How often do you clean primer pockets?

[Dave R]

I have had reloaders tell me then never clean primer pockets. Others have told me they always clean primer pockets. I'm kinda in the middle. I check them, and when they look gunky after 2-3 firings, then I clean 'em.

What about you? Always? Never? Occasionally?

I assume the benchrest accuracy nuts clean, deburr true-up pockets every time. What about hunting ammo? What about pistol rounds? Different routine than rifle rounds?

 

[Navy joe]

As far as pistol, the only reason to even tumble the brass is to save your dies and make yourself feel better. Clean primer pockets? Thanks to progressive de-capping and re-capping I never even see the primer pockets.

Rifle? I'll let somebody qualified to give a scientific opinion answer.

 

[R-WEST]

Every time. Can't help it. Just like checking every case every time it's resized, and trimming it if it's ANY longer than the min case length figure.

R-WEST

 

[Quantrill]

Every time for rifle (.223 and .30-06) every couple times for pistol (9mm, .38spec., .357mag., .44spec.,.44-40 .45ACP, .45 Colt).

 

[Ktulu]

Pistol = Never. Don't handload rifle carts yet.

 

[Ala Dan]

Occassionally, every 2-4 times would be a good guess.
Handgun only, as I don't handload for a rifle any longer.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[m1911joe]

Reload for handguns only. And never clean primer pockets any more. I
did buy one when I started did a few and then put it back in the tool box.
I think it is still there.

 

[stans]

Depends, for rifles, every loading. For pistols, only when I am looking for maximum accuracy.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Primer pockets

I have been shooting for 59 years, was the youngest NRA Jr Division DX in my state, have loaded millions of rounds, shot a good percentage in competition, sold about a million dollars worth of bulletcasting and reloading tools, never cleaned a primer pocket and never will and advised my hundreds of customers to spend their time in worrying about the little things like cleaning primer pockets in practice instead and they would shoot a lot better.

Bench resters are another story and had no contact with them

John Paul

 

[swifter]

Clean primer pockets?

With rifle, each loading.
For handguns, almost never...

Tom

 

[catfish]

Always both for rifle and pistol.I thought every one did.

 

[Archie]

Yes and no.

For the two precision rifles I own, yes. Every time.

For most of the other stuff, I never see a primer pocket.

I used to be like Catfish. Always cleaned everything. Then I bought a progressive and tried it without cleaning. (First couple of months, I would deprime, tumble, clean primer pockets, then toss them in the hopper and start loading.) Then I went without and could not tell a difference in reliability or accuracy.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

Pistol calibers never. Rifle infrequently.

 

[onecruiser]

Pistol cartridges never for the last 20 years or so.

 

[caz223]

If I get a large quantity of scrounged brass at once, I'll decap it and run it through the tumbler.
The main reason isn't actually to clean the pockets, but more to inspect the primer flash holes....
Otherwise, I would never see pockets, and even with all the tumbling, I'll bet they aren't really clean, just a little cleaner than they started...

 

[usmc1]

primer pockets

For my rifle ammo, I clean the primer pockets every time. Was shown that it can help if you reload often and you get buildup. I also tumble my brass every time as well, but not saying it does wonders for your accuracy or anything. Tumbling your brass helps keep your dies clean and dirt does affect your dies if you have used a sizing die that has close tolerances. Not saying it is a miracle cure, but it may help if you want to reload for yourself.

 

[Black Snowman]

It's based entirely on volume. If it's low enough quantity that I'm doing it on the single stage I'll clean the primer pockets. That's basicly all rifle and .50 AE pistol right now.

 

[Publicola]

I clean 'em all - rifle & pistol.

Loading for semi's is mainly what I do & it doesn't take that much time to make sure nothing is keeping the primer from seating nice & level just a little below flush. It probably isn't absolutely necessary but it's not much of an investment in time or labor to do & it will help narrow down causes should I ever have a slam fire.

 

[HSMITH]

Never clean primer pockets, waste of time.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I do it about every third time.

I haven't done it in rifle yet, but that's because I am just getting ready to load the third batch.

Will be interesting to see if I can tell any difference on this batch or not. Cleaning the primer pocket will be the only change to the load.

 

[kimbernut]

primer pocket cleaning

Every case every time,so far at least. I do all my work so far on a single stage press. If I ever work up to a progressive I just imagine I won't bother on practice ammo for pistol anyway. For carry ,competition,and all rifle ammo I feel it's a must. I've been told by quite a few IDPA shooters that it's not necessary,".....never had a problem caused by a dirty primer pocket......." May well deserve some testing to be sure.

 

[shooter1]

Like so many others, I use a progressive for most of my pistol loading, so never see the primer pocket. Course I don't clean the ones I load single stage either. When I load rifle ammo, I may or may not clean the pockets depending on my mood and time constraints.
Will

 

[Clark]

I mostly overload and catalog the empty brass with pistols.

With rifles, I overload some, but many cases get recycled.
I always clean the primer pocket with a Lyman pocket uniformer, which is meant for removing metal, but it takes out the crud first.

 

[Ala Dan]

Update:

When I receive my vintage, wooden handle primer pocket
reamers that I just won on e-bay, I most likely will
clean them every time?

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[g56]

When I first started reloading I carefully cleaned the primer pockets every time! 18 years ago I bought a Dillon 550, and I haven't cleaned a primer pocket since, even when loading rifle cartridges on the single stage press. I found that there was no measurable difference between cleaning or not cleaning the primer pockets, I was shooting competive pistol and I looked at it very closely, no difference could be found, at least at ranges of 100 yds or less.

On long range rifle shooting it might make a difference, you might be able to measure a difference at 300-500 yds, but I couldn't find any at shorter distances.