Primer pockets - How "clean" do they really need to be?

[AMT]

To start a thread that can't possibly be twisted into something political, how clean do the primer pockets REALLY need to be?

I am tumbling, using liquid cleaning solution, gonna try an ultrasonic clean tonight, but they still aren't "clean enough" for my OCD'ness.

I understand that the flash hole from the primer to the inner-case should not be obstructed, but do the primer pockets need to be "as new" clean?

I know they have primer pocket cleaners that have "teeth" (for lack of a better term) like the Dewy Crocogator that can really scrap the gunk. There is also the RCBS brush combo with wire bristles.

How clean do YOU clean them? And how do you clean them?

***Along this line, when cleaning the brass, inside the case is still "dirty" (darkened). Does this need to be "as new" clean too?

When you reload, do YOU clean your brass to "as new" condition? If so, HOW?

Help a newbie out.

Thanks!

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[Member 5605]

Mine come out spotless when wet tumbling. While clean brass isn't a necessity, it sure does help spot defects and damage to the brass.

I do this process:
for range pickups...

• Deprime with a universal deprimer die because there could be gunk on the outside and I'm not one to scratch up my dies with debris.
• Clean with wet media (Frankford Arsenal and wet pins.) I use 1.5oz of Amorall car soap with carnuba wax and the approx of a 9mm case of Lemi-shine.
• tumble for 90 minutes or more depending on how many pieces are in there or until the brass comes out spotless.
• Separate the media and brass, dry and then size only to clean again to remove lube.

For brass I've fired already:

• Lube and size with full length sizer die (i bump shoulder only so it's not much sizing going on)
• Clean with wet media (Frankford Arsenal and wet pins.) I use 1.5oz of Amorall car soap with carnauba wax and the approx of a 9mm case of Lemi-shine.
• tumble for 90 minutes or more depending on how many pieces are in there or until the brass comes out spotless.
• Separate the media and brass, dry
• Trim and put in container marked "ready to load"

I have had no bad results from this process and all brass comes out looking like it came from a new package.

Does it need to be this clean? Not really but I'm a perfectionist.

 

[Lilhigbee]

Personally I don't clean it THAT well. Twenty minutes to half an hour in the corn cob with some Dillon polish and it is good enough for me. I once left a batch so long it polished the nickel off of them and they STILL weren't perfectly clean inside and in the primer pocket. However I have seen the results from stainless media wet tumbling and that does a fantastic job if you want like new brass. Inside and primer pockets are bright and shiny after a couple of hours. So clean you should lube the inside of the neck since there isn't enough carbon residue to do it. While slower and more tedious due to rinsing and drying, you won't get your brass any cleaner than this.

 

[BSG 75]

***Along this line, when cleaning the brass, inside the case is still "dirty" (darkened). Does this need to be "as new" clean too?

When you reload, do YOU clean your brass to "as new" condition? If so, HOW?

If you are wet tumbling with stainless steel pins then the inside of the cases will be as clean as the outside. You should also deprime the cases first with a Lee Universal Decapping Die Lee Precision Universal Decapping Die Steel 90292 before tumbling with stainless steel pins and the pins will clean the primer pockets too. The primer pocket might still have a 3-pointed tattoo from the primer anvil but it will be otherwise clean.

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Tumbling-Media-Pins/dp/B00IER21M6

 

[AMT]

Quick searching for the wet tumblers, I had no idea that they are that expensive. I will save my pennies and put one on my birthday wish-list. (My Christmas wish-list is full ).

I do have a rock tumbler that is just taking up space on a shelf. Can that be used as a suitable sub? I assume yes, but would like to hear from someone who has tried it (or uses it instead).

Thanks again!

 

[Cerberus Group]

Working in the ammo biz, where we load both new and reload...the primer pocket doesn't have to be spotless, and would be difficult and time wise non-productive.

As long as the flash hole is clear, and anything that would prevent the primer from seating to proper depth is cleaned out, you're good. Anything past that is a plus, but have never seen it as a performance problem.

 

[Cerberus Group]

If you wet tumble...use water, citric acid and dawn soap, with a touch of simple green. Brass will come out factory new.

 

[BSG 75]

Quick searching for the wet tumblers, I had no idea that they are that expensive. I will save my pennies and put one on my birthday wish-list. (My Christmas wish-list is full ).

I do have a rock tumbler that is just taking up space on a shelf. Can that be used as a suitable sub? I assume yes, but would like to hear from someone who has tried it (or uses it instead).

Thanks again!

Yes, you can use a rock tumbler. When I started out I used this tumbler from Harbor Freight:



Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler

and I still use it for small batches.

 

[thorborg]

Mine unnecessarily shine, but if they are sans burs or powder ridges you should be good to go if the dimensions are correct. I've picked up once fired 45acp which would barely hold on to a primer and others with small pistol primers in them adding to other, existing good reasons, for inspecting your reload brass.

As an aside, Some could make the case; the first half of your first sentence is in itself, a political statement.

 

[Mikej]

I only do handgun at this time. I don't clean primer pockets. I've never used new brass.

I use walnut in a vibratory, w/some liquid car wax. Something I've noted....Some of the cases are sooty inside still, some are shiny inside after tumbling. When I tap an empty, up side down, case firmly on the bench, nothing comes out. AFTER priming when I tap the same case on the bench little bits of carbon/burnt material comes out. What I believe to be happening is, as you push the primer home it dislodges what burnt material is at the bottom. I tap all rounds before putting them in the tray for charging.

