When or Do You Clean The Primer Pocket When Doing Progressive or Turret Reloading?

[Velzey]

I recommend buying a reloading book by one of the large mfg and reading the entire section on reloading. Not just the individual data per cartridge. There is an entire chapter on center fire cartridge reloading.

I've taught several family members to reload and it's always best to start out reading up first.

 

[orygun]

I clean all my rifle primer pockets out of habit.
I usually don't clean pistol pockets, unless it's a magnum.
Not sure why, that's just the way I do it.

Velzey's advice on reading the "how to" section of a reloading manual is spot on.

 

[9mm guy]

Buying, reading, & following reloading guide books seems like a very clear must from my research. And so of course I'll be doing that rather than just follow people's advice from forums and YouTube videos when doing something this potentially dangerous & requiring patient precision at the same time.

I ordered the Lyman's guide but of course I am looking to buy and read additional books. I was thinking of getting either the Hornady or the Richard Lee book next. Obviously you recommend the Sierra book which I've heard great things about. Do these books address my question about whether cleaning primer pockets is important?

 

[Velzey]

It sure does!

I will add that is one of my 50 or so reloading books...I have them dating back into the 1910's or so.

 

[noylj]

1) Never
2) What ever happens with normal case cleaning
Even with a 0.75 MOA rifle, I have not found ANYTHING done to the primer pocket to increase accuracy.

 

[HotRod61]

I don't clean primer pockets.

What he said.
Read a book some time back about a high power shooter. He was a high master. He said he never cleans primer pockets. So I don't either. I'm no high master either.

 

[Certaindeaf]

What he said.
Read a book some time back about a high power shooter. He was a high master. He said he never cleans primer pockets. So I don't either. I'm no high master either.

I believe a great many precision benchresters also never clean their primer pockets. Not that I am. works for me anyway

 

[HotRod61]

I believe a great many precision benchresters also never clean their primer pockets. Not that I am. works for me anyway

Agreed

 

[Member 5605]

Yes.

I...
Deprime, tumble (wet), dry, reload. Always cleaned.

All of my brass goes through cleaning every.single.time.

I reload as a hobby so it's my relaxation time. I have enough brass to cycle through and not rush cleaned stuff back into reloading. With enough on the shelf to last me 10 years....

Every time it's wet tumbled so while I do NOT specifically clean the primer pockets they are cleaned in the entire brass cleaning process.

 

[Velzey]

I agree with @Dyjital

I strive for better than any factory load, only took a couple hang fires for me to figure out you need to clean them (rifles mostly). I will add that the new stainless steel pin media has helped allot! It gets allot of the soot out.

I have had several duds that the walnut or corncob media has completely plugged the flash hole.
Nice thing about the new SS media, no more of that!

 

[Member 5605]

@Velzey
Every so often I do get stuck pins in the holes. It sure makes it easy to spot with clean brass When it does happen.


I'm actually wanting to switch to the smaller diameter pins for that very reason. Mine are about .005" smaller than the holes. Any debris from machining on the brass and they get stuck.

Some people are also using SS flakes. Quicker process but harder on the brass.

 

[bigblue]

I do not clean primer pockets. I inspect all cases before and after I clean them, and chuck all cases that look iffy or are chocolate or have the case top edge compromised. Then I inspect again after reloading, and pull apart any round that is not perfect. If I have a round with the primer not properly and fully seated, I SLOWLY and CAREFULLY manually seat the primer with an RCBS Universal Hand Priming Tool. I am running a Dillon 650 progressive. Never had a problem.

 

[lehnsher]

For years I reloaded on a Star tool and never cleaned primer pockets and always had very accurate ammo. Once I started using a Sonic cleaner for cleaning my brass I started to punch the primers out to aid in drying the brass faster, I found that the sonic cleaner cleaned most of the primer pockets. I can't say that this improved accuracy or not but the primers seemed to seat better. I always clean primer pockets on rifle brass and this I am sure increases accuracy and ease of seating primers.

 

[Tikkakoski]

I never clean pistol primer pockets. I use a hornady ultrasonic cleaner and deprime my rifle brass before I throw them in the ultrasonic (it helps them dry faster). I've noticed that this gets the primer pockets pretty clean by itself. No additional pocket cleaning has been required.

 

[Bing]

I wet tumble (pistol only cuz I don't reload rifle) with a little Dawn, a little Comet, and birdshot. If you use steel shot you can separate the media from the brass with a magnet I tap the case and the bird shot falls out, and I use a size that won't get stuck in the pocket (.177 BBs do get stuck). Decap first then the pocket gets good and clean.

 

[lcb97269]

Never.

 

[Silver Hand]

Every primer pocket gets cleaned, every case rifle or pistol rounds. It is so dam easy now tumbling with steel pins.
In the early 1970 I used a screw driver to remove the crud.
My primers are always seated properly in the case.

Do you think that hard gritty crap left behind after burning is doing any good for your barrels lands and grooves?
Silver Hand

 

[BillGabby1]

My buddy and I always de-cap and then clean because we often pick up lots of range brass so we make this a practice just for our piece of mind and clean brass looks more professional. and less grit on the brass means smoother feeding. He has an ultrasonic case cleaner, so the pockets get cleaned too.
It also helps in visual checks for splits and such.
We also trim found stuff so everything is the same length, helps with bullet seating consistency.
Gabby

 

[David Stahly]

When I decided to start handloading there were no classes at the gun club. I needed more information than I had to ask questions about handloading. Enter the internet and u tube. Then there are new toools available to deprime cases to allow cleaning of the primer pockest and brass at one time. Look at the Framford Arsonal Platinum de priming tool. I sit on my back deck and deprime several hundred cases in a couple of evenings. Don't use my dies with uncleaned brass. What a deal.

 

[lcb97269]

Just curious, but have any one of you who clean primer pockets ever won a championship by doing so? A single match that you can prove was because of it? Didn't think so.