Do you clean pistol primer pockets?

[Publius1688]

Some of us do, some don't.
I'm curious to see who out there is as obsessed as me, cleaning out each of my pockets with wire cable.

 

[Hangingrock]

I'm not that obsessed. Last pistol primer pocket clean out 37 years ago. Each person must do what they think is best.

 

[James2]

NO!

 

[jmorris]

For 99.9% of all pistol shooting I only clean them by replacing them with another.

 

[josephbw]

I like clean looking ammo, so I use an ultrasound cleaner on them. It seems to do a good job of cleaning the primer pockets while also doing a good job cleaning out the inside of the case. If I still have crud in the pocket, I may still clean it out manually. You can call me anal if you want, I don't mind.

 

[armoredman]

I only clean rifle primer pockets, when I watn to be thorough on case prep. I don't recall cleaning any pistol primer pockets.

 

[sonier]

Some of my self defense 357 mag rounds i may clean the pockets, but my plinking .38s leadcast ones i dont clean.

 

[dmazur]

I don't clean primer pockets for .45 ACP or .44 Rem Magnum.

 

[Steve C]

Sometimes I do when loading small batches on the single stage, those being loaded on the progressive do not get cleaned.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I clean them all!

Fred

 

[CraigC]

I clean them all. I have custom single actions with headspace adjusted to a minimum and can't afford high primers because my pockets are dirty.

 

[RidgwayCO]

The way I clean my primer pockets, it's not (too much of) a pain. After I knock out the primer with a Lee universal decapping die, I hit the primer pocket with the appropriate RCBS primer pocket uniforming tool spinning in the RCBS Trim Mate case prep center before chucking the brass in the bowl. Since I've already uniformed all the primer pockets with this tool, all it takes is a second for the tool to clean out the primer residue, and then on to the vibratory case cleaner. Cases come out of the cleaner ready for priming and loading.

Do you have to do this? Not at all. I like doing it because it's just one more step in helping me make the absolutely best ammo I possibly can.

 

[WCSO]

I clean all of my primer pockets regardless of caliber. Loading is one time I NEVER hurry and really take my time and check out my brass as well as all stages of the loading process. I have a primer pocket cleaning brush designed just for that purpose but usually end up using an old dental tool. I have found that dental tool to come in handy for a lot of misc gun related jobs. A quick swipe with that tool usually cleans out a pocket quite well. I guess you can call me anal too.

 

[PCCUSNRET]

I don't trim the brass, but I do clean the primer pockets. Not sure why I do it, but I suppose I must have read it somewhere many years ago when I first started reloading. I now load mostly for rifles so it's not that often I have to worry about it. When I do, I just chuck one of the little wire pocket cleaning brushes in the drill and it takes about a second to clean.

 

[LeonCarr]

Every single one. I even turned down some old hollow ground gunsmith screwdrivers that fit large and small primer pockets perfectly to get out as much primer ash as possible. High primers are a safety hazard and clean pockets are one way to minimize or eliminate.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

Yes. I use Lee's $3 pocket cleaning tool.

 

[dagger dog]

Yes, the more gadgets the better!

 

[HOWARD J]

I use RCBS little hand tool.
M-1 carbine primer pockets accepted new primers better when clean....................

 

[EddieNFL]

Some yes, some no.

 

[crazydaysorg]

Yes, but I'm a noob and just doing what the books tell me. I'm terribly concerned I'll find one which tells me to jump off a bridge.

I've use the tool that came with the Lee setup I bought, and chuck that into a drill. A quick zip and primer pocket is cleaner.

 

[rbernie]

Dear lord, no. I load handgun practice ammo by the gross, and I can't imagine taking the time to worry about the primer pockets....

 

[hancjamk]

I had some 45acp win. brass that had to be cleaned or the primer would seat too high. Got tired that and left the brass at the range...

 

[MarcoPolo]

I clean the primer pocket because that is how I was taught to do it. Plus reloading is a form of relaxation for me so the longer I can drag it out the better.

 

[Lee Roder]

Yes, they come out of my tumbler squeaky clean

 

[The Bushmaster]

YES!! Every dang one! Every dang time! Why? You have a problem with that?!?