APS Bench-Mounted Priming Tool APS Press-Mounted Priming Tool

P R O D U C T I N S T R U C T I O N S

APSTM

PRIMING TOOL

IMPORTANTBefore using the APS Priming Toolsfrom RCBS, read this instructionmanual careful ly to learn how tosafely operate the products. Failureto properly operate the tools mayresult in personal injury and/or equip-ment damage. If you have read theseinstructions and still do not under-stand some operation, call us at 800-533-5000 or 530-533-5191 and atechnician will assist you. Our cus-tomer service hours are listed on theback side of this instruction manual.

These instructions contain specificsafety and operating information. Itshould be considered a permanentpart of your reloading equipment andremain with the equipment at all timesfor easy reference.

SAFETYReloading is an enjoyable and reward-ing hobby that can be conductedsafely. But, as with any hobby, care-lessness or negligence can makereloading hazardous. This producthas been designed from the begin-ning with the user’s safety in mind.

When reloading, safety rules mustbe followed. By observing these rules,the chance of a hazardous occur-rence causing personal injury orproperty damage is minimized.

GENERAL• Use all equipment as the manu-

facturer recommends. Study theinstructions carefully and becomethoroughly familiar with the oper-ation of the product. If you do nothave written instructions, requesta copy from the equipment manu-facturer.

• Don’t take short cuts. Attemptingto bypass established proceduresis an invitat ion to an accident.

• Observe “good housekeeping” in thereloading area. Keep tools andcomponents neat, clean and orderly.

Promptly and completely clean upany powder spills.

• Reload only when you can giveyour undivided attention. Do notreload when fatigued or ill. Developa reloading routine to avoid mis-takes . Don ’ t r ush – l oad a t aleisurely pace.

• Always wear adequate eye pro-tection to protect your eyes from fly-i ng pa r t i c l es . You assumeunnecessary risk when reloadingwithout wearing safety glasses.

PRIMERS AND POWDER• Store primers and powder beyond

the reach of children and awayfrom heat, dampness, open flamesand electrical equipment.

• DO NOT use primers of unknownidentity.

• Keep primers in the original fac-tory container until ready to use.Return unused primers to the samefactory packaging for safety andto preserve their identity.

• DO NOT store primers in bulk. Theblast of just a few primers is suf-ficient to cause serious injury toanyone nearby.

• DO NOT force primers. Use carein handling primers.

• DO NOT smoke while handlingpowder or primers.

LOADING DATA• Use only laboratory tested reload-

ing data. We highly recommendthe use of the SPEER ReloadingManual.

• OBSERVE ALL WARNINGSABOUT THE USE OF MAXIMUMLISTED LOADS.

RECORD KEEPING• Keep complete records of reloads.

Apply a descriptive label to eachbox showing the date produced,and the primer, powder and bul-let used. Labels for this purpose arepacked with SPEER bullets. Neverattempt to guess at the identity ofyour ammunition.

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• This product is intended for useby persons familiar with properhandloading practices and theirown loading equipment. If you areuncertain as to the operation ofany of your equipment, contact theequipment manufacturer for addi-tional assistance.

Because RCBS has no control overthe choice of components, the man-ner in which they are assembled,the use of this product, or the gunsin which the resulting ammunitionmay be used, no responsibil i ty –ei ther expressed or impl ied – isassumed for the use of ammunitionreloaded with this product.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT APS PRIMINGThe APS Priming System is an entirelynew way to prime cases. It’s fast, it’ssafe and it’s convenient. This revo-lutionary system eliminates the han-d l i ng o f l oose p r imers and thecontamination that goes with it. Plus,it insures a smooth feed and a highlysensitive feel with every primer seated.

There are two APS tools; one isbench-mounted and the other ispress-mounted. Each one is designedto fit specific reloading needs. Thebench-mounted tool is for the reloaderwho likes to prime cases on a sep-arate dedicated piece of equipment.This way the priming tool is alwaysready to use when you need it. Thepress-mounted tool works the sameway as the bench-mounted tool exceptit attaches to your reloading press.It has standard 7/8x14 threads to fitin the die station.

Both tools use the new APS primerstrips. Each strip is color-coded foridentification and holds 25 primers.With each handle stroke, a freshprimer is seated into the case andthe primer strip advances throughthe APS body to position anotherprimer for seating. The primer strips

are designed to connect to each otherfor continuous feed. See photo #3.

