull and it had the full powder charge. So somehow, the shot is bridging, but not in the tube, as the next hull is not overflowing like it would with an entire additional shot charge from the 7/8 oz hole. Sounds like it might be bridging in the neck of the plastic bottle before it gets to the bar hole.

Other than that, I am loving this Grabber.

 

[dirt stirrer]

Hear the shot drop? Wow, you must be young.

Jack
--------------
Only on an empty hull, not with a wad in hull. Tone deaf in one ear, 80% left on the other. Too many loud tractors as a yute, and not wearing ear protection when shooting Dad's '03s and M1s, were we indestructible ya know, and beside, John Wayne never wore ear protection in all those old B&W war flicks.

 

[wrd]

On my 9000 sometimes the bar does not return all the way to the right to drop the shot. Loosening the bottles about 1/16 of a turn fixes this problem. I use a baffle on the powder bottle and I think it tightens against the bar and restricts its movement.

 

[ring3]

The slotted screw in the bar that rides in an oval window needs to go all the way to the left on down stroke. It should kiss the left side of the housing window. Bridging might occur without full left movement of the bar. Look in the hull when manually moving from station 3-4, if there is no shot, stop and see why.

I would recommend updating your 76r with new wad guide and crimp starter. Both worth the few bucks for me. If the loader has sat awhile I'd also clean and re lube the collet. It will really smooth things out for you. New priming set up is also nice especially if your rod "walks" around on the base. Again, not an expensive upgrade. The newer large primer trays are also nice but pricey.

Good machines, just need a little attention once in awhile.

Hope this helps. Rob

 

[dirt stirrer]

Ring3,

I am not sure but think it has most upgrades before I got it. Since I don't know 100% what it was before, I can only guess. It uses the plastic spindex pre-crimp, also uses the plastic final crimp and taper, and the $4.00+/- wad guide that set screws to the little clamp. I've already loaded over 4000 hulls with it in last few weeks.

As far as the slotted screw goes, I have been setting the bar movewment to where the bushing ends up directly under the powder bottle on the down stroke, this makes it flat/flush on the right side of the bar with the housing. On a single stage press, one would go all the way left and right for sure. If I set that little vertical rod for complete left swing, it will be all the way to the top, which I suppose is OK. I just didn't figure I would have to take the powder bushing past the bottle opening. I also us a baffle, and do keep it somewhat loose, with the spring actuated nipple just barely touching the slide bar. I had read about the excessive pressure with bottle screwed clear down.

Yes, I should look at each hull for shot, but my chair height is below 'glance level"(for lever pull ease) and my arthritic legs and back make it inconvenient to just hop up and peek inside each hull.

I doesn't happen that often, just a PITA, and waste of a hull when it does, and confusing as heck on why it does it. Thanks everyone for the suggestion. I'll just keep a closer eye on things.

I don't know what the upgrade for the collet would be, but it seems to be performing perfectly for now. I do keep it lubed with the Rock and Roll lube good stuff. I did have to do a lot of tuning after getting it from Dad. He did not have a manual, I printed one out from MEC. Had much grief with primers dropping way too soon, he had short chain pull, and high tube set from primer drop hole. I set them all closer to very end of down stroke, then dropping primer in hole, had to bend bracket a little to for line up of hole.

 

[flashmax]

I'm going to try to help you here but you are going to have to download and read two manuals. The link above takes you to MEC's manual page, download the 76 Series Grabber manual and then the 9000 Series Manual. Look on page 14 of the 76 series manual at the "Auto-Cycle Mechanism" and its adjustments. That is where you need to start. Look closely at the pivot point of the latch ( Bar lock ) itself and the hair-thin spring ( Lock Spring ). Now go to page 18, call number 11, part number 670B. That is the spring on the old style presses. Download the 9000 manual. Page 33, callout 29, part number 670B.

Note the difference in the drawing. Same part number. The later spring is a heavier spring that locates differently on the lock bar and is a lot more positive in function. You have the thin one and it is either out of position or bent so that it isn't locking the bar properly.

