Primer pockets and progressive loading

[SkookumJeff]

This is a question for you progressive reloaders, something I've wondered about for a long time. You guys that deprime/resize/prime on your progressive setup and (presumably) skip cleaning the primer pocket, how do you get away with not cleaning the carbon out of the primer pockets?

I can't figure out how the accumulation of carbon/crud in the primer pockets doesn't interfere with the seating of primers. I would think that over time, the crud and carbon in the primer pocket would build up and eventually your primers won't seat to full depth and may even start to seat proud of the cartridge case head surface, which would be NOT GOOD.

Skook

[ReloaderFred]

I size and deprime on my Rockchucker, then clean the primer pockets and prime the brass using either a Lyman or RCBS Ram Prime tool on the Rockchucker (I have both, set up for different cases). When I run brass through my progressive presses, it's sized, primer pockets cleaned and primed. This also frees up one position on the progressive for an RCBS Powder check die, which will lock up the press if there's a short charge or double charge of powder. It also makes the progressive much smoother to operate.

Some will tell you it's not necessary to clean primer pockets, and that my method negates the advantage of the progressive press, but it's my shop and I get to make the rules there. Works for me, and I never have primer problems.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[azrednek]

I've never cleaned primer pockets excepting mil-surp brass when I have to remove primer crimp. Never had a problem and can't recall a replacement primer not being seated to the proper depth. The very few times I've come across one that doesn't look like the primer seated properly. I trash it.

A warning I read in the early 70's in a gun rag. Warned against scraping the residue and blowing the dust out. The author suggested inhaling the primer residue dust after blowing it out could be hazardous. I'm aware there have been changes to primer compounds over the years and I honestly don't know if the residue is hazardous.

[M-Tecs]

I use 650's or 1050's with case feeders.

For bottle neck cases I prime and size only one the first run through the machine than tumble the lube off and do all other secondary ops. Second time through the machine is for priming, powder and bullet set only.

For straight wall pistol I deprime only than tumble.

Using SS pins to tumbles so prime pockets get cleaned via tumbling.

[Mr_Sheesh]

The residue would depend on the primers' manufacturer but can have lead in it IIRC. Lead Styphnate or something IIRC? I have scraped primer pockets using a nut pick turned into a tiny chisel, but I tap the powder out into the waste area where I drop the primers at, and work outdoors usually for that.

[6bg6ga]

I deprime and then clean the cases in a ultrasonic cleaner.

[RKJ]

I seldom clean primer pockets and have had no issues with primers seating. There doesn't seem to be that much residue anyway.

[6bg6ga]

I seldom clean primer pockets and have had no issues with primers seating. There doesn't seem to be that much residue anyway.

Never had a problem with primers seating either. I just like clean brass.

[toallmy]

I do my bottle necked rifle brass prep before loading on any press including cleaning primer pocket in batches . With straight walled pistol brass I skip cleaning the primer pocket at times . Depending on how I feel - I have a die set up in a loadmaster die plate to deprime handgun brass so a good cleaning can be done when I feel it needs cleaning , but I at times just reload it . But if the brass hits the ground I at least tumble it even if I don't remove the spent primer before loading .

[LUBEDUDE]

I don’t clean primer pockets either. I don’t recall ever having primer seating problems with my 1050’s, probably due to the aid of the swaggering station.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171122/e50d76daad627f668ec3a1549e6241e0.jpg


Now I might have one case with a primer pocket problem on my 550’s every 2000 - 2500 rounds.
Then I just use a primer pocket scraper and a chamfering tool to fix the problem.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171122/393bec0ec25ce2f405d96076af4521b9.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171122/ff6bfe3d9e6ecf4483c83bc668b68be0.jpg

[lightman]

I use about the same methods as ReloaderFred. I prefer to deprime, tumble, resize, prime, ect before the cases see the progressive press. That said, I've found that pistol primers don't build up carbon as bad as rifle primers. If you are loading pistol cases on a progressive you can load them several times before you need to worry about primer seating. Crimped primers are a pain on progressive presses unless its a 1050. So are 45's since some of them now have small primers.

