Well Jim, Ive never seen a conversion for an Automate to a Grabber. If MEC says its simple I would trust that. If you encountered any difficulties help is a phone call away (might stay away from Friday afternoons
).
My first loader was a Grabber 76 R1. Bought it from a friend who likely got it in the 70's. He shot A LOT and his grabber did all the loading. It is well worn from all the handle pulls and attempted homemade conversions. I updated many parts and it will still function fine.
The Grabber lacks the auto indexing feature of the 9000g. The kit might include this I would think or possibly you must still manually index station to station. Otherwise, the adaptation seems simple. Some bracing brackets and the bar connected to the Automate to the loader are the biggest things I see. Once up and running some minor adjustments may be necessary. Mec and the various internet sites are always available for additional assistance.
Sorry no additional pics. Might be able to get some this weekend if needed. I would add watch pricing! Ive seen the Automate alone priced over $600. At the Cardinal Classic this summer "Shooters Den" had the AutoMate/9000 combo for $829. Not a free 9000 but a tempting deal and you could convert or sell your Grabbers later. Switching the Automate from one loader to another looks simple. Makes me want more shotguns/loaders
.
Loaded some for handicap/Annies last Sunday and was very impressed with the Automate function. Powder drops were much more consistent after adding a couple of dryer sheets to the powder bottle. Static seems to be an issue in my basement. Next project is to try an adjustable bar
. Cant help myself, always "fixing" things that aren't broke.
