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How to clean out stubborn residue in primer pockets?
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Hi,
I came across a big bag of .38 cal brass from my father in law. I'm guessing a few thousand cases. Probably been bagged over twenty years ago, easily.
After shouting "Eureka!" I tried to size and deprime a few cases.
To my surprise, I ran into trouble.
It's almost like the primers were glued in, I am having trouble getting the primers to pop out cleanly. It seems like the outside "skin" of the primer is sticking in the primer pocket.
I tried priming some of the ones that looked pretty clean, with mixed results: some easily took a new primer and others had enough "stuff" in the pocket, that the new primer would not seat, and it is a pain in the neck to get a case out of the shell holder, when the primer is still protruding. Enough of a pain to send a guy to the internet for help.
Anybody experience this before? Is there a tool or device to aggressively clean out the pocket?
I want to do all I can to salvage this amount of brass.
Thank you,
Rich
Tried depriving on two different presses: same results.
 
Posts: 19 | Registered: 18 November 2012Reply With Quote
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On the cheap and easy try cleaning them in IOSSO brass cleaner for 5 minutes


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Posts: 7361 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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Sounds like they have corroded with age. Once you get the primer out you can clean the pockets with a primer pocket uniforming tool sold by Hornady , Brownells and RCBS. Check out the different reloading supply house stores and they will carry various brand tools.
 
Posts: 47 | Location: East Coast USA | Registered: 06 February 2015Reply With Quote
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I use the RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center. It comes with primer pocket brushes for both large and small primer pockets. I add the RCBS primer pocket uniforming tool. I also add a flash hole debuting tool. Uniforming the priming pocket and debuting the flash hole need only be done once. The primer pocket brush is a metal brush that is installed into one of the rotating points and easily cleans gunk from the primer pockets.
 
Posts: 130 | Location: Ozarks | Registered: 04 August 2017Reply With Quote
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Could some of them be military brass with primers crimps.
 
Posts: 19711 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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Good replies, thank you.
No, not military, I think just old and corroded. I am starting to think my father in law didn't know what to do with these either, and just left them in a big bag.
Eagle Dad, I just watched vids on that RCBS Case Prep Center: Looks great. I think I will make this a winter project.
Thanks for all the replies.
 
Posts: 19 | Registered: 18 November 2012Reply With Quote
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I love my case prep center. I run all my new brass across the stations. I uniform all my primer pockets then hit the primer pocket brush, then uniform and deburr my flash hole. After trimming I chamfer and deburr the case mouth. Fired brass gets the primer pockets cleaned. Then trim, chamfer, and deburr as needed. Makes for nice uniform loads.
 
Posts: 130 | Location: Ozarks | Registered: 04 August 2017Reply With Quote
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Tumbling with SS pins!
2min. of manual work for hundreds of super clean cases.
 
Posts: 1102 | Location: Denmark | Registered: 15 October 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
Tumbling with SS pins!
2min. of manual work for hundreds of super clean cases.

+1


 
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004Reply With Quote
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Can you clarify "SS pins"?
 
Posts: 19 | Registered: 18 November 2012Reply With Quote
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SS = stainless steel.
 
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by rlabom:
Can you clarify "SS pins"?


Wet roll tumbling in soapy/citric acid water and short proprietary pins made of stainless steel


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Posts: 7361 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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IOSSO brass cleaner


SS media is why I deprime and then reprime off the press.
It's more work but I'm not doing thousands per month either.
 
Posts: 7725 | Location: Peoples Republic Of California | Registered: 13 October 2009Reply With Quote
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a small rounded screwdriver works as well as anything. I say rounded shaft as it doesn't work on the sides of a case..I use a S&W screwdriver..keep the edge flat and sharp. I know, Im a curmudgeon!! shocker


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I use the carbide cutter on a drill from Sinclair. Still on the same cutter about 20 years later.


Mac

 
Posts: 1747 | Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Registered: 01 February 2007Reply With Quote
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Pocket depth uniforming tool.
 
Posts: 1295 | Location: USA | Registered: 21 May 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ted thorn:
quote:
Originally posted by rlabom:
Can you clarify "SS pins"?


Wet roll tumbling in soapy/citric acid water and short proprietary pins made of stainless steel


I've run probably 20,000 cases, rifle & pistol through this system & the pluses far outweigh the negatives.
Cases, both inside & out & including primer pockets come out looking like new.
I'll not go back to walnut media & vibratory tumblers.
 
Posts: 610 | Location: Cumbria, UK | Registered: 09 July 2007Reply With Quote
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