[john.k]

I havent cleaned a primer pocket in thirty years.It makes no difference,some residue falls out depriming,the rest is crushed into dust priming.Its funny how reloaders obsess over the residue wrecking a $30 press ram,but dont worry about a $500 barrel taking the residue every shot.

[mold maker]

I don't obsess over what I considered a very minor problem at worst. Since turning to wet tumbling with SS pins the problem doesn't exist, and
my press stays clean.

[OS OK]

I havent cleaned a primer pocket in thirty years.It makes no difference,some residue falls out depriming,the rest is crushed into dust priming.Its funny how reloaders obsess over the residue wrecking a $30 press ram,but dont worry about a $500 barrel taking the residue every shot.

I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding the parallel you draw...however I do understand what that microfine residue does when it collects in the primer slide and grits things up.
Since I'm not obsessed with the time it takes to prepare brass, I bring my brass to the press cleaned and primed with a quality bench priming device.
The beauty in this discussion is that only you control the quality of your reloads...make them any way you desire.

[jmorris]

In my experience I can reload and shoot a case until the headstamp is worn off or the case splits before there is any build up of carbon or anything else that prevents a primer from being seated.

[str8wal]

I don't load on a progressive press, nor do I clean primer pockets. I've yet to have a problem seating primers.

[dverna]

In my experience I can reload and shoot a case until the headstamp is worn off or the case splits before there is any build up of carbon or anything else that prevents a primer from being seated.

Same here. But in all fairness, my high volume pistol ammunition is loaded on a 1050. Maybe the primer pocket swager does a bit of cleaning or maybe the fact that it primes on the downstroke and thus is not done "by feel" helps out.

[jmorris]

No, I loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds on other presses before I owned 1050’s just fine.

As long as you have a primer in a case, you can put another in there once you poke it out.

In fact the only time I have seen stuff in primer pockets is if I deprimed them before tumbling and something got stuck in them, keep the primers in them and that won’t happen.

[mdi]

FWIW, and I'm not a progressive press user. so my post may have no merit. In my years of reloading experience I've noted that primer pockets are kinda "self cleaning". They will rarely have more than a few soot "marks" regardless of what powder and either standard or magnum primers. I have never seen a "build up" of carbon or priming debris in 30 years reloading 7 handgun and 6 rifle cartridges. I also very rarely (none in at least 20 years) have a failure to fire because of improper primer seating.

[EddieZoom]

Currently only loading pistol on Dillon progressive (SDB/550)...never paid any attention to primer pockets. Almost never have issues with primer seating unless I'm getting sloppy/lazy on the upstroke.

[JWT]

I size and deprime on my Rockchucker, then clean the primer pockets and prime the brass using either a Lyman or RCBS Ram Prime tool on the Rockchucker (I have both, set up for different cases). When I run brass through my progressive presses, it's sized, primer pockets cleaned and primed. This also frees up one position on the progressive for an RCBS Powder check die, which will lock up the press if there's a short charge or double charge of powder. It also makes the progressive much smoother to operate.

Some will tell you it's not necessary to clean primer pockets, and that my method negates the advantage of the progressive press, but it's my shop and I get to make the rules there. Works for me, and I never have primer problems.

Hope this helps.

Fred

I do the same thing as Fred

[Dennis Eugene]

It is simple, you never hear about mass amounts of miss fire or hangfire coming off the progressives. It only seems to me that build up must not be a problem as per the many hundreds of thousands, millions?, Of rounds loaded and fired from progressive presses. D. C.

[Stilly]

This is a question for you progressive reloaders, something I've wondered about for a long time. You guys that deprime/resize/prime on your progressive setup and (presumably) skip cleaning the primer pocket, how do you get away with not cleaning the carbon out of the primer pockets?

I can't figure out how the accumulation of carbon/crud in the primer pockets doesn't interfere with the seating of primers. I would think that over time, the crud and carbon in the primer pocket would build up and eventually your primers won't seat to full depth and may even start to seat proud of the cartridge case head surface, which would be NOT GOOD.

