Questions about primer pockets

[B yond]

#1. How important is it to get them all the way clean? Is it enough to smooth out the built-up gunk with a lee primer pocket tool as long as the new primers sit flush, or could the chemicals left behind react with the new primers to prevent ignition? I'm making sure the flash hole is clear, I just want to be sure I don't actually have to get the primer pocket like-new clean.

#2. Is there any reason tumbling resized, primerless brass in a tumbler with a polishing compound is a bad idea. Once again I'm concerned that a chemical residue in the primer pocket could react with the new primers to prevent ignition.

#3. Is there a better way to get the primer pockets clean?

FYI I'm using Federal primers and MFS brass to reload .45acp.

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Bushmaster]

B yond. No...Primer pockets don't have to be scrupulously (shinny) clean. Just get the heavy stuff out of there. And remember...Primers are to be seated just below the case head. Not just flush.

If you must add a polish to your media, use Nu-Finish. Just a few drops or a cap full will do. Added it about 10 minutes before you add the cases.

A simple way to clean primer pockets is to resize/decap your cases and place them in your loading block or plastic box with the case heads facing up. Take a choke/throttle cable (a broken one is best [free]). Cut the cable just short of the shaft guide (about an inch). Swirrel it around in each primer pocket and wha-la...In less then a minute, done...Throw them into the tumbler (with the Nu-finish) and turn 'er on...

 

[Sharps Shooter]

I get the BIG chunks of primer residue out of the pockets. I make sure the flash holes are clear but I don't make sure they're all exactly the same size. Nor do I do anything to insure all the primer pockets are uniform. And horror of horrors for all the benchrest people out there, I use mixed brands of brass for most of my handgun loads.
I've never heard of any chemical reaction that could occure from a little bit of primer residue left in primer pockets. I doubt it. In close to 35 years of reloading, I can't recall ever having a misfire. I've never worried about residue left in the primer pockets from chemicals in my tumbling media either - other than chunks of media stuck in the flash holes. It takes a little piece of wire or a straightened paper clip to punch the media chunks out. That's why it's probably a better idea to tumble your cases before decapping them, but I do it both ways.
As for cleaning the big chunks out of the primer pockets, I have a couple of those RCBS steel wire primer pocket cleaning brushes. However, I've found a little screwdriver works just as well, if not better. Then again, that's what I started with. Using a couple of little screwdrivers, the wife and I working together can clean a couple of hundred primer pockets in a few minutes - just getting out the BIG chunks.

 

[jfdavis58]

I use a Dremel with a smallbrush whose bristles all point down the radial axis (#532 stainless, #537 brass, or one of the nylon bristles in the same shape). Mount the Dremel tool in the Drill-Press accessory and cleaning primer pockets is done with one case in each hand.

 

[Steve C]

Lee makes this one. Costs about $2. One side is for large primer pockets and the other is for small. It scrapes out the residue with a quick twist. I clean my primer pockets but IMO its mostly a preference than a necessity. I loaded for years without cleaning a single primer pocket and never had a problem but the primers go in easier if the pocket is cleaned and if the primer pocket is a bit tight the tool helps to loosen it up a bit.

 

[FieroCDSP]

I started off with the Lee, but ended up buying one of the RCBS screwdriver handled brush type, as my hands were cramping after a bunch of cases. It's easier to hold and gets down deeper than the Lee. If you fire brass enough times, you'll probably have to uniform your pockets, as I had a whole batch of Winchester 40's get shallower and shallower until I couldn't flush a primer. That was with soft loads, too. I picked a uniformer up from Midway, number 445053 and it worked wonders. You have to check the pre-set depth, though. Mine was shallow from the factory, even by their own recommended specs.

 

[Walkalong]

I like the bristle brushes for cleaning primer pockets. They clean em up fine and you do not have to worry about making them deeper or bigger like some tools. I don't want to "loosen up the pockets a bit". I want them to stay tight as long as possable. They will loosen up on their own as the brass gets older with more fireings on it. No need to hasten that along. Now, if you want to use a uniformer, that is a different story.

 

[mactex]

Sometimes it depends on the gun.

It really depends on the gun. I was helping someone solve a problem with misfires and we finally tracked the issue down to their not cleaning out the primer pockets. A side issue that caused the misfires was that the gun in question has a weaker firing pin spring than other pistols. Initially, the person was having 1 or 2 misfires out of 50 rounds. After starting to clean the primer pocket, the misfires disappeared.

Just to address issues that will possibly be raised, the firing pin spring was a fairly new factory one and was within specs for this particular gun. Also, the gun worked just fine with different types of factory ammo.

I use the RCBS TrimMate for cleaning the primer pocket and deburing the case. It doesn't really save any time, but the effort expended is reduced greatly!

 

[Cheesemaker]

I have the Lee pocket cleaner - which I put in my cordless screwdriver. At low speed, not too much pressure it does OK. I also have a Hornady cleaner, works OK too.

As others have said - the pockets don't have to be spotless. And you may not need to clean them as often as I do (every time I reload).

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Police competitor, Commercial Reloader

As a Police competitor and commercial reloader Shooting DX in every pistol and rifle and loading millions of pistol rounds I never cleaned a primer pocket and never will. Also in selling over a thousand progressive pistol reloaders I advised my customers to spend the time they would use in cleaning primer pockets in practicing instead and they would experience better scores as a result. No one has ever complained about my advice.

 

[strat81]

Is there any reason tumbling resized, primerless brass in a tumbler with a polishing compound is a bad idea.

You run the chance of getting media stick in the primer pocket or flash hole. A paper clip will remove it, but it's just one more step/hassle in brass prep.