I have been using a very old 800B ( 2 digit serial number) in 12 gauge for trap loads. Best I can say is that it works just ok. Very fast to make shells - very fast to make garbage. Speaking as a working Mechanical Engineer I would say it is an engineering marvel. Speaking as a user it falls a little short of what I had hoped when I bought it. Overall I am mostly satisfied with it and I shoot the ammo loaded on it regularly. I just wish it was a little less fussy about working consistantly. Perhaps it is just my machine, I bought it second hand and it was dusty from years of sitting in a shop unused.
In using the machine I find that too much is going on at the same time to keep tabs on all of it. If a glitch comes up I will sometimes forget to put in a wad or a hull. This results in a big mess or complicated timing issues to run one station through empty to the end. Biggest issue(most aggravating) is getting the crimps right on reloaded hulls that have been crimped before. The crimp starter is setup to self align with the existing crimp folds in the hull. It doesn't always do this and as I said above, too much going on to catch it every time and no good way to fix it if you do notice it. This gives poor crimps that often spew shot across the bench when the loaded shell is ejected out the bottom. I fixed my crimping problem by going to remmington hulls and not using the winchester aa's. Not sure why but it did help.
Again, perhaps it is just the machine I have but I find it rare that all adjustments are correct and stay that way for any length of time. Could be the wear my machine has - stripped screws, buggered metal pieces etc. Primer insertion punch has a tendency to drop and shallow seat primers. The whole primer feed system must be watched constantly. Crimping properly is a constant worry. If things go wrong and need attention it is easy to forget a wad or hull insertion which really slow things down. Shot spills can really gum up the works and must be cleared so that all parts can move fully.
The hopper drains are a great idea, shot and powder can be fully drained with the flip of a lever, just don't accidently open one or it is all over the bench. I thought the bushing measures would be a problem but they are really not, set it up, check weight and forget about it.
Make sure the machine is well attached to a good solid bench. The handle must be cycled fully each and every stroke and just clamping it to a light bench will not cut it.
I would think that a new machine with the factory setup would not have many of these problems. I know many have been made since the one I have was. They wouldn't sell at the price they are getting if all customers had an experince like mine. I kept at it becasue I am stubborn that way, most guys would sell it off and spread the word and that does not seem to be the case here.
I don't really know where I am going with all this. Maybe just needed to vent and saw my opportunity. Good loaders, can make good shells very fast, be ready to work at it though. Not for the casual loader.