Skook

There really is not a lot. Think about it, knock out the primer and where the primer was, it is clean... (usually) But it is still just caked on dust for the most part.

Of course I wet process so this stuff does not bother or affect me.

[z28z34man]

I deprime on a single stage and run it through ss pin tumbler then depending on my mood I may hand prime and remove the decaping pin and load or just run it through the press as normal.

[ReloaderFred]

I've looked at the residue from fired primers under a microscope and it looks like glass shards. I figure I'm putting enough of it down the bore the first time, so why add more? When I look in the catch box under the little machine I made to clean primer pockets, there's quite a bit of residue collected there after cleaning a thousand or so primer pockets.

But like I said above, each person gets to make the rules in their shop........ It just makes me feel better to know I'm priming clean pockets and that each primer is being seated the same depth in them. It eliminates a concern for me, but I'd never tell anyone else they had to do it my way.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Road_Clam]

Been loading progressive rifle and pistol on a Dillon 650 for many years, I don't bother with cleaning primer pockets IMO. It's a lot of extra steps to ensure clean pockets, and not worth it for me. The only painstaking extra steps I take is sorting my nato crimped FC brass from regular commercial. You don't want the aggravation of crimped brass jamming your press. I deprime and chamfer nato brass, then it's ready for my progressive.

[bleukahuna]

I kind of defeat the purpose of the progressive press, but after I ruined a sizing die I came up with a procedure that works for me. With dirty brass I just decap at the first station with a universal decapping die and then run the rest empty, ss pin tumble cleans primer pockets and leaves me pretty brass. Second trip through for dirty brass, first for clean, lanolin lube, resize or decap and resize, ss or corn cob tumble, trim chamfer process primer pockets and flash hole if necessary. Last trip, prime, charge, seat and crimp if required. Back when I just lubed and loaded my empties, I picked up enough **** to scratch an RCBS sizer (if you're going to wreck a die, wreck an RCBS)

[MyFlatline]

I changed my method due to the dirt and grime jamming up the LNL priming system. I now do like some of the others , deprime and clean, then start the priming process,,or hand prime lots of times just because.

[Black Prince]

This is a question for you progressive reloaders, something I've wondered about for a long time. You guys that deprime/resize/prime on your progressive setup and (presumably) skip cleaning the primer pocket, how do you get away with not cleaning the carbon out of the primer pockets?

I can't figure out how the accumulation of carbon/crud in the primer pockets doesn't interfere with the seating of primers. I would think that over time, the crud and carbon in the primer pocket would build up and eventually your primers won't seat to full depth and may even start to seat proud of the cartridge case head surface, which would be NOT GOOD.

Skook

You don't get away with not cleaning primer pockets on a progressive press. First you wash off most of the dirt and grit on the cases with soap and water in a 5 gallon bucket using your garden hose outside. After drying, you go over to your RCBS universal sizing die in a press on your loading bench next to the progressive and you decap all of your cases using it. I use an old Lyman All American press for that purpose. Then you put those deprimed cases into your Frankford Arsenal rotary case cleaner with some of their case cleaner, water, and five pounds of stainless steel pins and turn it on for about three hours. Then you separate the cases from the pins, wash them off with your garden hose, and dry them. THEN you go to your progressive press and resize and load them using your resizing die that doesn't even have a decaping rod or pin in it. And you don't have a primer catch on the press because you don't need it and you don't have all that dirty stuff that falls out of cases after decaping fouling up your press either. But you do load with cases that look brand new including the primer pockets. And you do keep your press and everything on the shell plate clean and neat. And you produce ammo that can easily be mistaken for factory ammo.

[ioon44]

I also deprime then wet tumble, keeps the primer system running clean but I still leave the decaping rod in my dies just to make sure the flash hole is clear.

[dragon813gt]

In my experience I can reload and shoot a case until the headstamp is worn off or the case splits before there is any build up of carbon or anything else that prevents a primer from being seated.

