dirty primer pockets

Least important item to clean. Using a flash hole deburing tool easier and more effective on getting good ignition.

I just deprime and resize before tumbling.

stonebuster said:

View attachment 990754 I had some extra time today so I decided to clean my 38spl primer pockets before priming them. I was surprised to see how much crud came out after a couple turns with the pocket cleaning tool. These were once shot factory 130 grain UMC 38spl cases. I'm a new reloader so I didn't expect to dislodge this much.View attachment 990752

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Kind of disturbing isn’t it? Now you know why reloaders debate tumbling methods and media so much. Some want sparkling brass and some are fine as long as it doesn’t make a mess.
So, what kind of tumbler do you use?

All my primer pockets look just as dirty. Some are more retentive about their cleaning than others. I don’t know. Clean them as best I can and then I worry no more.

Th

stonebuster said:

I've got FA vibrating tumbler using corn cob media + One Shot brass polish. I leave the spent primers in to keep media from clogging the flash hole and I've read my tumbler wouldn't clean the primer pockets anyhow. When this machine dies I'll probably get a better one. It does a pretty good job on the brass though.

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That’s what I use, too. The blue bowl. I tumble before decapping in corn then use a Universal decapping die, then tumble again in walnut with Flitz or Brasso to polish. Gets the primer pocket just fine and no clogging. Give it a whirl and let me know how it works out for you.

Been cleaning mine since I started loading.
Only takes a fraction of a second and the
tool was like a dollar or two (Lee)


It doesn't bother me to take a few minutes
during the process to clean and inspect
my cases

I say, hurry up and prime them before anyone see how dirty they are!

A quick run in an ultrasonic cleaner will clean them up pretty nice.
Over night wet tumble with stainless pins will make them like new clean.

Grunge in the primer pocket is only of concern if it keeps the primer from being seated below the case head.

If the anvil is firmly seated (on something) and the cup pushed down to set the gap between bottom of cup and top of anvil



then the primer will ignite if hit with enough force.

Over the past 10 years or so there have been a few articles in various gun magazines where the author investigated if clean primer pockets made a difference in accuracy or not.

All of them found no accuracy benefit from cleaning the primer pockets.

Apologizes for not being able to list the reference but I remember “American Rifleman” and “Handloader” did articles.

I never was rabid about cleaning primer pockets but would make the effort at times and not worry about it at other times. My unscientific observations show the primer debris builds to a certain level and then becomes self “cleaning” there after.

Dry tumbling cleans some of the debris and cleaning tumbling media out of the pocket cleans out more of the debris. Wet tumbling does a good job of cleaning out the primer pocket.

But, if cleaning the primer pockets make you feel better about your reloads, by all means continue cleaning. You will shoot better. Never under estimate the value of the pyschological factor.

I personally clean the primer pockets. Does this lead to better accuracy or more reliable ammo, probably not. This is more just for peace of mind to me. I use to do it by hand and after a while that gets old. When I switched from dry tumbling media to wet tumbling it took care of that step for me. Again not saying you have to switch, but if you get tired of cleaning primer pockets by hand wet media can save you a step.

Whenever the topic comes up, I post about the decades-old experiments of Creighton Audette, the late great benchrest master. He couldn't find any objective difference between clean and dirty primer pockets - in rifles capable of .0-something groups - and I stopped cleaning pockets the day I read his article.

Folks obviously get to enjoy the hobby however they like, but this particular matter is completely settled, from where I sit.

What about people that use progressive presses? They/I never see the inside of the pockets.
Don't seem to matter.

Darling, it’s better to look good than to feel good and you look marvelous! (Billy Crystal on SNL)

We’re running parallel threads on similar topics as usual as they both drift a little, but...

I like clean extra shiny brass including primer pockets.
So, I decap and size, then
use a primer pocket brush, then
wet tumble with pins, then
dry tumble with corn cob and flitz liquid, then
hand polish each individual case.

Others may have cases as clean and shiny, but I doubt they could be more so.

Is it necessary? Read my opening line.

I prefer clean primer pockets due to my own pickyness. A #405 nylon bristle brush at a moderate rpm in a Dremel tool works great for me with 380 acp, 38 special, and 357 magnum cases. My experience with a Lee hand priming tool is that my primers seat with less trouble after I have cleaned the primer pockets.

I wet tumble (w/pins) my decapped cases so, for me, dirty primer pockets is a non-Issue.

Reload pistol only.
Easy 100k of pistol reloads.
Wet tumble with fired primer intact.
Dry in dehydrator.
Deprime, prime, load on progressive.

Superb accuracy.

Every 2-3k of cartridges i clean press and grubby spent primer shoot.

For many years I never cleaned my brass other than a hand wash or wipe down. Then I got a tumbler and corn cob. About 10 years ago I lucked into a Thumlers and SS pins. None of this made a difference in my ammo accuracy, ever! I do like the bright shine on my present brass, makes it easier to find but if I need ammo in a hurry some steps are a just a luxury in the end.

It's not so much that it be clean but it needs to be flat at the bottom & the flash hole needs to be free of obstructions.
I know a lot of shooters that get obsessive compulsive when cleaning primer pockets & it doesn't really need to be.

I always make sure they are clean enough to seat a new primer flat and the flash hole is not obstructed , especially on my lapua with small flash holes .

Once I prime then, nobody can see the dirt !

Brass picked up at an indoor range is usually good to go. I only have a high primer maybe 1 out of 1000, so it’s not worth the time to clean the primer pockets on all of the brass.