Please call us if you have any ques-tions at any time while assembling oroperating this equipment.

APS BENCH-MOUNTEDPRIMING TOOL INSTRUCTIONSCarefully unpack the priming tooland look for the fol lowing i tems:• APS bench-mounted tool• APS handle• One small bushing• One large bushing• Small primer plug• Large primer plug• Cam lock pin

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Photo #3

• Hex key wrench, 3/32• Hex key wrench, 3/16• 1/4-20 socket head cap screw (2)

Securely fasten the APS tool to asturdy bench using the four slots inthe base. This APS tool can also bemounted to an RCBS Accessory BasePlate-2. Mounting the priming toolto a solid surface like the base plategives the tool added stability.

Using the two cap screws attach theoperating handle so it is in a com-fortable position. The mounting holesallow you to position the handle frombelow horizontal to vert ical. Seephoto #4.

Now, select the correct size primerplug for the primer size you will beusing. There is a small primer plug forseating small primers and a largeprimer plug for seating large primers.Each primer plug has a shoulder onit and is bigger on one end. See photo#4. IMPORTANT: LOWER THE HAN-DLE ON THE PRIMING TOOLBEFORE YOU INSERT THE LARGEEND OF THE PRIMER PLUG INTOTHE HOLE ON TOP OF THE TOOL.If you tried to install the primer plugbefore you read these instructions, youprobably did not first lower the han-dle. And if that’s the case, you’ll notice

that the primer plug has disappeareddown inside the body of the tool. If thathappens, you’ll need to disassem-ble the tool to retrieve the primerplug. To do this, remove the four flathead screws on the top cap. Lift offthe top cap and the top plate andthen remove the plug. Reinstall the topplate correctly for clearance andsafety and replace the top cap and thefour flat head screws. And the nexttime, remember to lower the operat-ing handle before installing the primerplug. Make sure you seat the primerplug firmly in the cam hole.

Next, select the correct size plasticbushing for the primer size you willbe using. There is a small bushing forsmall primers and a large bushingfor large primers. Here’s a quick wayto tell which is the large bushing andwhich is the small. Just rememberthe small bushing has a seam, thelarge bushing is smooth. These bush-ings center the pr imer when theprimer rod pushes a primer up throughthe shell holder.

Take the correct size plastic bushingin one hand and the shell holder youwill be using in the other and placethe bushing into the bottom of theshell holder. See photo #5. Thenraise the handle and insert the shell

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Photo #4

Photo #5

holder and bushing into the slot on thetool. By rotating the shell holdercounter-clockwise while pressingunit f irmly to the rear of the slot.

Peel a strip from the package of APSprimers and take a look at the ends.One end of the strip is cut squareand the other end has two little hookson it. See photo #6. The end with thehooks is the end that feeds into thetool. Hold the strip so the primersare anvil-side-up and insert the stripinto the tool until it clicks in place.See photo #6. If the strip does notslip in easily, it is probably becausethe “step” where the hooks connectto the strip is hitting the face of the tool.To help it into position, you may needto lift up on the square cut (left) endof the strip to get the step under theedge of the tool. If the strip is insertedbackwards (square end f irst) theprimer plug can wedge in the stripand you will have to disassemble.

Insert a case into the shell holderand lower the handle to seat a primer.Then STOP with the handle down!Insert the the cam lock pin to adjustthe primer depth. See photo #7. Thecam lock pin will stop the strip fromadvancing while making this adjust-ment. Use the primer adjustmentscrew on the base of the priming

tool. Raise the handle and removecase and check for primer seatingdepth. Turn screw clockwise fordeeper seating depth and counter-clockwise for less seating depth. Seephoto #7. The adjustment screw lim-its the handle travel at the seatingdepth you want (flush – .004 deep)and prevents crushing primers. Ifyou did not use the pin to stop the stripfrom advancing, another primer isin place to be seated. Do not returnthe primed case to the shell holderand try to seat the primer deeperwithout clearing the second primerfrom the machine. Remove and dis-card the second primer.

