primer pockets

[any ruger]

how often do you clean your primer pockets ?

 

[Cherokee Slim]

Never for all the cowboy calibers we shoot. I do clean the 45-70 pockets for the ammo we use for 200 yard buffalo shoots. I haven't really seen a difference when I forgot to do it. I assume a really dirty primer or powder would cause the hole to block but I haven't seen it.
Cherokee Slim

 

[phonejack]

Every one, every time

 

[Rclark]

When they appear to need it.... Which isn't often. Only time I clean every time is when shooting BP loads.

 

[AGE Ranger]

I started reloaded in the early 80s, and never cleaned them until last year. Not sure why I started guess I read it some where.

 

[Precision32]

I did when I started loading my own. Have not done so in years. Can't really see any difference in the BANG.

 

[DGW1949]

Prior to each reload.

DGW

 

[tsubaki]

I got a bad case of CRS so it gets done every time.

 

[any ruger]

If you use a progressive what do you do resize and deprime then clean and run them through the press again ?

 

[Capn27]

I use a Dillon PL550B progressive. I usually clean them with the old primers still in, then resize, replace the primers, etc. in one trip through the press.

Exception - crimped cases (primer crimp) I will clean them, then size and de-prime. Then I'll ream the primer pocket and lightly countersink the lip of the pocket using my bench lathe. I chuck the countersink in the chuck and touch the cases to the tool.

 

[any ruger]

Thanks for all the replies. I notice some clean and some don't, how important is it to clean every time? Reason I ask is I did 650+ last night and my fingers are sore. Yes I know poor me .

 

[WIL TERRY]

ALWAYS !! There is no excuse to not do so.

 

[Rclark]

Sure there is . Not necessary. I found no difference (empirically) with or without. So just do without. Just no need for that step at least in my revolver cartridges. When I first started back in early 80s, I did 'just because'.... Then talked to a bunch of people at the range and ... they didn't. Tried it, and ... yep.... no difference in performance. So only when I see significant build up do I clean the primer pockets.... which is quite a few reloads.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I do my rifle brass every time. Just cuz. Pistol brass gets done "when I remember." None of my firearms is modified in a way that would reduce the firing pin impact, and I can't honestly say there's any noticeable difference between cleaned and uncleaned IME.

Rick C

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

I do when bottom of the cup is completely covered in residue. If I can see any brass down there, I re-prime without cleaning. I hand prime off press and inspect each while priming.

 

[DeletedMember275]

When I started out in 1976, I cleaned them religiously, just because everyone said I needed to. I quit after a few years and haven't noticed any difference since; haven't cleaned one in many, many years.

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

I decap and use a flash hole uniformer (1 Time), then I check every piece and clean as needed. On my hunting loads I clean the pockets every time. When I start with new brass I do the flash hole, then I never have to do it again. I do inspect every round at the time I load.

 

[mikld]

There's gonna be guys that say "never" and then there's gonna be guys that say they do every one and improves the accuracy many times over. I'm with the "never" group...

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I used to clean primer pockets every time with a dowel and a piece of cloth but I found the primers would loosen up. By not clean or just running the de-capped brass in the tumbler the primers stay tight. If you run de-capped brass in a tumbler be sure to clean the flash holes before priming.

 

[gmartinnc]

I heard about a benchrest shooter once that went an entire season without cleaning any primer pockets. At the end, he had decided that it made no difference at all. Don't know what the current thinking is on that subject, but I do believe many think all the flash holes should be consistant, so they may spend some time checking that.
If anyone thinks cleaning primer pockets is needed and it gives them more confidence in their load and their gun, then by all means, they should be doing it. I do not.

 

[Capn27]

I find that if you wear a bracelet made from cupro-jacket alloy, the primer pockets will clean themselves, along with your coronary arteries!

 

[mr surveyor]

my revolver brass is always clean enough to run through my carbide sizing/depriming die before it hits the ultrasonic cleaner. Then it gets clean, inside/out as well as the primer pocket and flash hole. I don't care one bit about polished shiny brass, but I do like it clean.

 

[gunners]

Only clean them when they look like they need it. Only twice so far in 2 years, sometimes I find primers harder to get seated down far enough so give them a quick clean.

 

[mattsbox99]

I guess if you have nothing better to do, then clean away. Up until I noticed my Dillon ran smoother with polished brass I didn't even tumble pistol brass.

 

[Laserbait]

I decided to do a test with my Savage 10FP, as I had never cleaned the primer pockets on my 308 brass. Using my favorite load I loaded up 20 rounds, 10 with cleaned pockets, 10 without. At 200 yards, I fired some of my plinking ammo to dirty up the bore a bit, then started. I fired 5 cleaned, 5 dirty, 5 cleaned, 5 dirty. The groups were actually slightly tighter with the dirty pockets.


Moral of the story: Try it, if it works for you, great. If it doesn't, forget about it.

 

[federali]

Not only do I clean the pockets, I also ream or uniform them. I have found that certain firearms such as the S&W M&P and the Marlin 336 are extremely sensitive to high primers. Uniforming the primers eliminates misfires caused by high primers.

 

[#1rugerman]

Pretty much every time. I just chuck a lee primmer pocket cleaner in a battery powered drill, pick up 2 or 3 at a time and get it done.

 

[Sgt Garcia]

For handgun brass, never. Rifle when needed.

Dennis.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I find that if you wear a bracelet made from cupro-jacket alloy, the primer pockets will clean themselves, along with your coronary arteries!

I tried that but it turned my wrist GREEN!!! ...so much for VooDoo primer pocket cleaning. :wink:

 

[8emem]

For handgun, I find that after 3-4 loadings of the brass I start to get some primers that don't seat completely. I clean the pockets at this point. Haven't started reloading rifle yet but I have a few thousand .223, .308, and .30-06 cleaned (including primer pocket), sized and trimmed brass patiently waiting for the supply-demand conditions to improve.