According to the manufacturer, although being a precision-instrument, the APR system will resist harsh military use and remain functional in typical operational environments.

The APR uses a metal lower receiver that functions as a main frame or chassis to which all other rifle components are assembled or attached.

The upper receiver consists of a housing, in which a locking ring is permanently fixed, and a Picatinny rail as an interface to the rifle scope.

The APR rifle has a traditional manually operated rotary bolt with three radial locking lugs at the front.

The trigger group, manual safety and pistol grip consist of one detachable module attached under the receiver.

An additional folding height-adjustable monopod is attached to the rear of the buttstock and allows the shooter to rest the rifle during extended periods of observation.

The free-floating forged fluted barrels have appropriate attachments for a factory-provided steel muzzle brake that carries the front part of the emergency sight, which therefore never has to be removed.

The TRS is a Schmidt & Bender PMII 3-12×50 LP scope with a proprietary stadiametric rangefinding reticle layout made exclusively for Brügger & Thomet.

APR rifles can be equipped with an anti-mirage band to suppress mirage caused by air heated by a warm barrel during extended training sessions.

Other accessories supplied with the rifle include a lightweight soft case for transporting the APR, a triple rail interface which fits to the weapon's chassis without any modification and provides three additional Picatinny rails that can be used to mount night vision equipment other than Simrad, laser aiming/designation devices or illumination tools.

This model too is not fitted with back-up iron sights or a drop safety device and can only be used with subsonic ammunition (200–240 gr projectiles).

The rifle's barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets up to 16.85 g (260 gr).

Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts.