MY First Experience- RCBS APS Hand Priming Unit

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Potatohead

Potatohead

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As many of you know, Midway had a special on APS SPPs the other day. I bought 3000 (shouldve bought more). I believe it was BDS who mentioned the RCBS hand primer was only 39$ (free shipping from amazon) so i figured I'd bite. Everyone might already know about this APS stuff but its all new to me.

Of course it could crap out on me any moment but I have to say, I really like it. I havent tried to change the "plug" ( i think they call it) from small to large yet but it looks easy in the instructions.

Its quite a solid feeling piece and well made. It has a universal shellholder which is working very well so far. Im always skeptical of "universal" but so far, so very good. It's a big plus-when I started fiddling with it I was dreading doing the shellholder shuffle and then remembered you dont need one. Awesome!

The strips are easy to deal with, just feed a strip of 25 primers in, and it moves a primer up one position every time you compress the handle. Easy peezy-You can also attach the strips together for continuous priming, just snaps right together. They also have separate unit you can buy that will actually load strips of non-APS primers into the APS strips. (I dont have it-yet)

It's priced almost like a lee product IMO which is always nice and with RCBS' warranty there's no worries there.

With my regular rcbs hand primer, I've never had a priming session where their wasn't at least some small snag...but I had no issues in about 100 cases, no fiddling with loose primers, nothing going in sideways or upside down, no swirling priming trays and having all but 3 primers flip over the right way, no lid popping off the primer tray. Just really smooth operation.



Though its probably good to have the ability to go the normal priming route also, I highly recommend one of these bad boys. Thanks fellas, now Im off to prime some cases!

I'll try to update any new thoughts, and feel free to ask me any questions. Its brand new and I dont know the ins and outs, but I'll do my best to answer any if you're on the fence..
-PH

***If anyone has any comments on the Strip Loader, and the ease of use, I would like to hear your comments, thanks!
 
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Keep the plastic strips. RCBS makes a device to load loose primers into them, if you can't find primers already in the strips.
 
No doubt. I think Im going to get that too, it's just a really easy system to deal with so far. Of course if its easy to load the strips I'll be getting one that is.. Do you (or anyone else) have any experience with the Strip Loader? I'd really like to hear your thoughts if so.
 
The APS strip loader works fine. There is a little bit of learning curve to get primers lined up with the holes in the strip but it is easily figured out what works best.

I put 50 primers at a time in the strip loader tray but many will drop an entire 100 primer sleeve on the loader and load four strips.

I can load four strips faster than a 100 primer tube used on other equipment.

GW Staar has some great modifications for the strip loader to make sure the primers are seated correctly and to ease putting the strip in the loader. I have not found the need for them--yet.

Buy an RCBS Pro-2000 progressive press and it includes a strip loader for free. The Pro-2000 is the only progressive press I have that I prime on the press.

Strips are available without primers and as mentioned, they are re-usable.
 
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Awesome, thanks for your comment! I guess that's my next purchase..
 
P.H. if I had your $$$ I'd burn mine!:D I really wanted to jump on that but just got in 5000 CCISPP. Went back and it was to late. Well have fun I no you will!
 
Changing out the plugs is easy...keeping track of the spare plug, plug wrench (the black thingy with the knurled end) and the hex key is a challenge.

I keep the three parts in a tiny little ziplock bag, but something like a pill bottle would work. Also, you'll notice a threaded hole in the side of the plug wrench. You can screw the unused plug in there to keep it safe and handy.
 
Captaingyro said:
Changing out the plugs is easy...keeping track of the spare plug, plug wrench (the black thingy with the knurled end) and the hex key is a challenge.
Click to expand...

Right.

I use a fair number of Sierra bullets. They are packaged in a plastic box that snaps shut. The are great for misc. small parts storage including the extra parts for the priming tools.

The label peals off fairly easy and I label the box with a Sharpie.

Zip Loc bags work as well.
 
P.H. if I had your $$$ I'd burn mine!
Click to expand...

LOL. Actually, on that subject, after this past week I thought it wise to tell my wife I would chill until spring/summer on purchases. Not sure if i'll follow thru, but I have a feeling I better!
 
The little plastic boxes from Midway also make great holders for little parts. I just use a magic marker to label them. I have all my shell holders for my RCBS hand primer and press in one.

I am glad you like the priming tool. I haven't used mine yet. I did get it out and play around with it. Popped a few cases of various sizes in and out of the universal shell holder etc.

I thought it wise to tell my wife I would chill until spring/summer on purchases.
Click to expand...
Smart fellow. But hey, the primers were half off and the priming tool was on sale. She should "grok" that.
 
Tater, I have only used one and it was owned by a fellow reloader friend.
It seemed to work ok, it takes a little time to get use to it to me.

I was in the market to buy a new hand primer, had been using one of my presses or the Lee hand primer which worked fine to me, and it ws the very old one..!!

I decided to go with the rcbs bench top priming system with the tubes.
My problem is a couple of my fingers cramp up after priming a bunch of them.
I tried to moderate my priming and traded off using the press when my hand was hurting....BUT....:)

I like to prime certain brass I load before it goes on the press...Just works better for me and I can cut that operation out on the press.

So far...I am very happy with the bench primer because of hand/finger issues, or I would have go one like you bought.

