APS Hand Priming

[capreppy]

I like to hand prime. Currently using a Lee Hand Primer that came with my Lee Breechlock press. Things I don't like about this hand primer a) sometimes double feeds primers b) sometimes doesn't feed a primer c) kinda wobbly and have been known to drop a primer on the carpet and have to go looking for it d) the cover BLOWS and is already broken e) the square primer holder just doesn't seem to work well for me.

I'm going to be using Fed 205M and Fed 210M for my rifle loads going forward and given their softer cups, I want to be safety conscious.

I am thinking about going the APS route. I won't be buying prefilled APS strips. I'll fill them myself using the RCBS APS filler.

Don't think I want to go bench primer and will stick with the RCBS APS Hand Primer. I prefer to prime in front of the TV (multi-tasking at its best).

With that being said, what are folks thoughts on the RCBS APS system?

 

[GW Staar]

I used the Lee Hand Primer for 20 years or so. I bought an RCBS Pro 2000 approaching four years ago. The APS on that press is super. For a year I loaded my own strips exclusively, but I use a lot of CCI's anyway so I found it dumb not to buy the preloaded strips. It makes priming so much faster, having them ready to load. Didn't use the hand primer very often at this point.

A year ago I bought the APS hand primer to prime for calibers I haven't set up on the progressive yet. IOW's the remaining Rock Chucker projects. I found it to be just as easy as the old Lee, but more convenient since there was no trays to fill, no primers to go kaboom Federal/Lee style. Lee's new hand primers have fixed the kaboom factor, but I haven't used the new style Lee's, so I can't report on them.

One big plus with this hand primer is that there are no shell holders to buy. The universal shell holder works for everything I've tried, and works well.

Loading a hundred strips on the strip loader takes about the same time as pecking 100 primers into a primer tube. Preloaded strips of Federal ain't to be...yet. Too bad.

Reviews: I posted a picture review of the APS Hand Primer on Arfcom.
Another good review is at 6mmBR.com.

 

[capreppy]

Looks like a spring of sorts around the shellholder mechanism. Any issues with tension after period of time?

I think I read that article as I was searching for information on this product. Definitely a good read.

One thing I definitely like is that if I need to stop, I don't need to worry about a tray with primers that could spill and get everywhere (which unfortunately HAS happened).

 

[Otto]

An empty primer strip cost about a $1 each and holds 25 primers.
In my opinion, the only affordable way to acquire the strips is to purchase them with CCI primers. Each 1k box of primers will have 40 strips.

If you already have plenty of strips at you disposal this isn't an issue.

I prefer the RCBS Universal hand priming tool because it's faster. But I think the APS hand tool is inherently safer because the design lessens the risk of chain detonation.

 

[GW Staar]

As you can see in the picture below, the spring just holds the jaws together.....it flexes just a little as you force a case between them. Then the tension in it holds the case. I wouldn't expect too much stress there.....but if you were to need a new one, the lifetime guarantee will handle that quite nicely.

 

[capreppy]

My major concern is safety and that is part of the drive to make the move. As I stated earlier, I'm moving to Fed 205M and 210M so no strips in my future. I'll probably order 2x 8 packs for Large Rifle, Small Rifle, Large Pistol, & Small Pistol (unless someone wants to donate some to my cause).

2 to 400 are the most I can do in any one evening anyway due to the fact that I have infant twins and I get a couple of hours between putting them down and when I hit the sack (can't stay up as long as I used to since I'll get up a couple of times with the kids).

 

[GW Staar]

Twins, Huh. Been there, done that! I use to have to take one in the other side of the house while Mom fed the other.......so's they don't wake each other up. Your eyes can drag by the end of the work day......I'm nearly 63, but it seems like yesterday. You got girls, boys, or one of each??? Congratulations!

Sent you a P.M.

 

[cfullgraf]

So far, my Universal APS hand primer tools have performed flawlessly. I load both self filled strips and CCI filled strips.

If you do not pre fill the strips, you only need small and large primer strips. The colors are so that you can tell what primer is in the strip. CCI has a convention that it uses, large std pistol primers go in such and such color and so forth.

The universal shell holder is almost universal for the cases that I load. 410 brass shot shells do not work but that is the only one I remember at the moment.

I have used a conventional RCBS Universal priming tool more than tha APS version and have had no issues with the shell holder spring. I have been using it regularly for four years.

Hope this helps.

 

[edfardos]

wow, that device looks exactly like the primer parts found on the rcbs pro2000 progressive press. Great system imho.