Finally enough APS primers

[Peter M. Eick]

A buddy and I went in and split a 69 lbs shipment of APS primers from Powder Valley.

Very easy process. I just emailed what I wanted and about 3 weeks later they called up and asked for a credit card number. It shipped nicely and well packed so we are both now set for the rest of the year. Both of us use Pro2000 presses so we are set to go loading.

There is nothing like sorting out 75,000 APS primers at one time. Sure is a lot more fun then having to load primer tubes or old strips! I do this about once every year or so but during the great primer famine I could not bring myself to pay the price. By the way $16.84 shipped per 1000 primers.

For the worrying types out there, we split our primers up and then I have mine stored in proper wooden boxes to fire code in different buildings. You can never be too careful with following the regs. I had preplanned my storage so once we sorted I just loaded each wooden box and moved it to the new location.

Time to start the reloading process!

 

[Hodaka]

APS ?

 

[GW Staar]

A buddy and I went in and split a 69 lbs shipment of APS primers from Powder Valley.

Very easy process. I just emailed what I wanted and about 3 weeks later they called up and asked for a credit card number. It shipped nicely and well packed so we are both now set for the rest of the year. Both of us use Pro2000 presses so we are set to go loading.

There is nothing like sorting out 75,000 APS primers at one time. Sure is a lot more fun then having to load primer tubes or old strips! I do this about once every year or so but during the great primer famine I could not bring myself to pay the price. By the way $16.84 shipped per 1000 primers.

For the worrying types out there, we split our primers up and then I have mine stored in proper wooden boxes to fire code in different buildings. You can never be too careful with following the regs. I had preplanned my storage so once we sorted I just loaded each wooden box and moved it to the new location.

Time to start the reloading process!

I'm jealous. I don't have anyone close enough to do splits with. The price per 1000 is certainly good enough. I hadn't thought to look at Powder Valley...thanks for the heads up. 75,000? Is that the price point??? $600 a piece is still a hefty investment. hmmmmm...that's a new gun....tough decisions.....

APS ?

APS is the RCBS/CCI primer system where CCI primers are sold in premounted strips of 25 ready to load. No loading of primer tubes period.

RCBS's progressive presses use APS.

Besides the progressive presses, RCBS makes press-mounted, bench-mounted, and hand primer machines for APS strips......nothing safer....nothing faster or more trouble-free.

For those using single station presses or other brands of progressives, here is a review for you from 6mmBR.com or my review on AR15.com both on the hand primer.

Bench Primer Review from RealGuns.com

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Got to feed the guns somehow. What good is a gun with no primers?

I shot up all of my small pistol primers a while back and now I have been shooting down the pile. 38 super is gone, 357 Magnum is down to like 200 rounds. 38/44 is down to less then 1000 rounds, 38 special is down to only 1200 and 357 sig is also out. I have 357Max because that is small rifle primers so I am good there.

It is interesting that I still have over 10,000 large pistol primers and still a lot of large rifle and small rifle primers. It was the small pistol I ran out of.

I will actually start loading again today. Once I get the house chores done, I will sit back with a cup of coffee and clean and lube the press. 38 Super is already set up and I have about 3000 pieces of brass to load. I have not settled on a charge yet but the sr4756 is the powder, 124 grn Lead RN Lasercast is the bullet. It will be fun to be back at the press again!

 

[Hodaka]

Thanks, the term APS had me baffled. Now I remember what they are. I use a Lee handtool for my single stage and the tubes on my Dillon. It does slow you down reloading the Dillon tubes but I usually get my son to fill them, seeing how he's burning most of what I load anyway. I bought the Dillon to keep up with him, just couldn't handle it on a single stage.

I won't have him around to do that much longer though. He graduates high school Friday and is headed off to college in 8 weeks. He will still expect me to keep him in ammo so we better get a bunch loaded up.

 

[J2FLAN]

69 pounds of primers? How many is that! 75,000

Heck of a price per 1000. I am paying $30.49 + tax for APS strips (also have the PRO 2000) and $4 less if if not in the strips. It takes me almost 20 seconds to load 100 into strips, so I come out better that way. I sure do miss loading those primer tubes

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Yes you got the math just right.

For the price, I just buy them preloaded and move on. Yes I could load the strips but why not buy them that way if I am ordering in bulk.

 

[GW Staar]

Got to feed the guns somehow. What good is a gun with no primers?

I shot up all of my small pistol primers a while back and now I have been shooting down the pile. 38 super is gone, 357 Magnum is down to like 200 rounds. 38/44 is down to less then 1000 rounds, 38 special is down to only 1200 and 357 sig is also out. I have 357Max because that is small rifle primers so I am good there.

It is interesting that I still have over 10,000 large pistol primers and still a lot of large rifle and small rifle primers. It was the small pistol I ran out of.

I will actually start loading again today. Once I get the house chores done, I will sit back with a cup of coffee and clean and lube the press. 38 Super is already set up and I have about 3000 pieces of brass to load. I have not settled on a charge yet but the sr4756 is the powder, 124 grn Lead RN Lasercast is the bullet. It will be fun to be back at the press again!

I hear ya!....I haven't had any leisure time for 2 months. No reloading, no shooting. That just ain't right...normal...or healthy either! Peeking at this forum once in a while doesn't quite do it for me. Around here the construction economy finally picked up again and I'm hooked up dawn to dusk until the business gets running smooth again. Amazing how rusty you get sitting on your ass for 6 months. Hope I don't get too rusty on the reloading front....a couple more weeks....

I need to do a components inventory myself....I'm betting I'm worse off than you were.

 

[fields]

Where does quanity pricing start? Obviously, his price is better than the list price.

 

[GW Staar]

Where does quanity pricing start? Obviously, his price is better than the list price.

Way better! I went to the site today, and couldn't even find CCI APS primers listed...at any price. Pete's obviously has an in, or you have to special order. Can't say I'm afraid to ask about the price point.....because I did. He's not answered yet. Afraid of the answer though. I may need 2 or 3 people to go in with.

I've been purchasing mine from Grafs....but obviously not that many at that price.

5000 (of one type/size)at a time costs me $145+$25 hazmat. I don't get to load the numbers Pete does. <sigh> I have to spread out those orders a bit.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

The price break was per two "sleeves". I did not ask about it but it was obvious from our order. A sleeve is 5000.

We ordered some c41 primers and large rifle and small rifles in APS but we did not get as good a price.

The key is to order a lot of them at once and then use them.

 

[orionengnr]

So, what is the price for the non pre-APS packaged primers?
Should be less, no?

Not that I can afford (or will quickly use) 75,000 primers, but I can start looking for a few shooting buddies to place an order with...

 

[cfullgraf]

Mid-South recently had a deal on APS primers. Not as good as Peter's, but the price was competitive with non-APS CCI primers. If I remember correctly, there was a minimum purchase of 5k or so.

So, watch for deals.

75k is a bit beyond my cash flow comfort level but glad someone was able to take advantage of it.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I burn off about 30,000 primers worth a year and have a ton of brass backlogged to be loaded. I actually will use all 30,000 of the small pistol primers I ordered this year. I will have to place another order here around christmas at my current rate of consumption.

Since I want them in the APS strips I did not check the price for non-aps strip-ed primers. I presume they are about the same.