Once you are satisfied with the primerseating depth you are ready to primecases. With the handle down, pullthe cam lock pin out of the tool andstart priming. Be sure to operate thehandle through the full stroke – allthe way up and all the way down.Remember, the primer str ips aredesigned to connect to each other. Sofor continuous primer feeding, justconnect another strip onto the endof the strip in the tool when there isat least one inch of the ramp availableto support the new strip. See photo#8. The strip can be removed at anypoint in the process by pushing orpulling the strip through the right-handside of the tool.

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Photo #6

Photo #7

APS PRESS-MOUNTEDPRIMING TOOL INSTRUCTIONSCarefully unpack the press-mountedtool and look for the following items:• APS press-mounted tool• One small bushing• One large bushing• Small primer plug• Large primer plug• Cam lock pin• Adjustment rod assembly• 7/8-14 lock nut• Hex key wrench 3/32

To install the APS Press-MountedPriming Tool, first install 7/8-14 nuton the tool adapter. See photo #9.

Thread the tool into your reloadingpress approximately seven turns. Theramp on the tool should be pointing tothe left. Then tighten the lock nut.

Install the adjustment rod assemblyinto the ram of the press just like ashell holder. See photo #10. Slowlylower the press handle to the bot-tom of its travel. If it stops beforereaching the bottom of its travel,stop, raise the handle and eitheradjust the toolhead up a couple ofturns, and/or the adjustment roddown. See photo #10.

Now, select the correct size primerplug for the primer size you will beusing. There is a small primer plug for

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Photo #9

Photo #10

Photo #8

seating small primers and a largeprimer plug for seating large primers.Each primer plug has a shoulder onit and is bigger on one end. Seephoto #11. IMPORTANT: LOWER

THE HANDLE ON THE PRESSBEFORE YOU INSERT THE LARGEEND OF THE PRIMER PLUG INTOTHE HOLE ON TOP OF THE TOOL.If you tried to install the primer plugbefore you read these instructions,you probably did not first lower thehandle. And if that’s the case, you’llnotice that the primer plug has dis-appeared down inside the body ofthe tool. If that happens, you’ll needto disassemble the tool to retrievethe primer plug. To do this, removethe four flat head screws on the topcap. Lift off the top cap and top plateand remove the plug. Reinstall the topplate correctly for clearance andsafety and replace the top cap and thefour flat head screws. And next time,remember to lower the operatinghandle before installing the primerplug. Make sure to seat the primerplug firmly in the cam hole.

Next, select the correct size plasticbushing for the primer size you willbe using. There is a small bushing forsmall primers and a large bushingfor large primers. Here’s a quick way

to tell which is the large bushing andwhich is the small. Just rememberthe small bushing has a seam, thelarge bushing is smooth. These bush-ings center the pr imer when theprimer rod pushes a primer up throughthe shell holder.

Take the correct size plastic bushingin one hand and the shell holder youwill be using in the other and placethe bushing into the bottom of theshell holder. See photo #12. Thenraise the handle and insert the shellholder and bushing into the slot on thetool by rotat ing the shel l holdercounter-clockwise while pressingunit f irmly to the rear of the slot.

Peel a strip from the package of APSprimers and take a look at the stripends. One end of the str ip is cutsquare and the other end has twolittle hooks on it. See photo #13. Theend with the hooks is the end thatfeeds into the tool. Insert the stripinto the tool until it clicks in place. Seephoto #13. If the strip does not slipin easily, it is probably because thestep where the hooks connect to thestrip is hitting the face of the tool.To help it into position, you may needto lift up on the square cut (left) endof the strip to get the step under theedge of the tool.

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Photo #12

Photo #11

Insert a case into the shell holder andlower the handle slowly and carefully.The press handle should go all theway to the bottom with very little resis-tance. Remember you have themechanical advantage of compoundleverage. More than enough lever-age to crush primers, bend theprimer plug and bend the rim ofthe case – so don’t force it! If thehandle stops part way down, insertthe cam lock pin. The cam lock pin willstop the strip from advancing whilemaking this adjustment. See photo#14. Then lift the handle back up andturn the adjustment rod in the shellholder depth adjustment assemblydown a little and try again. When thehandle travels easily to the bottomof its stroke, check the primer seatingdepth. For high primers, back theadjustment rod out a little. If the primercup is flattened (crushed), turn theadjustment rod down a little furtheruntil you get the correct seating depth.

