Do you guys clean your primer pockets?

[Potatohead]

Have you noticed a difference either way, cleaned or not? I guess most of you probably let the tumbler clean them aay? I'm in the habit of tumbling before depriming (don't know if that's unorthodox or not). Is primer pocket cleaning necessary for a plinker like myself? It seems I read somewhere it wasn't that big a deal. Do you clean 'em?

 

[bluetopper]

No, I don't clean primer pockets. I load on a progressive press and 98% of the ammo I load is for handguns.

 

[twofifty]

I do and I don't.

Some loads consistently leave crusty primer pockets that need cleaning. Without cleaning, hand-priming 'feels' inconsistent.

Other loads burn clean so they don't get special attention.

 

[Potatohead]

I gotcha. Thanks for the input fellas. I don't mind doing it, but it is quite tedious when you have a couple thousand cases. I am loading only handgun also, does that make some kind of difference parasite?

 

[cfullgraf]

Pistol cases primer pockets do not get cleaned except what happens in the tumbler.

I go hot and cold on cleaning primer pockets on rifle cases although for the most part these days, what ever happens in the tumbler is it.

If you have not figured it out, I tumble cases after depriming but before reloading.

 

[horsemen61]

ehh sometimes most often no

 

[Crashbox]

Every time.

I de-prime them on the press, then give them an ultrasonic bath. I like 'em clean.

 

[bronco_buster]

Occasionally a real dirty load goes through the wet tumbler, then yes, the primer pockets go back to factory spic and span. In my typical reloading, NO. The weak link in any of MY accuracy issues, I can assure you, isn't the primer pocket crud.

 

[beatledog7]

Yes.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Yes, each and every one. I've devised a method for doing lots of them in a relatively short time, so it's not that big a chore for me. It ensures consistent primer seating at .004" below flush.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[rcmodel]

I usually give them a light twist with a small screwdriver blade or primer pocket tool while doing initial case inspection and sorting.

It takes almost no extra time, as I am picking them up and looking at each one anyway.

Tumbling does very little to nothing anyway, unless all the crusty's are knocked out before tumbling.

rc

 

[James2]

Most of the time, NO.

 

[Potatohead]

Occasionally a real dirty load goes through the wet tumbler, then yes, the primer pockets go back to factory spic and span. In my typical reloading, NO. The weak link in any of MY accuracy issues, I can assure you, isn't the primer pocket crud.

lol. I hear ya

 

[Potatohead]

Thx for your replies. It seems in my experience (which isn't much) a lot of the crud doesn't even come out using my little pocket cleaner. Maybe I should try and do it soon after they're fired instead of waiting 6 mos though.

 

[Potatohead]

It appears I'm seeing more yays than nays. I better get my pocket cleaner back out!

 

[winkzoot]

I do, on mil brass it helps make sure that I did not miss a crimp. Not sure that it helps accuracy but some of my brass is quite old and they look pretty nasty.

 

[GJSchulze]

A lot of the yeas don't say rifle or pistol. I only reload 9mm and never clean the pockets. They all go bang. I use an ultrasonic cleaner and leave the primers in. After I deprime a case I see three black marks and three clean parts, where I assume the anvil legs were. I never noticed a build up and my primers seat properly except for an occasional one which I just put in my single stage to press the primer in more.

 

[gamestalker]

Even after a good long tumbling session, I still give them a cleaning. I guess I just feel that a good clean pocket will helps provide a good clean seal, and it gives a chance to inspect flash holes and clear them if necessary.

GS

 

[herrwalther]

I clean the primer pockets on my loads. I don't load/reload enough for this step in the process to take up too much valuable time. And I know well enough that it will not effect the accuracy on my pistol reloads and a negligible amount on the rifle ones. I clean them just because I am a neat freak, plain and simple.

 

[Rule3]

What's a primer pocket?

No. I did once with some 357 Mags, cleaned them over a clear plastic container, The amount of crud that came out was insignificant, never did it since.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I tumble all my brass before decapping.

I clean primer pockets every time I load a case for rifle ammo.
I use this: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/244424/rcbs-primer-pocket-brush-combo
And I use this: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/467111/lee-primer-pocket-cleaner

I have never cleaned the primer pocket in handgun brass and probably never will. (same with trimming)

 

[1SOW]

For pistol, NO, never have. I seat Fed SPPs and never have light strikes with lightly sprung pistols. I use 100% range pick-ups.

 

[GJSchulze]

1) Do rifle primer pockets get dirtier than pistol primer pockets?
2) What benefit do you observe from clean pockets other than personal preference?
3) If you think that clean pockets increase accuracy, then why?
4) I've heard some people claim that they seat their primers to a certain depth. How can you seat it to anything other than the anvil touching the bottom of the pocket? if it doesn't touch won't this mean that it might not fire?

 

[wgaynor]

I usually do. I at least look them over to ensure uniformity and no media stuck in them.

 

[mahansm]

For pistol, no. However, I got a batch of once fired Speer 5.56 military cases. I sized/decapped, swaged the primer pockets, and tumbled. I find that there are a few pockets that have brass shavings from the swaging and some of them retain tumbling media. This must be removed before priming, so I'm simply giving all of the brass a pass with a cleaning tool before loading.