RCBS APS priming system

[Blammer]

With my age catching up to me, the hand priming I used to do is just not working.

After priming 50 cases my whole hand and wrist hurts, arthritis or whatever setting in I suppose.

I started to look for a new way to prime cases.

I found a used but like new APS press mounted priming system with the tray that lets you prime the strips. I got it for about half of what a new one is.

After 20 minutes of tinkering to figure it out and get it working I primed some cases.

I'll have to say it is the best thing going, as fast as you can work the handle and put in a new case you can get primed ones out. I'm very pleased.

I would recommend it to anyone who does a medium volume of case priming.

Anyone else have this system? and do you like it?

[Longwood]

I have a broken Lee hand primer, a Lee hand primer that is still intact, the junk that came off of a LoadMaster and an RCBS APS bench primer setup.

I use the APS primer system.

[edsmith]

I accquried one not long ago, I think it is the best system going.mine is the press mounted one. I have a ram prime, a rcbs bench auto prime, the lee safety prime, and a lee auto prime II. the only one I now use is the aps.

[gabe123]

I have a bench mounted APS. I absolutely love it. I have never liked priming on any of the presses that I have, so I have used all of the different "off press" priming systems out there. In my opinion, this is the best.

[Doc_Stihl]

I have the press mounted APS as well as a Pro 2000 that uses APS.

I LOVE APS!!!

I never did press down stroke priming. Always used a lee hand press or a lee press primer before the APS. There's nothing faster or more reliable than the APS in my opinion.

[375supermag]

I bought the RCBS bench-mounted APS system when it first came out because I absolutely hate priming cases with a hand primer and don't really like doing it on a press either.

I have primed tens of thousands of cases on my APS with nothing more than an occassional cleaning and the replacement of the plastic bushings. The system works.

[runfiverun]

i have the rcbs bench mount, but it don't take the plastic strips.
i don't remember the last time i seen the strips available around here.
it uses the tubes,so do my dillons.
i use the dillon primer tube filler negating one more headache to deal with.

[Doc Highwall]

Blammer, I have the same one and I think it is the best for seating primers because it seats them at the top of the ram travel. The only variation in depth will be from case rim thickness.

[snuffy]

I don't own a machine that takes the strips.
I don't use CCI primers, ever.
I've never seen the strips available around where I live, so I'd have to order them, then pay hasmat.
The APS primer strip system is proof that ole Rube Goldberg is alive and well.

[edsmith]

you can order empty strips and you can reuse the strips.

[CPL Lou]

Just this month I purchased an RCBS Automatic Priming Tool for almost the same reasons you did Blammer.
I was medically retired from the Army in '09 with multiple injuries that kept me from doing alot of the things I used to do. My upper body strength was not what it used to be.
Then, in January of this year I was diagnosed with MS, which explained why I felt weak most of the time.
I had not primed a case with my hand priming tool since last summer. It was too difficult and painful to do more than 20 or so cases, so I just quit doing it.
Well, this new tool has helped me back into the game, so to speak !
I discovered fairly quickly that the foam cover on an old snow brush fit the handle rather nicely and kept my hand from getting sore. The square, plastic covered handle can get painful after about 500 cases, hence the need for the foam padding.

I had always wondered why someone would pay so much money for such a tool. Now I know !

Now, if I could just find a way to make 4 cavity brass molds levitate ! :smile:

CPL Lou

[Doc_Stihl]

I don't own a machine that takes the strips.
I don't use CCI primers, ever.
I've never seen the strips available around where I live, so I'd have to order them, then pay hasmat.
The APS primer strip system is proof that ole Rube Goldberg is alive and well.


So knowing nothing about it you've qualified it as complicated and unnecessary?

[Doc Highwall]

If you buy CCI primers they come already loaded into the APS strips for the same money as the primers without the strips.

You can re-use the strips.

[snuffy]

So knowing nothing about it you've qualified it as complicated and unnecessary?

Doc, I hate being called close minded. It certainly looks like that's exactly how I was acting. Since I load mostly on a Dillon progressive machine, I use that auto priming system. Second in line of use is my lee classic turret, with that, the excellent safety prime works great. Third in line is my lee classic cast single stage, again the lee safety prime is what I use. If I just had to use a hand primer, I have the new lee auto prime II.

Not having to remove the case from the machine to prime it speeds production a lot. Or having to set up a priming tool in the single stage press to JUST seat primers would slow things down a bunch.

It's NOT a cheap tool. A quick search found this for $101.49

http://www.lg-outdoors.com/proddetail.asp?prod=299

Another search found this one for $95.99, also empty strips, but no strip loading machine!?!

http://www.reloadingsupplieshq.com/category/1353-Reloading_Priming_Tools.aspx

I'm sort of in the category of arthritic hands and other joints. Maybe some day I'll need one of these tools, but for now, a Vicodin in the morning gets me through most days. My hands are much better since I retired, no more heavy lifting and swinging hammers.:smile:

Edited to add the LG outfit has the strip loader for $30.86 and empty strips for $5.77 per 8 strips. So for $155.43 you could have the bench primer, a strip loader, and four sizes of the primer strips. Of course if the loaded strips are available locally, then that lowers the cost a bit.

