Primer pocket cleaning

[brutus51]

Over the years I have debated this issue many times. The below photo is the amount of debris from 100 pieces of once used .357 brass. Figured out how to post a photo. so I thought I'd share.
My philosophy is, tumbling your brass and not cleaning the primer pocket is akin to washing your pants but not your underwear.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I clean rifle pockets, and my heavy 44 Mag & 357 Mag loads. Other then that, my casual shooting handgun rounds don't get the pampering.

I always clean the pockets over a sheet of paper, to keep the garbage off my tabletop. There is always a substantial pile of black oogies after cleaning a batch.

 

[peels]

My philosophy is, tumbling your brass and not cleaning the primer pocket is akin to washing your pants but not your underwear.

That's why I like decapping first and then wet stainless media tumble...cleans everything. I guess that is akin to jumping into a pool fully clothed and consider that taking a bath and doing laundry at the same time

 

[Duster340]

I clean em too. Doesn't hurt, and I'm in no hurry when prepping a batch of brass. I find the whole process sort of therapeutic lol.

Be well

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

Sure is a lot of shiny there, are you sure that there is no brass in there?

 

[cfullgraf]

Cleaning the primer pockets depends on what I am using the ammunition for. Handgun used for fun and plinking, I tend to not clean the primer pockets. Many a gun rag scribe have written articles saying it is not necessary and cleaning primer pockets does not improve grouping.

Rifle ammunition where some precision is required, I make the effort. Regardless what the gun scribes say, I figure what could it hurt.

 

[Demi-human]

My philosophy is, tumbling your brass and not cleaning the primer pocket is akin to washing your pants but not your underwear.

Precisely. Which is why I wet tumble with pins.

To wet tumble without pins is to clean without a brush...

 

[.38 Special]

I can't tell a difference between cleaned and uncleaned primer pockets. Primer seating, velocity, accuracy, decapping...

So I no longer bother and haven't for decades.

 

[.38 Special]

Sure is a lot of shiny there, are you sure that there is no brass in there?

Looks like more brass than anything else. I wonder how much cleaning it takes before the pockets are out of spec?

 

[brutus51]

There is no brass in that pile it' s all silver and black.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

Interesting. I've never seen silver primer residue before. What brand were they?

 

[.38 Special]

What's the silver?

<edit> Beat me to it.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Drawing the conclusion that a large pile of primer "dirt" makes a difference in reloading consistency is a logic error of assuming causation without proof. A large pile of primer dirt is a large pile of primer dirt and proves nothing about whether we need to clean our primer pockets for best accuracy.

 

[.38 Special]

It honestly makes no difference to me what a fellow does about his primer pockets. I wouldn't have said anything at all except that I'm pretty sure he accused me of having dirty underpants.

 

[HDMontana]

I guess a person can't turn the primer pockets inside out like underwear.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Still not gonna do it...

 

[Demi-human]

A large pile of primer dirt is a large pile of primer dirt and proves nothing about whether we need to clean our primer pockets for best accuracy.

I speak only for myself, but it has nothing to do with the accuracy of a 45 Auto and everything to do with getting a primer seated below flush. Winchester Large Pistol primers leave a residue that resists seating a new primer to proper depth. I don’t like squishing the primer cup out of shape to achieve that depth. I also don’t like slam fires in a 1911.

 

[Eugen]

When I began reloading I was very OCD about doing every step meticulously and that included pocket cleaning. But, over time I learned that it didn't make any difference in my situation. I predominantly shoot handguns. I'm a plinker and a mediocre shooter at that. So unless I encounter a casing with an obviously gunked up primer pocket, or is a brand of brass with overly small pockets, I skip any pocket cleaning or prep. So that is just this novice's approach to this matter.

 

[Demi-human]

So that is just this shooter's approach to this matter.

And a perfectly acceptable one.

 

[brutus51]

Interesting. I've never seen silver primer residue before. What brand were they?

Not sure as I'm not a scientist, they were CCI std. primers and I have noticed Winchester primers seem to leave more.
Googled primer composition and this is what I got.
Primers are made of a copper or brass alloy cup with a brass anvil and are filled with an impact-sensitive lead styphnate igniter. The metal parts of the primer are usually nickel-plated to resist corrosion. Propellants can vary from black gunpowder to a more modern smokeless powder which contains nitrocellulose.

it has nothing to do with the accuracy of a 45 Auto and everything to do with getting a primer seated below flush. Winchester Large Pistol primers leave a residue that resists seating a new primer to proper depth. I don’t like squishing the primer cup out of shape to achieve that depth. I also don’t like slam fires in a 1911.

Exactly. Can also hang up the cylinder of a revolver

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds of handgun ammuntion over the decades.
I can't see any difference in accuracy or reliability if I clean the primer pockets or if I don't.

After all these years, I only clean rifle primer pockets. Every now and then, I will clean the primer pockets on some batches of big bore revolver cases but I don't do that very often.
I have loaded some batches of brass over a dozen times only Hornady LnL progressive presses without ever cleaning the primer pockets. I can tell no difference whatsoever in accuracy or reliability in revolvers or semi autos.

 

[brutus51]

Been doing my reloading on a single stage Rock-chucker for over 45 years and I will admit I'm a bit anal regarding my hobby but that's just it I prefer to take my time and enjoy the ritual to make the best ammo I can. Does it make me the most accurate shooter at the range? Nah at my age I'm just happy to still be able to see the target and the pot of coffee I drink prior to going leaves me kinda plugged in and shaky.
Still with all the time and effort I put into my reloading I'll never be accused of being a Rapid fire Roscoe.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Winchester Large Pistol primers leave a residue

Sometimes the solutions to our problems write themselves....

 

[Demi-human]

They’re almost all gone!

 

[Walkalong]

Looks like primer residue to me, and that tool isn't going to damage primer pockets. A primer pocket uniformer can take brass off of the bottom of primer pockets at times.

Build up in primer pockets is self limiting, I never clean pistol brass primer pockets.

I clean for precision rifle, because it makes me feel good, and for that I actually use a primer pocket uniformer, not as much to have clean primer pockets, but to be consistent with primer seating, although clean is a nice by product.