 

[skeezix]

I tumble my brass (pistol) with the spent primers still in the pocket. I don't clean the primer pocket. Never had any issues.

 

[jordanka16]

I tumble my brass (pistol) with the spent primers still in the pocket. I don't clean the primer pocket. Never had any issues.

I do the same thing with pistol brass, I decap rifle cases and then wet tumble them, they dry better that way, but otherwise dont clean the pockets. If you are going for ultimate accuracy cleaning them may help, but it will be a small difference at best.

 

[ageingstudent]

Mine unnecessarily shine, but if they are sans burs or powder ridges you should be good to go if the dimensions are correct. I've picked up once fired 45acp which would barely hold on to a primer and others with small pistol primers in them adding to other, existing good reasons, for inspecting your reload brass.

As an aside, Some could make the case; the first half of your first sentence is in itself, a political statement.

I predict this thread will be at least 5 pages.

OP: I have tried loading squeaky clean to filthy dirty brass and every "somewhat" clean combo in between. I have never been able to detect a difference in performance except more reliable feed in some of my semi-autos. I don't compete in precision long range shooting or hunt anymore so at my skill level and type of shooting I do it doesn't make a noticable difference if any. The bigger difference for me is that clean or not the loads are customized to my firearms. The reason I still wet clean is because it makes my hobby more enjoyable and clean. It keeps the grime off my hands and I rarely have to clean my dies anymore. The primer pockets get really clean doing the wet cleaning so that's just a bonus, but for the shooting I do I've never been able to acertain any advantage to clean primer pockets except that they seem to give a more positive feel when seating primers. There is something of a psychological effect (for me) with confidence in the shinier ammo when shooting off-hand, but the difference seems to disappear when I shoot off of a rest.

That said I usually still wet tumble and yes rock polishers work. I'd still be using my Thumbler's if Mrs. Student hadn't absconded with it to actually polish rocks. The nerve.

 

[Tilos]

Quick searching for the wet tumblers, I had no idea that they are that expensive. I will save my pennies and put one on my birthday wish-list. (My Christmas wish-list is full ).

I do have a rock tumbler that is just taking up space on a shelf. Can that be used as a suitable sub? I assume yes, but would like to hear from someone who has tried it (or uses it instead).

Thanks again!

Rock tumbler will work, you'll need some SS pins though, to get the primer pockets clean.
Those pins are what makes wet tumbler kits $$$.
Even on ebay the pins are $6-$12 per pound.
SS tumbling pins | eBay

Amazon had Frankford Arsenal tumbler/pins for $129 a few days ago...
Check around on the reloading sights...

I recently switched from dry to wet with the Frankford kit, and the results have been stellar.

Separating with a paint strainer bag, like this guy, helped a lot:

​

But I quickly grew tired of dealing with the pins and have been experimenting with different cleaners, trying to get the primer pockets clean, wet tumbling-WITHOUT PINS.

A lot of reloaders have stopped using the pins and are satisfied with the results using various magic additives, me not so much, and continue to search for the best cleaner(s).
There's this new product for wet tumbling WITHOUT PINS;
BRASS JUICE CASE WASH

Edit: Wet tumbling WITHOUT PINS is way better than dry tumbling...

 

[amusicman2]

I use the appropriate small or large primer brush on my rifle and pistol brass. I usually load small batches anyways (max 200 or so pieces). I like a clean pocket.

 

[AMT]

I was poking around and found a guy that brewed his own cleaning solution.

Last night I mixed the solution and hand-agitated it until the salt dissolved. I hand-agitated it for another 5-7 mins (or so). Then I got side tracked and it set all night.

This morning I rinsed it off and they are significantly cleaner than they were when I started. BUT, the primer pockets and inside the case were still black. This is why I posted.

Thanks for all the info.!

I know citric acid is a good cleaner (as I use it for something else). It never dawned on me to try it cleaning the shells.

I assume that almost anything in the tumbler is better than nothing? As it adds something to rub (smash) against the shells, other than the other shells in the tumbler? Small nuts or bolts? What about using small nails? I know anything put in the tumbler will have to be separated from the brass, but does it have to be stainless steel?

 

[amusicman2]

I was poking around and found a guy that brewed his own cleaning solution.

Last night I mixed the solution and hand-agitated it until the salt dissolved. I hand-agitated it for another 5-7 mins (or so). Then I got side tracked and it set all night.

This morning I rinsed it off and they are significantly cleaner than they were when I started. BUT, the primer pockets and inside the case were still black. This is why I posted.

Thanks for all the info.!

I know citric acid is a good cleaner (as I use it for something else). It never dawned on me to try it cleaning the shells.

I assume that almost anything in the tumbler is better than nothing? As it adds something to rub (smash) against the shells, other than the other shells in the tumbler? Small nuts or bolts? What about using small nails? I know anything put in the tumbler will have to be separated from the brass, but does it have to be stainless steel?

Problem would be damaging the softer brass.

 

[Wayne]

I stopped cleaning pockets a long time ago never noticed a difference. I still do some rifle once in a while but I load rifle on the single stage press.

 

[BSG 75]

I know anything put in the tumbler will have to be separated from the brass, but does it have to be stainless steel?

Yes, stainless steel won't rust in the water and it won't scratch the brass. Buy here and you get a free sample of their powdered detergent 2 Pounds Stainless Steel Tumbling Media Pins 2lb .047" x .255" Made in USA 707283249521 | eBay

 

[jordanka16]

I know anything put in the tumbler will have to be separated from the brass, but does it have to be stainless steel?

The SS alloy they use is also magnetic, which makes it easier to separate them.