cleaning primer pockets?

[Josh Smith]

I clean them because I had high primers on a few when I thought it wasn't necessary.

After using a pocket cleaning tool, I stopped using that and began using a plastic brush on a rotary tool. Zap it and it's cleaned and polished.

If I didn't feel it was a safety issue, I'd not bother in pistols.

Regards,

Josh

[Traffer]

I intend to clean the primers and reload them also. Remember "a reloaded primer is an inexpensive primer". Also I have learned that shiny is good, whether it is inside or not.

[GooseGestapo]

I use to, but no more. Last time was ~20yrs ago and loading for a friends .17Rem, .22PPC, and 6mmPPC. But only on the first loading when uniforming the flash holes and primer pockets.
we were however working towards .2" groups. Often attained them too.
He won more than a few br matches with the Norma and Sako brass I prepped/loaded for him.

[JSnover]

I deprive after tumbling (walnut) and give each pocket on quick twist of the Lyman uniforming tool. After the first reload the tool almost never touches bottom, there's always a little carbon left but it hasn't been a problem. Primers seat just fine and I'ver never had one fail to fire.

[Rufus Krile]

Always. My OCD requires that I not only clean the pocket, but that I do it while standing on one foot with one eye closed while listening to 'Scotland the Brave' on the pipes. It drowns out the voices.

[trails4u]

Always. My OCD requires that I not only clean the pocket, but that I do it while standing on one foot with one eye closed while listening to 'Scotland the Brave' on the pipes. It drowns out the voices.

Rufus wins the interwebs for today.

[JWT]

The pocket gets cleaned on every case every time in my house. Why? Because that's the way I was taught 30yrs ago and I haven't found a compelling reason to change.

[jhalcott]

Grand pop had a friend that would cuss when he missed. Grand pop would say "bet that was a HIGH primer"! This was when most primers were corrosive. He would drill me on cleaning the brass as soon as we got out of the field. I remember one powder he used that was NO. 17. He had two big pickle jars of it. Said the TIN in it kept the corrosion down. his favorite gun was a .30 government. I guess I will keep cleaning those pockets because I feel guilty when I don't.

[wmitty]

I carefully cleaned every pocket until I read Warren Page's "the Accurate Rifle". Have not cleaned one since...

[54bore]

Precision rifle YES, i use a carbide pocket depth cutter on every piece of rifle brass. After resizing it takes little to no effort to put that tool in each pocket and make 1 turn, they look brand new afterward, maybe its not needed? I have been doing this for nearly 30 years and it sure hasn't hurt anything

[dragon813gt]

Waste of time that will yield no difference on target IMO.

[Ateam]

Wet tumble!

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I uniform primer pockets on new brass or once fired factory rounds, also on those 50 cases once-fired in the rifle(s) going hunting. Handgun - not at all, rifle for everyday - probably not, unless crimp removal or really dirty 'once-fired' purchase. Some of the high-power guys do some don't. The more rounds down range, the less likely you will clean pockets. Several gun writers have written about this. Most have found little benefit in cleaning primer pockets after initial uniform flash hole deburring. Some of the long-range guys do flash hole deburring without uniforming the primer pocket. How many rounds, how much do you have, personal OCD and anal tendencies all come into play. Do an honest test of the bench with an 'innocent' assistant feeding you cartridges, probably no difference.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I don't know how many of you guys do competitive shooting but a round that fails to go off can mean the difference between 1st place or somewhere behind that. I primarily shoot USPSA in addition to 3-gun and IDPA. Speed is 50% of the battle and clearing malfunctions is costly. My M&P race gun has a trigger that breaks right at 1.5lbs and to get there the striker spring is pretty light which requires I only feed it Federal primers. If I have a primer that is slightly high or ends up cushioned ever so slightly, it won't fire. Since cleaning primer pockets via wet tumbling, I rarely have any failures to fire. That wasn't the case in the past. Lot of the other guys I shoot with don't clean the pockets and would you believe they have more malfunctions typically. My opinion, there is some correlation there. For the average fella with unmodified guns, probably not going to make any difference but I firmly believe it can effect things. Food for thought.

[Smoke4320]

I don't know how many of you guys do competitive shooting but a round that fails to go off can mean the difference between 1st place or somewhere behind that. I primarily shoot USPSA in addition to 3-gun and IDPA. Speed is 50% of the battle. My M&P race gun has a trigger that breaks right at 1.5lbs and to get there the striker spring is pretty light which requires I only feed it Federal primers. If I have a primer that is slightly high or ends up cushioned ever so slightly, it won't fire. Since cleaning primer pockets via wet tumbling, I rarely have any failures to fire. That wasn't the case in the past. Lot of the other guys I shoot with don't clean the pockets and would you believe they have more malfunctions typically. My opinion, there is some correlation there. For the average fella eith unmodified guns, probably not going to make any difference but I firmly believe it can effect things. Food for thought.

I totally agree if comps or Hunting where a misfire means no shot at the prey clean the pockets
if blasting do what you feel comfortable doing .. just means a slight inconvenience here are there

[Hick]

I clean them them first time I get them (especially range pick-up brass) and get them uniform with my Lyman primer pocket reamer. After that, I only inspect them. I dry my washed cases in our dryer, and we have hard water-- so sometimes I get dried water deposits that can change the size of the flash hole-- that's why I inspect them. This, by the way, is not a detailed inspection-- I put the cases in a loading block upside down to get ready to hand prime-- but I look at all the flash holes before priming-- just looking to see that the hole is actually there and is about the right size. If one is clogged I have a little piece of metal that I use to clear the hole. This is neither fancy nor precise-- and I haven't noticed any bad results. Personally, I think this falls in the category of many of the more precise things shooters do in reloading. If you are a precision shooter with high powered scope and a precision rifle using the best benchrest procedures there are many, many things you probably have to do to get 1/4 MOA accuracy. But a lot of that extra precise stuff is wasted on someone like me who shoots with open sights and old eyes where even the front sight is a little blurry.

[Rdbronco]

Deprime and wet tumble with stainless pins. Makes resizing easy, and easier on the resizing die. Misfires are no bueno...

[JBinMN]

I clean them.

[afish4570]

Back in the 60's we would make our own pr.pocket cleaners by taking a 303 or 8mm berdan shell that someone had discarded. This we would take a hammer and flatten the neck on case and file to fit the empty primer pocket......to adjust for filing too much or wear from use.....put case on hard surface and tap judiciously to increase size of the blade. Simple tool and no cost just alittle time and ingenuity. While watching TV with an old towel in lap...clean away. Not a high speed method but good for a beginner or one reloading his annual hunting ammo. afish4570

[bbogue1]

I clean my pistol primers. I found the dirty pockets sometimes do not completely seat the primer. I use the little Lee tool. I found a flush primer may not have seated fully so when the firing pin hits it the primer moves forward and may or may not fire (TuLa primers are more susceptible to this than CCI ) I also wet wash which gives me a cleaner pocket when I clean right after returning from the range. On about the 3rd firing I also check case length and have found many need to be trimmed. It is a matter of pride to produce a technically correct product.