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I'm a beginner to reloading doing initial research. When looking at progressive or turret presses, I noticed how one de-primes with one die, then place the primer in the brass at the next stage as well as flaring the cartridge's mouth. (I'm only talking about handgun loading such as 9mm or 380ACP.)

This means one is not cleaning the primer pockets or flash hole of the brass since one is going immediately from de-priming to priming with one pulling of the press handle. And so does that mean when one reloads handgun rounds that one never has to clean the primer pockets or flash hole?

If so, does not cleaning that area of the brass for 9mm affect accuracy or will it cause misfires? Do any of you recommend cleaning the primer pocket or flash hole of the brass after a certain number of brass use? Or do I never have to clean it? (Of course I will clean the brass before beginning the reloading process. I'm specifically talking about after de-priming.)

If I do need to clean that area, does that mean I'll be cleaning the brass twice? (Once before I begin de-priming by tumbling. Then again after de-priming.) If so then during this second cleaning, do I need to tumble again (which would be a real pain to have to tumble twice) or just brush that area of the brass with the primer pocket brush?

I hope all that makes sense. Thanks in advance for all your answers.
 
Either do i BUT it will depend how many times it's been shot. Sure it will spilt maybe before it gets to that point.

I had 1 slam fire 20yrs ago .... just goes to say I learned that since then I got in the habit of double checking when I load my mags to touch the base of the rds as I do it. The 1st chk is as I put them into my ammo bag.

Don't need a DQ on the make ready command!

BE safe.
 
I think most all serious benchresters don't clean their primer pockets.. and none of us here are serious benchrest shooters. pretty much
Which is different than world class pistol steel slammin'.. they don't do that either.
 
It think it all depends on what you feel good about.
I have 3 dillon 550s and have never sized or deprimed on them.
Size/deprime on my Rock Chucked 4 and do my case prep before I even touch a 550.
I have more reloading bench time than I do range time and I do what makes my brain not worry about every round going bang and hitting what I'm aiming at.
Do I have to do what I do?
Probably not.
Didn't always do it this way but it's the way that makes my little brain happy now.
I remembere the days where the only flash hole was where the decapping pin went thru the goo.
And it only gets worse the longer I do it.
Tumbling twice isn't bad either.
It seems after you've been reloading a while you have enough brass so that it can be in various stages and still have plenty to shoot.
 
We all have different ways and here is what I do when reloading on my turret press. I tumble all brass, resize/deprime, flare the mouth, clean primmer pocket, prime case, drop powder, seat bullet and crimp. My way is only my way, your millage may vary. Merry Christmas everyone.
 
All my rifle brass gets the primer pockets cleaned out 100%!

The road to a nice 5 second hang fire is paved with dirty a primer pockets! And you haven't lived until you pull the trigger, and nothing and then start to back off a .338 Lapua and then have it go off. Talk about getting a few bruises!
 
I should add that I clean out the pockets on .44 mag, and 454 Casull. Both used for deer hunting and I don't want to have a click..............




boom

You will know when its time to clean your pockets.....
 
Then primer pockets don't need to be cleaned for pistol reloading? There's no misfires that would result of not cleaning primer pockets?

Let me go one step further; as long as I pick up my brass immediately at the range and don't let them sit in the dirt/mud, then can I reload and not clean/tumble the brass at all? As I said, I only plan on reloading 9mm and some 380ACP, not rifle.
 
.308 clean pockets every 3rd load, or so.
Pistol, never ever ever never.

Shoot em', tumble em', load em', and repeat.

Toss the straight wall brass when they split or the primer pockets get sloppy.

Confirm you load data, double check your charge, use the right primer, get the OAL within 10 thousandths, be happy :)
 
I don't clean pockets on anything but my 204. The rest, even the 6mmbr and 308 just don't seem to matter. I think with the 204 the touch hole is smaller and maybe that is enough to get it clogged up if you don't clean.
 

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