cleaning primer pockets?

[jhalcott]

Is it just busy work or does cleaning primer pockets have benefits? Better accuracy smaller velocity spreads or... ? I have been doing it for years since my grand pa started me reloading in the 1950's. I'm getting lazy in my older years and just wonder.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I wold think that maybe as that carbon builds up on the wall of the pocket the primers will star to "stretch" out the pocket, so when it is cleaned it may have a loose fit. I could be totally wrong though. im sure another more experienced person will add their opinion, which I am curious to know, I don't have a pocket cleaner, and don't always clean them, but I use a flathead screwdriver that fits perfectly in them to get at least mmost of the crud out. have a good day, Travis

[white eagle]

started handloading probably 25-30 years ago when I first started I used to clean them but after a 100 or so cases I have never cleaned another
never had a misfire or noticed any difference in my loads

[toallmy]

I clean and have always cleaned my rifle primer pockets , but handgun pocket is a different story some of the time I just load and shoot . I feel as if it may make a difference in seating primer depth at a point but I have never got to it . I generally deprime my handgun brass after a couple loadings and wash it before tumbling anyway just to clean it up . When I get new to me used brass that needs a good look so I clean the primer pocket and inspect good , I have found some ' once fired ' 45 acp brass with the primer pocket flash holes enlarged . I chuck the little hand held primer pocket cleaner in the cordless and have at it . I am very picky with my rifle brass , but strangely enough I don't mind it being tarnished through . Possibly corrosion in the primer pocket would be a problem ?

[Texas by God]

I don't clean them unless they are horrible. I do clean military pockets after removing the crimp because the rotating brush is right there beside the chamfer tool on the Hornady power unit.

[trails4u]

This one might get good.......

[308Jeff]

When processing once fired military 7.62x51, I always hit the pockets with a Redding Primer Pocket Uniformer after I remove the crimp. Like TbG, I hit all my rifle pockets with the brush that's in the RCBS prep center.

Don't know that I've every cleaned a pistol pocket.

[OS OK]

This one might get good.......

Gotta X-tra bag-o-corn...? Egos are gonna fly!

[Ballistics in Scotland]

If the case is used often, it might be worth scraping the bottom of the pocket with a toothpick, cut to a flat end. It will be too cheap for anybody to sell you in a green or orange pack. Scarcely any fouling should get on the sides of the pocket, but if it does I can't think of anything better than forcing a tight-fitting non-ferrous metal cylinder with a little resiliency into it.

[w5pv]

I use a hand fitted wooden dowl in a drill motor to clean my primer pockets after they have been champered if needed.I find the Hornoday deburing tool perfect for this

[tdoyka]

i do mine everytime. it only takes 1 or so seconds, i don't find it to be much to be a big deal. of course, this is how i was taught, so i'll keep on doing the primer pockets.

yours may vary.....

[Texas by God]

I have a double ended hand tool (Lee?) That has sp on one end and lp on the other. It's neat. Hardly ever use it.

[ikarus1]

I look at it this way....with wet tumbling, a clean pocket is free so why would i not decap with a universal decap diex throw em in the tumbler and clean the whole case like new?

Has the added benefit of drying faster since air and water flows thru the flash hole

[1bluehorse]

I not only clean primer pockets (wet tumble) I even uniform them... do it make a difference accuracy wise, probably not for "informal" handgun shooting. It's just part of MY procedure. It does make priming easier though. And, I do think it makes a difference with your rifle brass for consistency, if you're into that sort of stuff...

[smoked turkey]

I will not say that cleaning primer pockets will absolutely and every time result in more accurate or more reliable ammunition. Many of the projects that I do around the house are not perfect. I allow for less than perfect on some things. However, I don't think that making ammunition should be one of those things. So as a part of my reloading regimen I do give each case a quick look to see it there are any abnormalities or anything that might result in a malfunction of some sort. As a part of that I do take the time to clean the primer pockets. In doing that I am assured that the primer will seat fully in the primer pocket. I have on occasion had a "high" primer that locked one of my revolvers. Upon examination I have always found that the high primer was a result of my not getting enough power on the handle during the primer seating process. So the seating of primers is something I take extra care in and that includes the cleaning of the pocket. That is just me and obviously from the above posts it is not always a problem for everyone.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I deprime before SS pin wet tumbling which cleans the brass inside and out very well including primer pockets. Its consistency and thats always desirable. They are all clean instead of a mixed variation of pocket fouling. Mostly its to add insurance against high primers/cushioned impact so i don't get malf's in my competition guns but I do it across the board.

[Shawlerbrook]

I clean them if they are dirty. I know this sounds like a wisecrack, but if there is carbon buildup, I give them a turn with the tool. Might not be life or death, but clean has to be better than dirty.

[toallmy]

I must be insane I have been known to clean up the inside of the flash holes in brass .

[ole 5 hole group]

Most people reload according to their wants/needs etc - When I started shooting benchrest I was advised to uniform everything, as it couldn't hurt and just might help accuracy. Uniforming primer pockets and flash holes was among the recommendations. Takes but a couple seconds per case depending upon your method. I uniform both rifle and pistol cases to my satisfaction and I can miss as many shots as anyone else.

I do know that most commercial cases have burrs within the flash hole - uniforming the flash hole you'll see the brass shavings from the burrs. Most commercial brass will also have primer pockets that are just a tish high - running the Sinclair uniformer you will notice variations from case to case.

After firing and tumbling the cases you see some carbon in the primer pocket - if you want to clean the pockets from the carbon, there's several methods, but that Sinclair uniformer with a power drill makes short work of everything.

Does it aid accuracy? One thing for sure, it sure doesn't detract from accuracy.

[phonejack]

Yes, every time. I'm retired and I've got the time to do it. I still use a single stage press and a balance beam scale.