Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Cleaning primer pockets

If primer pockets ever get cleaned on my brass, it has happened when I throw them in the tumbler, and the brass is sort of groddy so I put some mineral spirits into the media....

that shines up every thing if left over night, to include the primer pockets...

other than that I have never noticed any accuracy or inaccuracy contribution, one way or the other...

A complete waste of time IMO. Ranks right up there with barrel break-in.

You can clean primer pockets?

Thumblers tumbler works real well, cleans inside and out.

So just a basic walnut hull type tumbler but with dry steel pins?? I’ve wondered about that before but was unsure the vibratory element was strong enough to run the pins. If that’s what you use how deep do you fill the bowl? Thx

Seafire, as far as you can tell do mineral spirits have any effect on the poly bowl of your tumbler? Do you concern yourself about clearing any leftover spirits from the inside of your cases? Thinking the dry pins Bugger uses along with a little wet solvent might be the best of both worlds. No functional reason to clean primer pockets I just like clean cases. Think it was Mule Deer that said pocket crud doesn’t accumulate in the space occupied by the spent primer; so the new primer is seated in clear territory as well. Or something to that effect.

I guess they get cleaned a little if I remove the GI primer crimp or throw them in the vibratory, otherwise never.

This !....
If you're going to wet tumble with pins anyway just decap first. Primer pockets will be as clean as all the other outside and inside like new brass.
One of the reasons I do wet, cuz personally I like clean stuff.

I have done it both ways, clean and dirty, never could tell the difference. I picked up one of those ugly Lyman tabletop case prep machines a couple years ago, and one of the included tools was the primer pocket scraper that looks like a little flat blade screwdriver, so I started cleaning them again.

Only takes a second or two, can't hurt nothing, no big deal.

Something else I do that i bet you dont is I thoroughly clean my rifles/handguns/shotguns (including the barrel) every time I get done shooting them and I also wash my truck every week or so, what can I say? I like to keep my stuff clean and I dont mind the little extra time it takes to keep it that way.....Hb

I clean all mine

I have one of the RCBS prep stations with a mouth brush, inside and outside mouth bevels, and primer pocket brush station. I've been using it every time on the brass that seems to carbon up more than others, in the sequence I use to debur and chamfer the inside and outside of the mouth, then the primer pockets. The whole process including the primer process takes about 5-10 seconds per case, but I don't load the quantities some of you do.

I do debur the inside of the primer flash hole on every new case as you only have to do it once on each case. That often takes me a bit more time but I feel it is an important step for that little incremental advantage and I think it gives a lot more consistency in ignition in my loads...

Bob

Your truck and guns won’t be any cleaner than mine, probably not as clean. Primer pockets are a different story. If you like to clean primer pockets, you are free to do so, but there is no way in the world you shoot as much as I do and clean primer pockets as you describe…

No way, I don't even clean my brass.

Yep, id say you do shoot more than me as I only shoot twice a month or so at maybe 40-50 rifle rounds per trip....So it aint so bad for me to clean primer pockets....Hb

Tell me more.


Okie John

Not something I've seen as helpful. So I don't do it.

On rainy days when I have already numbered every bullet in the house and recorded its weight in a notebook, sorted all of the coins in the house by denomination and date, recorded every book in the house by (1) author, (20 subject, (3) number of pages, (4) color of cover, and (5) date of publication, arranged the pencils (after sharpening) in the pencil drawer by length, and completed a few less important chores, if I have any time left, I might clean primer pockets.

Never intentionally.
Sometimes unintentionally, when tumbling tarnished cases.

I clean, it’s just how I was taught, so I do it.