When the proper priming seatingdepth is achieved (flush – .004 deep)with the handle all the way down,remove the cam lock pin. Then raisethe handle and tighten the 1/4-28lock nut.

You’re now ready to prime cases.Remember, the primer str ips are

designed to connect to each other.So for continuous primer feeding,just connect another strip onto theend of the strip in the tool when thereis at least one inch of the ramp avail-able to support the new strip. Seephoto #15. The strip can be removedat any point in the process by push-ing or pulling the strip through theright-hand side of the tool.

PRIMER STRIP COLOR IDCHART

APS Primer Strips are color-coded toprevent confusion and misidentifica-tion. To minimize the number of coloredprimer strips, we not only used the

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Photo #14

Photo #15

Photo #13

various colors for designating primertype but also for primer size. For exam-ple, there are two white primer strips;one for large pistol primers and one forsmall pistol primers.

White Primer Strip:#300 Large Pistol, Standard#500 Small Pistol, Standard

Red Primer Strip:#350 Large Pistol, Magnum#550 Small Pistol, Magnum

Yellow Primer Strip:#200 Large Rifle, Standard#400 Small Rifle, Standard

Blue Primer Strip:#250 Large Rifle, Magnum#450 Small Rifle, Magnum

Black Primer Strip:#BR2 Large Rifle, Benchrest#BR4 Small Rifle, Benchrest

Orange Primer Strip:#34 7.62mm (Military)#41 5.56mm (Military)

CUSTOMER SERVICEAfter reading these instructions, ifyou have any questions or need addi-tional help in using the APS PrimingTools, call us at the factory. We’ll beglad to help.

APS STRIP LOADERINSTRUCTIONSThe APS Strip Loader is for thosereloaders who may have a supply ofCCI primers in conventional tray-type packaging and now, becauseof the APS Priming Tools, they needthose primers loaded into strips. Asthe name implies, the strip loaderallows you to fill empty primer stripswith your favorite primers. With eachpush of the handle the strip loader willquickly seat 25 primers into a strip.After loading the strips with primersthe strips are ready to be used in anAPS Priming Tool.

The tape covering CCI strips of APSprimers is an important safety featureof the packaging. The tape servesto prevent the detonation of a sin-gle primer from causing detonationof other primers in close proximity.Always cover loaded primer strips, notin use, with APS tape. Never storequantities of loaded primer stripswithout covering them with tape.Covering the primers with APS tapealso serves to protect them from con-tamination during storage. To applythe tape, simply peel the backingfrom a section from the tape. Laythe tape on a flat surface with theadhesive surface up. Lay up to fourloaded strips, side-by-side, anvil sidedown and press firmly into place.

IMPORTANT: Before you operatethe strip loader it is vitally importantthat you read these instructions andfully understand how this productworks. Become famil iar with theloader by going through a few “dryruns.” Along with these instructionsthere are some handy tips and sug-gestions that will make the tool eas-ier to use.

Carefully unpack the strip loader andlook for the following items:• Strip loader assembly• Handle lever• Tray lid• Strips• Tape

Place the strip loader on a flat sur-face and attach the handle lever asshown in photo #16. You may needto depress or push down on the primerseating bar so the handle lever willslip into the four slots at the back ofthe tool. See photo #16. Under theprimer seating bar you’ll see there are25 pins...one for each hole in theprimer strip. These pins help to locatethe empty strips in the tool and toposition the primers in the strip. Oncethe handle lever is installed, pushdown on the lever and watch what

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happens. While pushing on the han-dle lever, notice the 25 pins will retractallowing insertion of strip.

Now it’s time to try a “dry run.” Don’tput any primers on the tray just yet.The dry run will help you becomecomfortable with installing and remov-ing the primer strip from the tool.With a little practice you’ll soon learnthe “feel” for how far to depress thehandle lever.

