when it comes to brass prep I am definetly on the anal side. I was in a rush to get some rounds down a Savage rifle in 308 that I had ferratic nitrided. I figured no biggie as it takes a few rounds to season the barrel so to speak. So I neglected to clean the primer pockets.

With 175gr SMK and 41gr (from memory so it may have been 42gr) Varget I was able to get a 5 shot tiny group and 41.3gr (again from memory so it may have been 42.3) I was able to get under MOA 10 shot group.

What are your thoughts on cleaning prime rpockets and the effects on accuracy?

I think it is one of those tedious things that folks do that have too much time on their hands. I not only don't clean them, I don't uniform them nor de-burr the inside of them. What crud that gets knocked out while in the tumbler is how clean my pockets are.
I'm sure there will be some folks that claim that putting a 17degree bevel on the inside of their flash hole or some such changed a spray and pray into a one holer. But, I've sent a lot of those guys home whilst shooting factory matches. I think trigger time and burnishing your bench technique is more important than tidy pockets.
Perhaps (notice I said perhaps ) if one were shooting a bench rifle that cost several K and going thru all the anal processes that bench shooters follow, it may make a minute difference but then bench shooters do so many things just because someone else is doing them that it's hard to tell what is needed and what is chicken soup.

I don't know if cleaning out the pocket helps accuracy or not. I like to think that removing that small layer of carbon allows the primer to seat as deeply as it should and/or can. I used to scrape them by hand on my hand-powered lathe, but my ultra-sonic cleaner gets 'em spotless with near-zero effort on my part.

Speakin' of ultra-sonic cleaners, Harbor Freight has a national advert out (good until August 15, 2010) offering 20 percent off anything you buy. Sounds like a good time to go buy one...

I uniform and deburr every rifle case I reload. Maybe it's anal and I'm ok w/ that. I like small groups from average hunting rifles.

Whatever you like to do, Alive. I get small groups from my hunting rifles also. Why would you think otherwise?? If I wasn't getting a good response to my efforts, I'd do something different. Like, maybe, cutting my practice time short so's I could spend a lot of time measuring "stuff".

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
I uniform and deburr every rifle case I reload. ...

Me too. It helps build confidence in "my" Final Hunting Load.

The only excuse I want is, "I need to Practice more!", as Beeman mentioned. I'd rather have all my Cases as near alike as possible. It is my time to use as I see fit - so I Uniform the Primer Pockets and Deburr the Flash Holes.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

I used to use one of those RCBS wire type pocket cleaners , even chucked in in a drill trying to make it work faster
Then I bought one of them little $1.79 Lee pocket cleaners, that have the "screw driver tip" style. Works 100 times easyer and faster. A few twists and tap the head on the bench... presto

To clean the primer pockets I use to same tool I used to uniform the pocket depth.
The little reamer really scrapes them clean fast.

I also uniform/de-burr the flash hole too.
It's a one time job so just do it when I'm prepping a new bag of brass. Those RCBS wire brush tools are total crap, they scratch the bottom of the pocket bad and don't clean as completely.

I doubt not cleaning the pockets could blow a group out to 10 MOA considering the near identical load was so good.
I would check else were for the cause.

I use the Sinclair reamer tool -- reams and cleans!!!!! I also deburr flash hole. I was just curious if there is any correlation to group size and cleaning or NOT cleaning....

quote:

Originally posted by BISCUT:
I use the Sinclair reamer tool -- reams and cleans!!!!! I also deburr flash hole. I was just curious if there is any correlation to group size and cleaning or NOT cleaning....

One of the gun writers of note did an accuracy test, primer pockets cleaned vs uncleaned.
He found no difference in accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by DMB:

One of the gun writers of note did an accuracy test, primer pockets cleaned vs uncleaned.
He found no difference in accuracy.

Maybe so. Not saying he did/didn't but when you've cleaned them, you know you did all you could...

quote:

Originally posted by BISCUT:
What are your thoughts on cleaning prime rpockets and the effects on accuracy?