Get the primer strip loader.
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/158306/rcbs-aps-primer-strip-loader
$31 ???
May be able to find it cheaper, maybe on Amazon ???

Good luck
And as always...Have fun and be safe.

TxDon
 
I've been using mine for a couple years now, and have not yet cocked a primer, or seated one backwards. I think the nature of the plastic strips and the design of the too is such that were one to detonate during seating, the adjacent primers would be protected and not sympdet.
 
Potatohead said:
I really like it. I havent tried to change the "plug" ( i think they call it) from small to large yet but it looks easy in the instructions.
Click to expand...

While I do store spare primer parts in small plastic boxes, I solved the major issue of swapping out the plugs by buying a second priming tool. One is set up for large primers, the other is et up for small.

This also provides me spare parts should one break in the middle of a reloading session. (A practice carried over from the early 1980s when the Lee Auto Primes would last about a year, and many thousands of seated primers, before something broke.)

Potatohead said:
It has a universal shellholder which is working very well so far. Im always skeptical of "universal" but so far, so very good. It's a big plus-when I started fiddling with it I was dreading doing the shellholder shuffle and then remembered you dont need one. Awesome!
Click to expand...

I like the universal shell holder but it is not perfect. Occasionally, you will get a primer hard to seat and in the attempt, the case will get "shot" across the room. It happens frequently with cases that the primer crimp has not been adequately removed or sometime with large diameter cases with a small rim such as 45 Colt.

Also, there are a few cases that the universal shell holder does not work well. 25 ACP does not fit the shell holder at all, it is too small. Brass .410 shot shells do not have an adequate rim to be held by the universal shell holder. There may be others but these are the one's I have discovered.

So, keep your priming tool that uses regular shell holders for back up.
 
I should add: I was using spankin new Starline brass, so Im not sure how it will react when I run across the occasional crimped primer when I run out of the good stuff.
 
Card controle

potatohead:MY First Experience- RCBS APS Hand Priming Unit
As many of you know, Midway had a special on APS SPPs the other day. I bought 3000 (shouldve bought more). I believe it was BDS who mentioned the RCBS hand primer was only 39$ (free shipping from amazon) so i figured I'd bite. Everyone might already know about this APS stuff but its all new to me.
Of course it could crap out on me any moment but I have to say, I really like it. I havent tried to change the "plug" ( i think they call it) from small to large yet but it looks easy in the instructions.
Its quite a solid feeling piece and well made. It has a universal shellholder which is working very well so far. Im always skeptical of "universal" but so far, so very good. It's a big plus-when I started fiddling with it I was dreading doing the shellholder shuffle and then remembered you dont need one. Awesome!
The strips are easy to deal with, just feed a strip of 25 primers in, and it moves a primer up one position every time you compress the handle. Easy peezy-You can also attach the strips together for continuous priming, just snaps right together. They also have separate unit you can buy that will actually load strips of non-APS primers into the APS strips. (I dont have it-yet)
It's priced almost like a lee product IMO which is always nice and with RCBS' warranty there's no worries there.
With my regular rcbs hand primer, I've never had a priming session where their wasn't at least some small snag...but I had no issues in about 100 cases, no fiddling with loose primers, nothing going in sideways or upside down, no swirling priming trays and having all but 3 primers flip over the right way, no lid popping off the primer tray. Just really smooth operation.
Though its probably good to have the ability to go the normal priming route also, I highly recommend one of these bad boys. Thanks fellas, now Im off to prime some cases!
I'll try to update any new thoughts, and feel free to ask me any questions. Its brand new and I dont know the ins and outs, but I'll do my best to answer any if you're on the fence..
-PH
***If anyone has any comments on the Strip Loader, and the ease of use, I would like to hear your comments, thanks!
Click to expand...

Potatohead said:
Awesome, thanks for your comment! I guess that's my next purchase..
Click to expand...

Potatohead:Danger Danger Will Robinson! That'll kill you every time. I just scissored the credit card (but wrote the darn numbers on a scratch of paper first):banghead:
Click to expand...

potatohead:I now have plenty of stuff. Im, from here til spring, off this thread (this thing is like crack BDS!), nothing I need for a long while PH-OUT!
Click to expand...

potatohead:Boy, it sounds like the levy has finally broken on the pistol powder. Oh yea, Im not supposed to be on this thread anymore:D
Click to expand...

Thanks PH, just when I thought I had my credit card under control, you find this RCBS APS system to get everyone excited about!!:banghead:
AND, Widners still had BE-86 in stock, so..................:D:D:D
I got the powder, waiting on the APS for more feedback from YOU!:rolleyes:
jell-dog
 
I too just discovered the APS priming system. My LEE Ergo hand primer broke and I bought the APS Bench Priming system off of a Facebook reloading page for $55. I wanted an alternative to the carpel tunnel that I was getting from loading 1k primers in a session.

After 700+ primers loaded I have had only one mishap. Probably my fault. Primer didnt insert and I heard a crunching noise and found a primer anvil had separated from the cup. Havent found the cup yet.

I like it better than the Lee ergo hand primer for sure.

I was in the process of setting up the APS system when the Midway primers went on clearance. I am set for a long time on SPP :) Come on MidwayUSA.. Papa needs some LPP APS strips!!
 
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