First, take an empty strip in yourright hand. Hold it by the square end

and with the flat side of the strip fac-ing up. See photo #17. Now, withyour left hand, push part way downon the handle lever until the 25 pinsare just flush with the bottom of theprimer channel. See photo #18. At the

same time insert the empty strip intothe loader from the right-hand side ofthe tool. The strip should slide rightinto the tool. See photo #19. If it doesnot, it is because the handle lever isnot pressed down far enough or ispressed down too far. Try moving

Photo #18

Photo #19

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Photo #16

Photo #17

the handle lever up or down until thestrip feeds into the loader. Slide thestrip into the loader leaving about1'' of the strip out of the tray. Do notrelease the lever. Attach anotherstrip by inserting the hooks of thestrip into the square end of the firststrip. See photo #20. This will help youto position the first strip fully into theloader. There are two litt le guide

marks etched into the tray, one onthe left side of the tool and one onthe r ight s ide of the tool . Thesemarks are used to line up the stripsas shown in photo #21. These shouldhelp you to position the strip over thetop of the 25 pins. Move the strip

in and out of the tool and keep inmind that the goal is to align theholes in the s t r ip wi th the p ins.Practice these steps unti l you’recomfortable with the process.

Now you’re ready to add primers tothe tray. Make sure there is anempty strip correctly positionedin the loader. Also make sure thestrip is the correct color and sizefor the primer being loaded. Never,ever, under any circumstances,load primers into a strip that isnot the correct color for the primerbeing loaded. See the color codingchart on page 9 for the correctcolor. Using the wrong color stripcan lead to misidentification ofthe pr imers. Using the wrongprimers in a handload can createa dangerous condition that couldresult in damage to your firearmand physical injury. Place a pack-age of primers upside down on thegrooved surface of the loader andslide the sleeve off the primer pack-age. See photo #22. Shake the strip

loader right to left so the speciallygrooved surface flips all the primersright-side up (anvil side up). Place thetray lid on the strip loader.

Photo #21

Photo #20

Photo #22

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Next, tilt the strip loader away fromyou until there is a primer in eachhole of the strip (you may need torock the tool to the left and right tomove the primers into position.) Seephoto #23. Then tilt the tool towards

you to move all the extra primersback away from the strip. Check toconfirm there is a primer in eachhole, but no extra primers are in thestrip area. See photo #24.

To seat the primers into the strip,first read and then follow the stepslisted below. (Remember the dry run.)

• Be sure there is a primer in eachhole of the strip.

• Press down on the handle lever(apply firm, even pressure). Seephoto #25.

• Do not release the pressure onthe handle lever.

• Slowly raise the handle lever whilegently pushing on the right end ofthe strip with the empty strip. Seephoto #26.

• As the lever raises, you will beable to push the strip through thetool with the empty strip.

• Attach another empty strip to thesecond strip as described above, andrepeat these steps. See photo #27.

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Photo #23

Photo #24

Photo #25

Photo #26

If the primer strip does not come outcheck to be certain the primersare seated deep enough. If primersare not seated to flush or below, theywill not function in the APS tools.

Continue this process until you havefilled all the strips you need. Returnany unused primers to their originalfactory packaging.

The tape covering CCI strips of APSprimers is an important safety featureof the packaging. The tape servesto prevent the detonation of a sin-gle primer from causing detonationof other primers in close proximity.Always cover loaded primer strips, notin use, with APS tape. Never storequantities of loaded primer stripswithout covering them with tape.Covering the primers with APS tapealso serves to protect them from con-tamination during storage. To applythe tape, simply peel the backingfrom a section from the tape. Laythe tape on a flat surface with theadhesive surface up. Lay up to fourloaded strips, side-by-side, anvil sidedown and press firmly into place.See photo #28.

If you have any questions or are hav-ing difficulty, don’t struggle, ask thefolks who built it. Call 1 (800) 533-5000.

Helpful hints…

1. You may have to straighten strip ifflat surface is bowed.

2. It helps to have a strip in place oneach end while using the str iploader.

3. You may wish to color the etchedguide marks with a felt pen forbetter visibility.

4. If strips do not index correctly in theAPS tool, check:a. strip inserted correctly (hook

end first)b. to see that strips have not devel-

oped physical damage frommisuse.

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Photo #27 Photo #28

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7200528/0803

CCI • SPEER • RCBSOUTERS • RAMLINE • ORBEX • FEDERAL

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If you agree, please tell your friends. If you disagree, tell us - we want to do something about it!

Customer Service

1-800-533-5000 (US or Canada) or 530-533-5191

Hours: Monday - Thursday, 6:30am - 3:00pm (hours may vary)

e-mail: rcbs.tech@atk.com • www.rcbs.com

RCBS • 605 Oro Dam Blvd. • Oroville, CA 95965