Same here. And I will go one step further. Cleaning primer pockets make no difference on target. It's an area that I feel is a total waste of time.

[dikman]

I do the same as ioon44. I use a Pro1000 (because it's got a collator) set up with a de-priming sizer die and run them all through there first. It's amazing the amount of black crud that comes out with the old primers! It may not be necessary, as some say, but I've got the time and it works for me.

[BlackRat]

I only clean the primer pockets when I'm loading small batches of ammo for my rifles, however when I'm running my 550 or the LNL I leave the primer pockets as they are. I never had a problem leaving them with a little crud and honestly I don't think that there's nothing to gain in terms of accuracy or reliability that would make me spend some extra time to clean them.

[dikman]

I forgot to mention why I really bother to clean the primer pockets - some time ago I started having problems with raised primers, both in .38 and .44-40, so started cleaning them which cured most of the issues. My revolvers are particularly susceptible to problems (as in cylinder jams) if the primers aren't seated properly.

[Walter Laich]

OK, I'm the odd man out

that and OCD causes me to deprime before I wet tumble--why? so I have an extra step to do is really the only reason I can think of

SDB user so I remove the 3 bolts that hold on the primer system, 4 that hold on tool head. Pull out dies
Replace with tool head that just as depriming rod in it.
Takes less than 5 min if I'm slow

now all I have to do is feed the primed brass in and work the handle. No need to remove the deprimed case as it works its way around and drops in the bin as I work the handle. Saves half the effort not having to remove the deprimed case before adding the primed one.

Do blow off the press well when finished.

I found I can deprime .45 Colt, .45 ACP and .44 Sp/Mag with the .45 Colt shell place. Can't work the press hard, just easy does it and the cases all stay in the plate. I do get the occasional ACP that will hang up on the deprimer rod but a quick pull with needle-nosed plyers solves that

[David2011]

If you have identified a problem that requires clean primer pockets in order to resolve the issue then by all means clean them. If you have OCD and just can't reload without cleaning them, by all means satisfy the compulsion.

For the average shooter it will make no difference. I have .45ACP cases that have the headstamps beaten illegible (shooting light loads, no less) that have never had the primer pockets cleaned. They work perfectly every time. If you find abrasive residue in the primer pocket don't worry, most of it went out the barrel chasing the bullet. I do agree wholeheartedly on one point. That residue is a PITA for the priming system of most any progressive press.

The only time I have cleaned primer pockets was when I was uniforming some to see if it made my most accurate rifle shoot any better. It's only a sub .4 MOA rifle and I couldn't tell any difference. It didn't become a sub .3 MOA gun over clean, uniform primer pockets. That's for the guys that are shooting sub .2 MOA or over 600 yards in my opinion. I think more trigger time is more useful than shiny primer pockets.

[oldhenry]

I only load pistol cartridges now.....all on 550 Dillon.

ONCE FIRED RANGE BRASS: deprime, uniform pocket with Sinclair tool, wet tumble in 6/1 water/lemon juice, dry, tumble in CC media & load (they look like new).

When brass doesn't clean up to suit me I'll do the same: otherwise I just tumble & load.

Henry

[Walter Laich]

I guess the look of 'new' brass all loaded up and ready to go makes it worthwhile to me. And that's the nice thing about this hobby/sport/obsession: we can modify it to suit our own likes.

[daboone]

........ that's the nice thing about this hobby/sport/obsession: we can modify it to suit our own likes.

Amen. All these opinions, logical reasons and methods are perfect for the individual who is responsible for his handloads. Sometimes I enjoy all the processes sometime I don't find it necessary for a specific cartridge's intended purpose.

[pjames32]

Before I retired I just loaded my pistol stuff on my Dillon SDB. Since I retired, most of my pistol brass is deprimed with my Harvey tool, cleaned and loaded. Probably an un-needed step, but I like it. My rifle cases are deprimed and sized then cleaned. With all that said, I've never seen a case that swaggered at me.