While you are at the MEC manual page download the 8567 manual and see the differences between your older ( but better with a few updates like the Lock Spring ) loader and the newer one.

Hope this helps some.

Don T. ( Once a farmer as well )

 

[flashmax]

Bar must travel fully in both directions. If you set it to only travel part way for powder fill are you certain you have the right bar? Look on the end with the part number. If you have a 302, single stage, bar in there you need to change it to a 502, Progressive, bar. If your lock nut loosens double nut it snug but not so tight you bugger threads. Powder can get on top of the bar and 'bind' it. You can get a piece of foreign material, like a piece of undersize debris from reclaimed shot, between the bar and the frame and that can 'bind' the bar. It sounds like you have done most of the things needed but some things happen even on brand new machines. Like the bar binding on powder or a speck of crap out of the shot. You just have to watch everything as you work for a while. When something goes wrong you will be able to 'feel' it in the handle after a while and know exactly where to look to see what is wrong.

Don T.

 

[dirt stirrer]

Thanks everyone. I did adjust the actuating rod just a bit to achieve full bar travel. I wasn't but a gnat's hair from being there, just thought when bushing was fully underneath bottle, it was enough. I have not experienced one more bridge event since that adjustment go figger. 1/16" adjustment and it cleared the issue - - - -for now.

Anyway, I'll look into the steel pre-crimp, just assumed steel was the old style, and plastic was the "new and allegedly improved". ha.

I did order an extended plunger crimp rod and assembly. I was having trouble getting some of these variable length Federal TG hulls to crimp deep enough to prevent opening up. I would continue to run out of thread on the rod. These RIOs I am loading now take an even deeper crimp yet. They come factory crimped a bit deeper, and seem to have a pretty good memory. This GRABBER makes them look like factory loads, though. It does a fantastic job. Loading 7/8 reclaim and filling the box a lot faster than the old TEXAN single stage. Now, with all the spare time from loading so much faster, I may have to help the wife unit with stuff in the house. There's always a down side to everything, ain't there.

Cary

 

[halfmile]

Sounds to me like your bar is not returning completely to the shot position occasionally.

Empty the machine and make sure the bar travels freely, with the screw going to the end of the slot each time. First of all move the bar by hand with the return spring disconnected.

When I work my loader (a 9000)I usually watch the height of the shot in the hull as I turn the rotor. (I disconnected the PITA advance mechanism) You should make sure the part in the end of the bar the spring hooks to is pointing straight back or slightly up, if it isn't you will have crappy return action.

Keep us posted.

HM

 

[dirt stirrer]

Yup, got the 502 bar, knew about the difference in the bars.

And it's got a damn stiff return spring, it has only failed to return one time in the last week or so, and I assumed it might have been a piece of shot jammed somewhere, but from the talk here, it may well have been a seizure from powder.

Like I mentioned above, I have yet to have the no-shot issue by simply adjusting the actuating rod set nut up a bit and making the bar go only an additional 1/16" to 1/8" more, full stop stroke, and it cleared up. Would never have dreamed that.

cary

 

[Quack Shot]

You might want to check the operating lever. I know on the Newer Grabbers and 9000's, they sometimes crack at one of the bends and things start to go out of adjustment until you realize it and replace the lever. Primer drops, crimps, and charge bar travel can seem to be affected when that happens. Full travel on the charge bar is a must. Double check the washers and shims under the bottles too. Use a light touch when tightening them. If the reclaimed shot is rough, it can bridge in the neck of the bottle. Don't ask me how I know that. Tumbling the reclaimed shot with a touch of graphite might help. I usually mixed the reclaimed stuff in with some new shot if I really needed to use the reclaimed stuff.

 

[dirt stirrer]

Just where are these washers? I don't find any on mine. Remember, I got it second hand (free from Dad) and he'd been using it off and on for years. Doesn't mean he was using it right, just using it. Sooooo, I just started using it like it was. It has already loaded a bunch of shells, quite nicely too, just a hiccup with this bridging issue. I have the red PC baffle on the powder bottle, and there is just no place I see for any kind of a washer in there. And what would the washer duty perform under the shot bottle? I'll check on it as soon as I read it here.