cleaning primmer pockets ?

[mp40]

is it a must to half to clean primmer pockets ? when reloading ? tried a search but no real awnsers

[jaguarxk120]

Some say yes and some say no!

I remove the spent primers and tumble all my brass in stainless pins, that cleaning action brings the brass to a like new condition. And the primer pockets are clean.

Using a vibrator machine cleans the out side but still leaves the inside and primer pockets dirty.

If you like them clean then clean them. I like to follow what Lyman says in their handloading manual, they have been in the loading business longer than anyone.

[hAkron]

I personally do not do it, at least not with handgun brass. Some folks pay closer attention to rifle brass. The only rifle I reaload currently is .223 and other than swaging the primer pockets, I don't take any extra steps to clean them.

If I had very special rare brass for some antiquated cartridge, or if I was going for bench rest type accuracy, I might clean out the pockets.

[4runnerman]

Never for pistol,always for rifle. Uniform and check Flash holes for uniformity also. Better and more consistent primer seating= more accurate round.

[cw308]

I use a uniformer every time,and never had a problem.

[mp40]

Better and more accurate round for pistol our riffle ? I thought it was always a must to clean out pockets would save a lot of time if you don't. Right now I am
Just interested in 40 s&w

[mp40]

What is a uniformer?

[4runnerman]

More accurate round for rifle. Not sure about pistol ,don't shoot far enough distance to tell if it makes a difference. A uniformer is a tool that actually scraps the metal out of primer pocket making it square and flat surface for the primer to sit in. Now as for uniforming the pocket- I believe there was someone in here once that had a post showing results that it is not always the best thing to do.
I think it was something to do with the residue in pocket helps seal primer ignition???. Maybe he will chime in with that article again.

End results will be what works best for you. Load some both ways and see what your pistol likes.

[BigJimP]

No, I don't clean any primer pockets ...on handgun calibers ( and I reload thousands of rounds a year in 9mm, .40S&W, .45acp, .38 spl,.357 Mag and .44 Mag. ).......and it doesn't affect the accuracy / my rounds will all give me
1" groups at 25 yds...

[Reloader2]

I clean the primer pockets on my rifle brass just because its part of the prepping routine I use.

I've done it on the pistol brass up to this point. I recently purchased a Lee Classic Turret press and started reloading for 9mm. The range brass I've been getting shows the primer pockets to be mostly clean after depriming. Doubt very highly there is any benefit to cleaning these.

My answer would be its not necessary to clean primer pockets after each firing but doesn't hurt a thing to do so.

[57K]

The little LEE primer pocket tool that chucks in a drill/driver is what I use. Whether or not you should clean primer pockets is up to you and the amount of time you have. It is not a necessity for plinking ammo, but for my defense loads I use nickel once fired cases and the primer pockets get cleaned pretty quickly. I have a Ryobi drill/driver that has vertical and horizontal spirit levels to make sure I'm square to the case and I lock its trigger for highest RPM and allow the driver/pocket cleaner to sit on the pocket just long enough to get the full weight of the drill/driver then proceed on to the next case. Typically, I can do 200 cases in about 5 minutes.

[Nick_C_S]

This is one of the reasons why I am hesitant to go progressive (I load handgun only).

Perhaps it's OCD, but it doesn't sit well with me to not clean the primer pockets. I'm sure going one or two loadings without would be no problem; but at some point, (I think) the buildup is going to be an issue. Since it isn't practical to track how many times the brass has been loaded without cleaning the primer pockets, I just do it after every resize.

When I resize/decap, I stand the brass up on the bench in groups of 12, grab them all up, and clean the pockets 12 at a time, by hand (with the Lee tool). Resize/decap the next 12, and so on . . .

I've been pondering an initial corn cob tumble (as I do now); then resize/decap; then tumble again with stainless steel pins. IF this was just to clean the primer pockets, I probably wouldn't give it a second thought - I don't mind hand cleaning pockets so much. But its primary benefit of getting the brass really clean is appealing. I don't know. We'll see.

[jamaica]

Not necessary. Do it if it makes you feel better. I have loaded many thousands without cleaning primer pockets.

[TheNatureBoy]

Only if its needed. If I see a lot of build up I'll do it. If not.....

[hooligan1]

I always clean primer pocket, so no debri is forced into flashhole when handpriming. It's just one step to consistancy.

[larryf1952]

I always clean primer pocket, so no debri is forced into flashhole when handpriming. It's just one step to consistancy.

+1

I also use a single stage press, partially for this reason alone. I clean the pocket as I take each case out of the press, after being resized and decapped. I want to know that my case is clean in every corner and crevice. So what if it takes a few seconds longer? If I'm reloading, where have I got to go?

I haven't always done this, and I know it likely doesn't make a whit of difference in how the loaded round functions 99.99% of the time. But, to me, it's like getting ready to go out for a nice dinner with the wife by putting on a freshly cleaned set of duds, only to forget to change my filthy socks.

Just doesn't seem right.

[WESHOOT2]

Since I use new cases only when making serious ammo, I (cannot say I) never clean handgun primer pockets.

I keep a few of the little LEE tools laying around, and clean pockets if I feel guilty about one.

For just-shootin' ammo I never clean pockets. I've made a bit.......

[Hammerhead]

I've been loading the same batch of .357 brass over and over for nearly a decade without cleaning the primer pockets.

[Crashbox]

Since I ultrasonically clean my brass after each shoosting, my primer pockets always get cleaned. A long time ago I tried skipping the US cleaning every other time but that didn't last very long at all.

[pathdoc]

This is one of the reasons why I am hesitant to go progressive

Precisely my thinking. It's one of the things which (negatively) colours my opinion on auto-indexing turret presses in general, and not just full progressives (but there are other threads for that argument, so I'll stop there).

[Snyper]

What is a uniformer?

Here's one:
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/338...mer-tool-large

Primer pocket uniformers are designed to ensure that primer pockets are cut to the correct SAAMI depth specifications, cleaning out built up carbon residue from previous firings and squaring the bottom of the primer pocket with respect to the case head. This step is important as variations in the seating depth of the primer can change how the firing pin strikes the primer producing inconsistent ignition. This tool features a preset stop collar set to SAAMI specifications.