Looking for good primer pocket cleaner

[lagerratrobe]

Hi All,

I've reloaded about 500 rounds of 45 Colt and have gotten a good and repeatable system going for myself. The one thing I'm not really thrilled about is my primer pocket cleaning. I'm using a Dewey Crocogator at the moment and I'd rate it as doing an "ok" job. I'm curious to hear what other people are using and what you like the best.

Note that I'm not interested at the moment in moving to an electrostatic cleaner, or to using stainless steel pins for tumbling.

Thanks!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

My experience with primer pocket cleaners is the same, they are OK at best. All I have used for several years is an RCBS Carbide Primer Pocket Uniformer. A couple twists scrape the pockets clean.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I simply don't use one.

 

[Newtosavage]

I used a Lee primer pocket cleaner for a while until I realized the proper sized small screwdriver did exactly the same job.

 

[ericuda]

The lee primer pocket cleaner is nice and cheap and works well enough. I don't clean pistol or ar brass pockets and onky occassionally do my hunting rounds.

 

[hdwhit]

I concur with ericuda; I use a Lee Primer Pocket cleaning tool where necessary.

I decap my brass prior to processing. I soak (not tumble) in weak acid and then proceed to process my brass. Any primer pockets that warrant special attention after resizing and dry tumbling are cleaned with a Lee Primer Pocket cleaning tool.

 

[cfullgraf]

The experts say that primer pocket cleaning provides no improvement in accuracy.

But, if cleaning your primer pockets makes you feel better about your reloads, do not underestimate the power of the psychological factor.

That said, I clean my cases after they are resized and deprimed. If the primer pocket gets cleaned in the process, great. Otherwise, life is too short to worry about cleaning the primer pockets.

Note, I generally dry tumble my cases. Once in a while, I'll run them through a wet tumbler.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have never regularly cleaned primer pockets on handgun brass. I use an RCBS primer pocket cleaner on rifle brass primer pockets.

http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadi...ners/primer-pocket-brush-combo-prod79032.aspx

 

[SlowFuse]

I use the Lee on rifle brass, nothing on pistol brass.

I dry tumble before decapping, haven't had an issue seating any primers with my hand primer.

 

[crackshot258]

I have had a few small pistol primers that when punched out left the outside of the primer or some burr still in the pocket. I use a #17 drill bit (.173"dia) to ream out the pocket. I put this bit in a small chuck that I turn by hand. Comes out perfect every time.

 

[crackshot258]

Hi All,

I've reloaded about 500 rounds of 45 Colt and have gotten a good and repeatable system going for myself. The one thing I'm not really thrilled about is my primer pocket cleaning. I'm using a Dewey Crocogator at the moment and I'd rate it as doing an "ok" job. I'm curious to hear what other people are using and what you like the best.

Note that I'm not interested at the moment in moving to an electrostatic cleaner, or to using stainless steel pins for tumbling.

Thanks!

 

[crackshot258]

I hardly ever clean the pocket. The pin that pushes out the primer insures that the hole is clean. If the new primer won't seat I'll take it back out and see what's in there and then maybe clean it. This is very rare, maybe 1 in 3000. I only clean the brass with ground walnut shells that I get from a pet supply store (Lizard bedding) and a little kerosene added to keep the dust down. I'm not fussy about the brass being shiny. The gun doesn't know if it's shiny or not. I've loaded more than 20,000 this way and never a problem.

 

[Walkalong]

I don't clean pistol primer pockets, but if you are not happy with the results of a primer pocket cleaner, get a PP uniformer.

 

[Blue68f100]

The only time I clean a primer pocket is when I de-prime for wet cleaning. Then the SS pins do the job for me.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I use an old erector set motor, takes about 2 seconds to clean a primer pocket.



Leon

 

[TheDomFather]

My experience with primer pocket cleaners is the same, they are OK at best. All I have used for several years is an RCBS Carbide Primer Pocket Uniformer. A couple twists scrape the pockets clean.

I am using this in a cordless drill and it seems to work best, cleans and Uniforms in one shot, prior to this I was using the RCBS brush cleaner which also worked well. I found the hornady pocket cleaner to be sub par in this area. I was having priming problems in my Hornady LNL AP so wanted to make sure my primer pockets were like new and the RCBS brush or pocket uniformer did the job. Turns out my problem was I had the wrong primer sled in my press and that was causing the issue.

 

[Doublehelix]

When I manually clean my primer pockets, I use the electric method as well on my Lyman Case Prep center with a Hornady primer pocket cleaner bit.

However, I am now decapping before wet tumbling. I know there are a lot of folks that disagree with that method as a waste of time, but I love it, even if it is just a psychological benefit!

 

[rg1]

Best hand tool by far is a primer pocket uniformer. Set the depth to just touch the pocket bottoms and a single twist will clean primer pocket bottom fired residue. Or set your uniformer cutter long and lightly turn the tool but not enough pressure to cut brass. But it only works great with flat primer pocket bottoms. Some brass that have cupped bottoms it won't clean all the residue just like other tools won't either. The RCBS primer pocket brushes do a decent job. Don't think they make a perfect tool for cupped primer pocket bottoms? Not necessary to remove the residue but I like to get the most of it out.

 

[Damon555]

I simply don't use one.

^^^^^^

This.....don't bother. I would clean primer pockets when I first started loading 20 some odd years ago...it wore pretty thin and it wasn't long before I noticed that it made no difference whatsoever.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I clean my brass then I inspect the brass. I then use the Lee tool to get any crud in the primer pocket. So basically I'm making sure the hole is clear and there's no junk in the past pocket. I also use the RCBS pocket swager if it needs it.

So nothing fancy, quick and relaxing!

 

[someguy2800]

I don't do it anymore but used to used to do it in a forester case trimmer. They sell a cone that goes in the collet and a little scraper bit to go in the side you turn. Works great and doesn't tire out your fingers

 

[JPDeacon]

I dry tumble shot cases in plain walnut shells(approx 2 hrs to get main dirt off) then inspect, deprime and resize. Next step, ultrasonic clean with hornady cleaner (approx 30 min.) then dry in oven or in the winter time top of the wood burner. Does real good job on the primer pockets but I still don't get too excited about it if it's not completely spotless. This is 9mm, 40S&W, 38/357 Mag.

 

[Buckeye357]

I use an old erector set motor, takes about 2 seconds to clean a primer pocket.



Leon

Great idea . I clamp a drill motor in bench vice with same brush in chuck works for me.

 

[larry7293]

Hornady primer pocket cleaner.

 

[Ramone]

I usually de prime, then wet clean.

After they dry, I inspect. If there it looks a little dirty, it gets a quick swip with my custom primer pocket tool.

Grab a wire cutters/stripper tool, go out to the garage, and cut the excess off the garage door cable. You'll want a piece about 4-5" long.
Strip about a 1/4 inch of the vinyl coating off one end.

Ta-dah!

Custom primer pocket tool, just the right size for a .45

Don't over use it - a quick twist will clean the crud, and a tap on the bench will knock it out.