Do you clean your primer pockets?

Since I use a Primer Pocket Uniformer on all my Match brass I use it on the RCBS Case Prep Center to clean the pockets as well. Takes no time at all.

I have shot matches without cleaning the pockets and saw no difference in precision but I like the warm fuzzy feeling that I did all I could to make the brass as uniform as possible.
 
I uniform my primer pockets and use the cutter to clean the primer pockets on subsequent reloads because doing so makes me feel better. It makes it easier to seat the primers correctly, so I never have to worry about the height of my primer causing problems in terms of ignition or causing a cycling problem in my firearm. Its just one of those little things when combined with a few other things that I believe makes my handloads a bit better. IMHO, good ammo is 85% case prep, 10% is the uniformity in how I assemble the components, and 5% is the component choice.
 
I tumble with the primers in, then clean the pockets. I feel this prevents media from plugging the flash hole, if there is a chunk in there the de-capping pin will push it out. The only reason I clean is because early on in my reloading career I had two misfires, which I attributed to primers seating on crud in the primer pocket. Never had a missfire since I began cleaning the pockets. Bit of a tiresome task though.
 
What's a primer pocket? Kidding... but in all seriousness I don't see them since I decap on a progressive Dillon reloading pistol rounds. I figure shooting off the new primer will clean the dirt from the old one anyway... err... right?
 
I have had problems with seating depth of primers after 4 to 5 reloads on my 225 Win. So I got into the habit years ago and still clean them to this day. I now use an RCBS case prep unit and it only adds a couple seconds per case. I also de-prime as a single step as soon as I get back from the range or hunting. It helps me feel the primer coming out and I use this as another measure for excessive pressure.
257Roberts
 
Boomer said:
I uniform my primer pockets and use the cutter to clean the primer pockets on subsequent reloads because doing so makes me feel better. It makes it easier to seat the primers correctly, so I never have to worry about the height of my primer causing problems in terms of ignition or causing a cycling problem in my firearm. Its just one of those little things when combined with a few other things that I believe makes my handloads a bit better. IMHO, good ammo is 85% case prep, 10% is the uniformity in how I assemble the components, and 5% is the component choice.
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I couldnt agree more with the 85% case prep.
I also weigh every one of my powder chages and seat the primers with a hand tool.
If a person goes to the expense of buying Lapua brass and benchrest dies I dont see the point of cutting corners.
 
DOUGLAS D said:
I couldnt agree more with the 85% case prep.
I also weigh every one of my powder chages and seat the primers with a hand tool.
If a person goes to the expense of buying Lapua brass and benchrest dies I dont see the point of cutting corners.
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I agree that case prep is important, but if cleaning pockets doesn't produce any measurable difference, then not doing so isn't cutting corners, it's merely not wasting time in useless busywork.
 
stevebc said:
I agree that case prep is important, but if cleaning pockets doesn't produce any measurable difference, then not doing so isn't cutting corners, it's merely not wasting time in useless busywork.
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I never cleaned rifle primer pockets for many years when I used the Rockchuckers priming arm.
When I started using hand priming tools there was always cases that took more force to seat the primer and felt "gritty".
With the addition of the RCBS case prep centre every case gets a touchup on the primer pocket unifirer tool head. At the end of 100 cases there is an amazing amount of carbon and crud built up around the base of the toolhead.

Maybe it doesnt help but I do like knowing that ammunition coming off my bench today will never fail in the field.
It will also outshoot anything I was building 30 years ago by a country mile.

Heck when I've got the time I even uniform the flash holes.....
 
stevebc said:
I agree that case prep is important, but if cleaning pockets doesn't produce any measurable difference, then not doing so isn't cutting corners, it's merely not wasting time in useless busywork.
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I like to get a measurable preload on the primer, and if the primer doesn't seat on the bottom of the pocket this isn't uniform. That can lead to movement of the primer under impact of the firing pin which could result in a misfire or hangfire, particularly with thick cup primers like CCIs. If there is a significant amount of carbon on the bottom of the primer pocket the primer might sit high enough to cause cycling problems in some guns, I'm sensitive to this problem in revolvers, and slam fires in gas guns. As for achieving a measurable advantage from any particular case prep operation, its not so much the net gain resulting from any one operation, but the quality resulting from a number of operations undertaken to produce uniform ammunition.
 
Fair enough- you each made good points I hadn't considered. I load for .303, .308, 38S&W, and 9mm with a single stage press and I'm just looking to reduce the number of steps if I can.
It's true that a lot of crap is left behind in the pockets though if you don't tumble, and I don't.
I'll have to give this some thought.
 
stevebc said:
I agree that case prep is important, but if cleaning pockets doesn't produce any measurable difference, then not doing so isn't cutting corners, it's merely not wasting time in useless busywork.
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Not wasting time. How much time is wasted when a primer hasn't fully seated and you have to push it out, then clean the primer pocket.
Or maybe you didn't notice it until the cartridge was loaded. It's out, maybe just a bit, so how much time is wasted, deciding if it is safe to leave, take a chance on, or take the loaded cartridge apart.
Cleaning the the pockets is actually a time saver, in the long run.
And for cleaning, I find the cheapy Lee steel brush is fast and does a good job.
 
Regarding measurable differences, the only measurement I've seen referenced in this thread so far is this one.

ben hunchak said:
If you were to collect all the crap that you scrape out of primer pockets, you might be inclined to do it always....however it makes me wonder how folks do that when using a progressive reloader??
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A logical conclusion one can draw after taking said measurement is this one.

What's a primer pocket? Kidding... but in all seriousness I don't see them since I decap on a progressive Dillon reloading pistol rounds. I figure shooting off the new primer will clean the dirt from the old one anyway... err... right?
Click to expand...
So, it isn't so much a question of if you clean primer pockets but how.

You can use your barrel/action to clean your brass or some other method. Apparently both ways work :rolleyes:.
 
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