[trooperdan]

I'm glad to know others appreciate the APS system! One of the best features is the universal shell-holder. I also use the Lee hand primer that uses it's own propietory shell-holders and was forever trying to find the one i needed! I have a strip loader as well and recycle the empty strips, that i likely the onerous reloading task I have!
But I'm afraid the price of primers loaded into strips is not the same as normal primers, in spite of CCI saying hey would be the same price when they first came out! I have a big reloading supplier that makes the local shows and he will bring APS primers if I give him enough notice and pre-pay.

[Blammer]

So knowing nothing about it you've qualified it as complicated and unnecessary?

na he's just referring to the critter needed in the operation to complete it... :)

I found the whole set up for $80

this included the press mounted thingy and all the tools, a BUNCH of primer strips, and the doo dad that you use to put the primers in the strips. :)

[Doc_Stihl]

I surely could have worded my response better.
They're fantastically simple and unbelievably rugged. Luckily 3 local shops stock APS strips and even though I have enough spare strips to load for a lifetime, at $3.00 extra I buy em loaded when possible.
I use CCI primers almost all the time. I've read in several places (That doesn't mean it's true) that CCI's are least likely to chain fire in case of an accident, and I started my progressive loading on a Lee 1000 and they're not acclaimed for easy priming amongst those with low patience (ME), so I started with them and never saw a need to change.

The pro 2000 press utilizes APS strips so my progressive loading now is done on strips as well.

I had the misfortune of once disassembling a Dillon SDB priming setup without a manual....that made me really appreciate the APS system.

[41 mag fan]

I've had the bench mounted one for close to 19-20 yrs now. Except mines the type with the primer tubes not the strips. They came out with it, IIRC, the next yr after I bought mine.
Done alot of priming with it over the yrs

[Bluetickhound]

New to the forum so I'm a little late for the party here.... As well as being new to CB i'm a total noob to reloading also... I managed to find a supplier who didn't have stand alone small pistol primers but did have the M boxes of APS strips so I went ahead and bought 'em yesterday thinking I could just pop the primers out and use 'em in my Lee hand primer. They obviously haven't arrived yet and I'm starting to second guess myself... How hard is it to remove the primers from the strips? Can it even be done without the whole strip going kablooey??

[trooperdan]

Well, honestly, I'd be just a little concerned about that! At some point you are going to have a bunch of primers at loose and enmass. I guess if you just do 100 at a time or so it would be OK.. and may I be the first to request to be considered for the APS strips if you don't want them? :)

[Olevern]

Another satisfied user of the RCBS bench-mounted strip priming machine. Have purchased strip-loaded cci primers for the same price as bare primers, but only because they don't seem to sell as well and go on special at various LGS's when they have been in stock for awhile. Usually about two to three dollars more than the bare primers, which I gladly pay to avoid loading up the strips.

Great system!

[DLCTEX]

I use the Safety Prime system on my Lee Classic Cast Turret press even when just priming cases to load on my Rockchucker. I like the separation from the stored primers, so there is no worry about a chainfire and there is plenty of leverage. Just pop out the turret and rod and prime away. I do still use one of my four Lee hand primes if I want to prime away from the reloading room. I will say I have never experienced but one accidental primer discharge. It was caused by a primer that got under my Rockchucker while sizing cases because the hold down bolts had gotten loose. It took me a while to figure out what exploded.

[Bluetickhound]

I don't plan on removing too many at one time, and yes TD you can have the strips! PM me and when they come in I'll get a collection together to send you. I actually found some regular CCI #500 small pistol primers at Bass Pro in Macon yesterday so I should be set for small pistol primers for the time being!

[**oneshot**]

I was using an RCBS hand primer then recieved an RCBS bench primer, Wow what a difference. Much easier on the hand. I made a simple wire and counter weight mod to eliminate reaching for the primer tube.

[Bluetickhound]

Right now I'm low buck as I can get... I looked up the hand primer (thanks for the heads up!! I didn't know they existed...) found one at Midway and made purchase. TD will inherit the spent strips (I know they can be reloaded but hopefully the panic of 2012/2013 will have subsided by the time I load up the 2000 i bought...) and all is well with my soul!!

[viper7342]

After 6 or 7 years of reloading (I started after many years of shooting factory loaded), I still do all of my priming on a Lee Auto Prime that came with the press kit I bought when I started, I load for 6 different handgun calibers and one rifle caliber, all on a single stage press, but am considering purchasing a Lee Classic Turret Press, in the near future, after I get my new bench put together.

[41 mag fan]

After 6 or 7 years of reloading (I started after many years of shooting factory loaded), I still do all of my priming on a Lee Auto Prime that came with the press kit I bought when I started, I load for 6 different handgun calibers and one rifle caliber, all on a single stage press, but am considering purchasing a Lee Classic Turret Press, in the near future, after I get my new bench put together.

To save you a lot of time and headaches and possibly more money on the only if i knew....get the 4 hole turret not the 3 hole.
It didn't happen to me but i know a couple of people who got the 3 holer and have regretted it since day 1