cleaning primer pockets

[linde]

Hi,

Am new to this reloading forum but not completely new to reloading. Back when our three boys were still at home they were shooting me out of house and home, so I set up a single stage reloading operation to keep up. Now that I've retired, I returned to reloading and treated myself to a Dillon R550B progressive press.

As I set it up this afternoon I realized that cleaning the primer pockets wasn't going to happen without a whole lot of lost time. My primary reloading will be for revolvers - in particular .38Spl/.357Mag, .44Spl/.44Mag & .45Colt. How important is it that primers get cleaned for these calibers?

Thanks for your thoughts, Russ

 

[shovelwrench]

Very few clean primer pockets on handgun brass.

Now rifle is a different story, its just one of the steps in loading rifle.

 

[TSQUARED]

I deprime in a separate operation, trim the cases to within 0.002 in , separate by headstamp brand and then by weight in 10 mg. increments to insure accuracy.
If you believe in all that then I have a bridge for sale - your choice of location.
In my benchrest days I used to clean out the primer pockets. In pistol reloading I have never cleaned out any primer pockets, nor trimmed cases, nor sorted by headstamp. Sorting by headstamp may have some utility for 50 yard bullsye pistol matchjes but that's about all. For anything within 25 yards just load on your 550 and shoot. In the late 1950's we did not even clean brass prior to reloading.

 

[fstdraw]

When I clean pistol or rifle primer pockerts, I use the the RCBS hand tool and remove the brush portion. I hook up an electric drill and chuck up the brush, put it in a vise and set the speed on about half. I can clean 25 to 30 primer pockets in a minute. Overkill perhaps, but PP's are clean.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

I load rifle ammo on a single stage press and "sometimes"clean the primer pockets because it's so quick and easy but I don't even consider that necessary between every firing.

For pistol ammo,I very seldom clean primer pockets.

 

[linde]

Appreciate everyone's thoughts. After spending many hours cleaning primer pockets in my younger years, I'm willing to take advantage of the 550's convenience and let 'er rip. If I have a problem with primer seating, I can always deprime and clean by hand after several reloads. I will continue to do the rifle on my single stage.

Many thanks . . . I'll likely be back for more insights.

Russ

 

[sjmjax]

I clean, or more accurately, recut my primer pockets in most of my pistol brass... once.

I use a primer pocket, uniforming cutter mounted in a table top drill press to recut the pocket, reset the depth, and remove any military crimps on all my range collected brass. This gives some uniformity to the brass and consistant primer seating. I also redrill the flash hole and check them for OAL. Any cases excessively long get trimmed to a nominal cartridge length. Only do it once on the first reload then it goes into the general use pool.

Not sure if it's really worth the effort but gives me something to do on rainy day or cold winter morning. As a retired machinist, I'm just kind of wired that way.

 

[oldRoger]

For revolvers (357 & 44) the brass never hits the ground. I usually full length size decap and neck expand. Then wash in hot soapy waster, hand prime, and then finish. The primer pockets are generally not bad.
For Self loaders I run them through the LNL so no clean. Really dirty brass from the outdoor range, I will decap, wash and then vibratory polish.The primer pockets look good enough after that treatment.

 

[Noah Zark]

I use a samll "pocket" style slotted screwdriver inserted into the primer pocket, and given a quick twist. Works great at removing the crusty deposits that can interfere with primer seating, but doesn't take out the burn marks which don't affect anything and probably only bother Mr. Monk.

Noah

 

[dennis40x]

SDB setup for 9mm luger exclusively. The case are cleaned but the prime pockets are as is after multiple firings.

Cleaning prime pockets for the fast majority of handgun shooters is a waste of time an effort. With today’s average shooter the 25yd line is considered way out there and people proudly proclaim the groups achieved at seven yards. Do you really think a clean or dirty primer pocket is going to make a difference?

I’ve shot 45ACP brass to the point of the head stamp being smeared and never once cleaned the primer pocket. It’s a pointless exercise when you’re shooting at spitting distances.

I’ll admit with rifles that I’ll clean the primer pockets mainly because I utilize cases in somewhat smaller volumes now. At one time my volume usage was so high I use to send my rifle cases to a processor. The brass would come back clean, sized, trimmed to length, and primed. The only thing I had to do was chamfer the case mouth. With long range cases I would use new cases then after the season dump them in with the cases being sent to the processor. I shoot the rifles less and less each year now.[/QUOTE]

 

[walnutred]

I only clean primer pockets on black powder cases. smokeless handgun cases I don't think it matters.

 

[H Richard]

I only clean primer pockets on Rifle and pistol (for match use). I've probably loaded several hundred thousand rounds on my Dillon in the past 20+ years and none of the primer pockets were cleaned. With this recently I ran some tests for accuracy with my 1911, and the 4.3 Gr. of 231 load shot into 1 1/2" at 25 yards from a Ransom rest. Primer pockets weren't cleaned.

 

[orion1]

I have yet to clean a primer pocket for rifle or handgun. Never had a problem seating primers or a failure to fire.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

IMHO, in a straight wall case like the .38 special or .44 Mag it really dosent help or hurt to clean the pesky things!

 

[John R]

I have never clean the primer pockets on pistol brass.
Never had any problems.