How often do you clean primer pockets?

[Maxinquaye]

I read about people doing it, never done it myself. Progressives are designed to punch out the old primer then immediately seat a new one...so what am I missing here? At what point should the pockets be cleaned, and how often?

I read about tumbling brass after the primers have been punched. Tried it once and spent the next 20 minutes punching media out of the flash holes.

Since then I don't bother...should I?

 

[P95Carry]

Tumble first .. I recommend. Then deprime.

Only time I have done much primer pocket cleaning is after water pressure ejection of Berdan primers ... the remains of old primer does leave residue - bit like piece of paper.

With Boxer I reckon rarely necessary at all ... tho with very critical rifle bench loads then perhaps yes - every stage aimed at total consistency.

More likely is, with some brass ... a need to add a small chamfer to ''ease'' further primer installations.

 

[Jim Watson]

Pistol ammo on a progressive - never.
Match rifle ammo loaded single stage - every time.

 

[GREYGHOSTt]

Jim Watson Pistol ammo on a progressive - never.
Match rifle ammo loaded single stage - every time
What he said!

 

[Wildalaska]

Every time

WildtightgroupAlaska

 

[steveno]

this must be a trick question.

 

[whofan]

Pistol ammo, never.

rifle, depends.

Practice rifle ammo does not get the primer pockets cleaned. On the other hand, ammo for hunting/long term storage usually gets the primer pockets thouroughly cleaned.

 

[cottontoptexan]

Cleaning Primer Pockets

I clean them each time on all of my loads. It is just the pattern i got into when i started reloading. Opened up a can of worms on another forum by stating i clean them each time. Loading single stage and not shooting the quantity of ammo some shoot i can do this. Is it absolutely necessary?
For handgun i would say NO it is not. For competition rifle and accuracy loading i would say yes. It just gives me a warm and fuzzy that each case went through my care and inspection before loading.
Now i will prepare myself to be shot at on this forum . Okay guys you can unload on me for cleaning my primer pockets each time.

 

[JoeHatley]

I de-prime the cases before I tumble them. Yes... media gets stuck, but it gets punched out when I resize.

Joe

 

[Catbird]

When I was new to reloading, I cleaned them every time. I haven't bothered to do it in the past 20 years or so.

 

[Maxinquaye]

"I de-prime the cases before I tumble them. Yes... media gets stuck, but it gets punched out when I resize. "

Ahh. I have the sizing die in the same spot as the primer seat...wouldn't work for me unless I left the universal decapping die in seat #1...certainly a possibility. Thanks for a neat solution!

 

[straightShot]

For pistol ammo, I don't.

 

[rbernie]

Same as Jim Watson said.

 

[JNewell]

I clean 'em in an ultrasonic cleaner and that seems to do a pretty good job on the primer pockets - I decap before cleaning.

 

[stans]

Semi-auto pistol = never
Revolver = sometimes
Rifle = always, especially target ammo

 

[HSMITH]

Agree with Jim Watson.

 

[Steve Smith]

For anything, including my match loads...never. I load in a progressive and use the cases 6-7 times and then toss them.

 

[hivel37]

Question

Wont a primer blow out any little piece of media caught in the flash hole? Question is, how will we know, unless it wont go "bang"?

 

[kimbernut]

More time than sense I guess

Single stage- everything-everytime

I also want my brass to shine like new.

But then I also seal case mouth and primer on all but practice ammo too.

 

[swifter]

handgun: Rarely, if ever.

rifle: Always.

Tom

 

[Black Snowman]

Made on the progressive: Never
Made on the single stage: Usually, but not always. Mainly depends on if I can find the tool

 

[Joemidd]

I have a RCBS trimmate. This is a great way to chamfer and deburr, clean primer pockets, remove primer crimps etc... sure speeds thing up for me. I clean the primer pockets every time for varmit and big game rounds.

 

[JuniorG]

Every single case, every single time.

 

[larryf1952]

OK, I'm anal, so what?

What cottontop and JuniorG said...each and every single time. I got into the habit early on...it's just a natural movement now. Besides, I couldn't get to sleep at night, knowing that I'd left those ugly black flakes in that little primer pocket...

 

[Zeke Menuar]

Pistol. Yes or no depending on motivation

Rifle. Every case every time. It is another part of the case inspection process.

ZM