I am a brand new to reloading. I am going through the steps to create my first ammuntion this week and am having a few questions along the way.

Every manual mentions cleaning primer pockets in o way or another. I decapped my fired factory brass and find black residue coating the entire surface. I have a Lee primer pocket cleaner and tried it. With a quoted "quick twist", it seems to scrape a clean ring at the base of the pocket and sometimes knock out loose residue. I am hesitant to get to energetic with it as I am worried about damaging the pocket.

I can get the rest of the case bright and spotless, but still have some residue in the primer pocket.

Does this have to be completely clean? Is the "ring" sufficent for the primers to seat? Can you overdo it and loosen the pocket or remove to much material and make the primers seat too deeply?

You won`t hurt the pocket unless you start removing metal. The Lee tool would take alot of work to do this.
Some say pocket cleaning isn`t nessacary and others do. I clean until they shine, then again I`m anal about most of my reloading steps.

I too clean until the y are pretty much shiny, they might have a couple of spots, but I get into them good. I use the RCBS tool which is probably the same thing, a small wire brush type thingy. the pocket getting loose is more from expansion in its diameter from multiple firings, although I have had brass with not too tight pockets from the get go.

After you reload for a while you will get a feel for the way the primer feels when you're seating it and be able to tell when the pockets are getting loose just by the difference in the "feel".

Red

Here you go: the best tool for the job.

I clean my primer pockets every time, but you really don't have to bother with it until your primers get close to not seating at least flush with the case head. I would clean them at least every three firings. For big game loads, I wouldn't take even the slightest chance, and clean loads intended for the hunt.

For practice laods or just for banging away at the range, I don't bother with cleaning primer pockets. If I'm trying to develop loads for hunting/accuracy or making hunting ammo, I always clean the primer pockets.

BigBullet

There are two issues, cleaning and uniforming. I use an RCBS cleaning tool as stated above. It is simply a set of small wire brishes sticking out of the end of a metal rod. It works great for getting rid of the crud.

The uniformer that Major recommends makes the primer pockets all the same size. Most of the time, it cleans as well as an added benefit. I have had pockets that were cut a little deep, so it did nothing for them. I use the uniformer only if I have a real hard time seating primers. Both are excellent tools. If you are looking for the utmost in accuracy, the primer pockets should all be uniformed.

I don't clean the primer pockets nearly as often as I used to , but when I do, I just use my primer pocket uniformer (that's in my cordless drill/screwdriver). Things seem to go a lot faster and easier for me that way. Gary T.

I stick the RCBA brush in a drill, give it a spin and am good to go. I have not had a problem with un - uniform pockets.
Judge Sharpe

I did learn thing the other day about usng a hand priming tool, be sure to use the proper ram. Some how a small rifle ram got in my large rife tool. I was wondering why all of the primwers had little dent in them. The thing is I have never used small anything, rifle or pistol. I suspect someone was f---ing with my stuff. But seeing those dents will make you think about squeezing a littttle bit harder and what happens.
JUdge Sharpe

After you load for a while and if you load too hot then the primer pocket can get stretched and the primer will go in with very little resistance. When you notice one that just about falls into place then toss that brass.

I've been using the tool HP Shooter recommended for at least 15yrs. Not only will it clean the primer pockets, but it will "uniform" them and remove the military crimp too (not too bad if you don't do more than ~10 at a sitting). Sinclair's products are a good value for the money.

quote:

Originally posted by metalman29:
Does this have to be completely clean?

No it doesn't. As long as there isn't enough crud left to cushon the new primer.
A small nail sticking up somewhere on the bench is all that's needed. Just wobble the primer pocket on it a couple of times.
Or for a few hundred dollars I'm sure someone will make you a 3speed powerjet wisbanger with built in light.

The Sinclair Uniformer that HP mentioned is the best tool for the job. The first time you use it will uniform the pocket. On subsequent reloadings it cleans it and returns it to pristine uniform state. Buy the good tool and that's all your need.................DJ

Not wanting to "uniform" the primer pocket, but just clean the crud out of it, I use a small, flat blade screw driver. On twist and the pocket is clean.

I do find that clean pockets contribute a bit to accuracy. Kudude

I've been using a round toothpick to scrape the pocket and clean the flash hole.
Their cheap and don't remove brass.

Do what HP Shooter says.

When I get brass, I usually will clean up the primer hole with a drimmle...and leave it alone after that....

I also use to clean the primer residue off the case after each use.. that was tiring and tedious.. plus hurt the old elbow after a while of twisting the RCBS primer brush...

Then someone I know who competes in Benchrest shooting told me that he never cleans the primer pockets! I thought that would be baloney, but since I had a very sore elbow for cleaning about 500 cases the previous night I decided to try it out and see if it effected accuracy any....

Well, it didn't and hasn't since... I am not shooting benchrest.. just a lot of high volume varmint shooting and target shooting more than anything....

My cases go the life of the case without getting their primer pockets cleaned out.. and I haven't noticed any difference at all..

And I use, Remington, CCI, Winchester and Federal primers.. so none have had any difference...

However If one thinks it helps, don't let me stop you... not doing so has not hurt anything... except my elbow and wrist don't hurt after not using a primer cleaning brush for the last 3 hours!

good luck..

cheers
seafire

I chuck my little Lee primer pocket cleaning tool in my electric drill an get busy. Very fast, cheap, and effective.

Bang rounds for ar-15 no clean. Hunting rounds for all calibers I clean.-Ben

Dremel tool with a RCBS pocket cleaner. Real easy, real fast.

My "weapon of choice" for cleaning/uniforming is the RCBS uniformer that is supposed to go into the trimmate. I think you can get one for about $12.00. It has a threaded stud out the bottom that screws into the trimmate, but instead you put it into your drill and you get two jobs done for the price of one!