Been reloading for over 20 years. Had a little revelation about a week ago.

I was just going to neck size some brass that had been fired a couple of times. I was priming these cases and some virgin brass.

I prime with an RCBS hand priming tool, so I do it by "feel" and run my finger over the case head to make sure they are recessed below the case head.

Well, I found out several of the uncleaned primer pocket cases (didn't look especially dirty to the eye) were cock-eyed with one edge protroducing above the case head. None of the virgin brass did this.

So I popped out the primers and cleaned the primer pockets with a hand tool and VOILA - I was GTG.

Now I am aware.

That is really neat, MKM. If it ever happens to me, I'll probably start cleaning primer pockets.

Actually, I think Homebrewer hit on the answer. If you think it helps, it probably does.

I use a nylon brush in my dremal tool. Works real fast. I do it because I know that way the touch hole is clean. I also debur the inside of all new brass. If nothing else it might prevent a misfire a partially clogged touch hole might have caused.

Complete waste of time in a factory barrel.

i load to much ammo to fool around with that

I'm with beeman on this. Been reloading since 1960 and have never uniformed/deburred and seldom ever cleaned a primer pocket either and have never had a primer that didn't seat flush using an old Lee hand tool.

Stepchild

I used to, but I did my own, certainly unscientific, test and could see no difference between ammo with cleaned primer pockets and that with uncleaned pockets. Since not cleaning the primer pocket (about three years now), I've never had a primer not seat properly. However, if it increased my confidence, I'd go ahead and do it--there's a lot of power in the mind and if you think it helps, it may indeed translate into that.

Most of my experience is on the .45 acp and what I found was that if I didn't clean the pocket (with the Lee pocket cleaner) I have problems getting the primer seated deeply enough.

Anything you can do to make each and every round exactly like the last one and the next one will help accuracy to some degree. Whether accuracy in a factory rifle will improve by doing this one little thing, or even several of the little things that BR and other precision shooters do religiously, is debatable.

Have an old tumbler. Saw a post on stainless steel media. Bought the media. My primer pockets are spotless. Darnedest thing I ever saw. Now have to use the media for a while and see what the down side is. ("within every solution, is a new set of problems") rc

I havent cleaned a primer pocket in 30 years.

I clean and uniform the depth with a carbide tool during every reloading and I uniform the flash hole only once, before firing the first shot with new brass.

Have found that frequently the new primers are cocked from unremoved debris in the pocket, and also are sometimes seated too shallowly as a result of the pocket actually becoming shallower due to the cartridge pressure moving the primer pocket's bottom toward the bolt face. Low pressure loads don't do this but some full loads in some types of brass will do it.

Have noticed absolutely no accuracy difference but HAVE noticed a safety concern with possible ADs due to protruding primers.

Using the carbide tool only takes a few seconds and you'll occasionally be amazed at how much the floor of the primer pocket will move with each firing of a full load.
Regards, Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
I uniform and deburr every rifle case I reload. ...

Me too. It helps build confidence in "my" Final Hunting Load.

The only excuse I want is, "I need to Practice more!", as Beeman mentioned. I'd rather have all my Cases as near alike as possible. It is my time to use as I see fit - so I Uniform the Primer Pockets and Deburr the Flash Holes.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

I agree. I do everything I can to uniform cases.

Then I weigh & sort them.

I have been told I have too much time… truth is I want to do the best job I can… and I don’t sleep much.

I used to clean primer pockets religiously. Then I just decided one day to quit "going to church" and nothing bad has happened yet. Maybe I received a dispensation from the Pope and just didn't know it.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

I used to clean primer pockets religiously. Then I just decided one day to quit "going to church" and nothing bad has happened yet. Maybe I received a dispensation from the Pope and just didn't know it.

Gos saves His punishments for Later. You'll find out on Judgment Day...

quote:

I agree. I do everything I can to uniform cases.

Then I weigh & sort them.

I have been told I have too much time…

NOPE, it's just simple math. An hour spent reloading is an hour not spent witht the wife!