Thoughts on RCBS APS Hand Priming Tool vs RCBS Basic Hand Priming tool

[dcinia]

All,

I recently had an out of state friend of mine get me 2,000 large pistol primers since I can't get them around here. Anyhow, upon arrival they are in the RCBS APS plastic strips. Never even crossed my mind to tell him about those. So, I need to either sell the primers or buy a new hand primer.

My question, I have the RCBS basic hand priming tool and it works.....ok....I know a lot of guys going from Lee hand primer consider it an upgrade to go to RCBS but any of you have the basic RCBS go up to the APS? Is it the greatest thing ever in the hand priming world? Seems like I'd want to buy the strip loading tool as well?

This little mistake may end up costing me another $150...never ending hobby we have ourselves in eh?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jimfern]

Just pop the primers out of the strips with a wooden dowel or similar.

 

[dcinia]

Thought about that but I don't know if I'm that patient and willing to do that 2000 times and it kind of defeats the purpose of the strips. Would like someone to put them to good use.

Might not mind doing the new hand primer if it's really a big difference. One thing I like the idea of is not having to take it apart every time I prime to change shell holders.

 

[osteodoc08]

Depends on your money situation. If you're looking to spend some, this sounds as good excuse as any. Otherwise sell them and get the "unloaded" primers.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have the hand APS priming tool with the universal shell holder. Works fine.

The hand APS priming tool was one of the reasons that I got a Pro2000 when I was looking for another progressive press. I had had my fill (pun intended) of primer tubes on the other major brands.

 

[Magnum Shooter]

I use the press mounted APS system, so I can’t say much about the hand primer. But I can tell you that the strip loader can test your ability to remain calm. The priming unit works great and is just the thing for these old hands.

 

[cfullgraf]

But I can tell you that the strip loader can test your ability to remain calm. .

I found putting 50 primers at a time in the strip loader, as opposed to 100 primers, and the stress level goes way down.

Fewer primers to get where they do not belong and then easier to get them sorted out and in the proper place in the strip.

 

[GW Staar]

I use the press mounted APS system, so I can’t say much about the hand primer. But I can tell you that the strip loader can test your ability to remain calm. The priming unit works great and is just the thing for these old hands.

I think APS is a big improvement over the tubes and trays I used for years. As for the Strip Loader Tool....it's adequate, get's the job done .... it requires a learning curve, but it's not beyond anyone's skill level. Yet, I felt it could be improved with a little effort, so I did. I wrote it up and made a little video in the following thread here at The High Road.org. If anyone can use it....great....that's why it's here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=710373&highlight=APS+Primer+Strip+Loader

 

[Potatohead]

Wow GW, you put a lot of thought into that at first glance. Thx for the effort. Also, My in-laws live up the Las Cruces way...

 

[Potatohead]

I just bought the basic hand priming tool and Ive been walking around thinking it's the best thing since sliced bread-LOL-I didn't know their was a new and improved one..

 

[Otto]

This little mistake may end up costing me another $150...never ending hobby we have ourselves in eh?

Huh? Just pop the primers out (10 minutes max) and move on to your next big challenge.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I highly recommend Mr. Starr's improvements. I followed the modifications when he first posted them. Well worth the time spent.

 

[warhwkbb]

Maybe I'm the oddball, but I have loaded tens of thousands of primers into the strips without issue. As long as you don't shake too hard and spill primers out the side it works ok. I keep a toothpick handy to herd stubborn primers to their eventual doom.
But for me, it's still easier to just buy the APS Primers already loaded. I hate handling primers.

 

[GW Staar]

Oddball? Not at all. Like I said, the loader is adequate out of the box. Most of us get through the learning curve on a tool, and work around any minor imperfections. I'm probably the odd ball. I love to tinker and make things work better....and I like to share. Reusing used strips that may be warped a little, cause the most problems that my mods fix. The best fix is recessing the primers in the strips......no more hung strips in a priming machine.

And I totally agree that the "buy APS strips already loaded" is easier not to mention way faster! There's just times when the loader is necessary, if not just handy.....especially for those who like to use other primers for special loads or whatever. Then there's the supply recession, when we have to buy whatever primers we can find. Then there's my case where I had 10 thousand non APS CCI primers in stock when I first converted to APS hand & press tools. I decided to mod the strip loader to make stripping easier, more trouble free.

