Based on recent theoretical developments (Cremaschini and Tessarotto, 2011-2013), in this paper the issue is addressed of the first-principle construction of the nonlocal relativistic radiation-reaction (RR) equation for classical spherical-shell, finite-size particles and antiparticles. This is achieved invoking the axioms of Classical Electrodynamics by means of the Hamilton variational principle. In connection with this, the Lagrangian conservation laws, together with the possible existence of adiabatic invariants, and the transformation laws of the RR equation with respect to CPT and time-reversal transformations are investigated. The latter properties make possible the parametrization of the RR equations, holding respectively for particles and antiparticles of this type, in terms of the same coordinate time t and the investigation of the qualitative properties of their solutions. In particular, in both cases the RR self-force is found to have the same signature, which implies that