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Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 824

Anyone use one. If so what is your opnion with them. I have seen them at time at shows. But when I might want to try one I can't find any. Anyway anybody want to part with on . Balastic products is to expensive.

I use them and like them to start crimps on new hulls and hulls I cut to 2 1/2".

I thought they were worth the money. I have 6pt and 8pt.

It's ok, not my favorite.

The good: I used mine for new hulls, worked well once set up. I was struggling to get good crimps with the MEC versions (both metal & plastic), when I put it on the problem was solved. Cheaper than a GAEP.

The bad: the spring is useless, I ended up using washers to adjust the height, which then means that you have to be perfectly centered with the hulls or the crimps come out off center. You could also adjust with nuts if you work at it a little. It also means you have to rotate a used hull to index.

The ugly: It will rip your skin wide open if you are careless.

I ended up buying a GAEP 6 pt which solves the centering problem & it is much nicer on your hand if it gets in the way. Still does not auto-index, but has marks on the outside to line up the folds. It also needs washers to adjust like an older MEC version. The crimps come out just as nice. You can find the Ballistics version on eBay occasionally.

I could part with my 6 pt if you are still interested. Possibly the 8 pt as well.

Joined: 30 Sep 2020 Posts: 186 Location: ont canada

BP crimper I am glad only bought one. Waste of hard earned dollars IMHO. Metal MEC crimper works well for me.

Joined: 21 May 2015 Posts: 128

I really don't see much difference between the BP and results from my OEM MEC crimp starter.

... not enough to break down a successful set up on my reloader.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

I no longer have any trouble getting good crimps with the current MEC crimp starters on new hulls or cut down shells. I have honestly found that IF, a big IF the machine is adjusted spot on for once fired hulls it will crimp unfired or cut down hulls properly. That means that the wad column height has to be spot on also.

I went through a lot of new hulls to come to this conclusion (mostly using Activ hulls when you could get them), and tried all the supposed fixes. When I got everything adjusted correctly, I have successfully used 500 new hulls, the green, low brass, Cheddite hulls that Precision and BPI sell in a 9000G16 with no problem. Those hulls now are on firing #6 or #7 and I am still reloading them on the 9000G.

That's my experience with crimp starters on new unfired and cut down hulls......it isn't the crimp starter and it isn't a 100% crimp starter adjustment.

Using #6 or smaller shot sizes also helps. So does firmly seating the wad on the powder.

Mark,

I believe you are 100% correct. I say “believe” because I wasn’t able to get the MEC starters to work but I’m positive I could have given enough time, money and hulls. The BP starter solved most of the problem, but I adjusted methodically, even making sure the top plate was *parallel to the bottom.

Even with the GAEP, I still crush a new hull every now and then. Short of measuring every hull, I am not sure how to fix, but the MEC starters were worse. I line up the rejects on the shelf behind the loader…starting to run out of room after a few thousand.

The 9000 has the plastic MEC, and rarely crushes a hull, but those are all at least once fired. I’m not touching it. Many thousands of good crimps.

*edit: parallel vs perpendicular