BTW, I was at Widener's this morning and ordered some LC OSB, and noticed that the only primers they have in stock is........APS!!! Now there's a new miracle....two years ago they didn't even carry APS. Said there was not enough demand to buy it by the pallet.....dummies.....Powder Valley sure found the demand. Peter Eick nearly buys that much himself!

to the unbelievers.

People like dcinia are buying them because they are in stock. Some will destrip.....the smart ones will convert. Why? Because its a better mousetrap. Safer, faster, more convenient.

To the destrippers: If you've saved your empty primer boxes to put them in, you can destrip a hundred at a time and box them. Just don't drop them all together in a pint canning jar like one guy on AR-15.com did. He didn't recognize he was making a bomb to destroy his house. The forum was nice to him, and the warning was heeded.

Of course you can destrip 4 strips at a time into a primer tray......and then peck into a tube......but don't store them that way either. Reload as you go. Not the fastest process in town...buying and using an APS priming bench tool or hand tool, is.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have been using the APS bench-mounted tool for years.
I absolutely detest hand priming, so when RCBS first announced the APS system I ordered the bench-mounted tool, strip loader and dove in head-first.

The strips will wear over time and cause "issues" with the timing advance on the loader. I generally order a new batch of strips each fall after the shooting season has ended so that I have new strips for the winter reloading sessions.

I also use compressed air to blow the accumulated dust, dirt and grime out of the tool every now and again.

I generally load up about 250 primers at a time in strips and then prime cases whenever I have time. It doesn't take very long to prime that many cases with this system.
If I am diligent about the task, I can prime enough cases in a couple of weeks working evenings(1-2 hours a night) to load several thousand rounds.

 

[GW Staar]

The bench loader is a great tool, but since I load with a Pro 2000, I prefer to prime on the press.....much faster for me.

The Pro 2000 has an adjustable priming depth stop that makes it child's play to seat at the same depth every time........IF.......you uniform the primer pockets during case prep so that each pocket is the same depth.

I have not run into "timing" issues due to worn out strips. Slightly warped strips, caused by storing them haphazardly, has caused issues in the strip loader, but I've had no issues priming with them, as long as the primer edges are recessed properly, and I don't spill powder in the priming system.

Like you, I use compressed air to quickly clean the system. It's always a good idea to make sure a progressive is clean and lubed before you use it, but I've found the RCBS press is a lot more tolerant, and therefore easier to use and keep running, than others.

One great feature of APS is that you can load strips and store them safely ... indefinitely. When you are ready to use a box.... they're ready to insert .... no loading into trays, no pecking into tubes!

I made a pattern of CCI's APS boxes on my cad machine, and found removable, full page labels at Staples that I label print and cut for strip backers. So now I can make boxes for safe long-term storage of primers that started out non-APS. even Federals, Winchesters, or whatever.

If anyone wants the pattern, just download the PDF at the bottom of the page....then print it out on heavy card stock, scaled 1 to 1.

Below, I use a window screen tool, slightly sharpened, to narrow the edge to 1/16th inch. It creases the heavy card stock at the folds just like the factory.

Below, I cut out the pattern with an Xacto, and a roller cutter on the cutting board shown ... the creased areas make folding natural & clean.
(dbl lines are creases, red lines are cuts)

I used rubber cement to glue the flap. Yup.....fits perfectly! There's 1000 primers shown (one strip is pushed in out of sight). BTW, in factory boxes, half of the strips are stored face up and half face down, so that's how I stow them too. I plan to print other labels to identify what's in the boxes ... or if you aren't anal like me a magic marker will do just fine.
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=188940&stc=1&d=1379222122

 

[another pake]

That is very helpful. Thanks for PDF file too!

 

[cfullgraf]

I made a pattern of CCI's APS boxes on my cad machine, and found removable, full page labels at Staples that I label print and cut for strip backers. So now I can make boxes for safe long-term storage of primers that started out non-APS. even Federals, Winchesters, or whatever.

Cool.

 

[Dentite]

The time spent posting on this forum could have been spent popping the primers out of the strips...problem solved.

 

[warhwkbb]

GW Staar...You amaze me...

 

[GW Staar]

Not so amazing....Just glad that I can still do some things. Body is too old to do the funner things that I used to do.......motocross comes to mind....or hiking the rocky mountains after an Elk or some brook or cutthroat trout. Got to keep doing something to feel useful outside of work. And yeah I find it fun.....just not the same kind of fun.