Cleaning Primer Pockets--Please Vote

27 August 2010, 18:33

Red C.

There are a lot of threads about cleaning primer pockets, but I couldn't find a poll on it. I was just wondering how many do or don't. I know this isn't scientific, but the more that respond, the better the feel will be for how many on this forum clean primer pockets. I used to but I don't anymore.Do you clean primer pockets?YesNoSome but usually notNot all, but most

27 August 2010, 19:55

DMB

I voted yes, because I clean them, and have done it for years, so there's some force of habit in me doing it.
But, is it necessary? I doubt it.
I will contine doing it.

27 August 2010, 21:58

Bear in Fairbanks

I voted "yes". I do it every time. Only takes a couple of minutes with the cleaner I got from Sinclair and an electric drill.
Bear in Fairbanks

27 August 2010, 22:31

wasbeeman

I voted no, never. But that's a lie. I've done it enough to learn it does nothing for my shooting. I think though, it's like Homebrewer said, "if you think it helps you, it probably does."

"if you put five monkeys in a room and in the center of the room hangs a bannana over a step ladder. When any of the monkeys starts up the step ladder, you spray the other four monkeys with ice cold water. Soon, anytime one of the monkeys starts up the ladder, the other monkeys will attack it, biting and hitting to keep it off the ladder. If you replace one of the monkeys with another, in short order he will attack any monkey that goes near the ladder even though he has never been sprayed with ice cold water. Over time you can replace all of the original monkeys but the reaction to any monkey going near the ladder will be the same violence. Even though none of them have been sprayed with ice cold water. If you were to ask them "why"? If they could talk, they would tell you "'cause that the way we've always done it."

27 August 2010, 23:46

buffybr

I usually clean rifle case primer pockets, but seldom clean the primer pockets for pistol cases.

28 August 2010, 01:31

temmi

I cleas and uniform them

28 August 2010, 01:48

sherpi

No too lazy

28 August 2010, 02:58

Oddbod

I clean cases using ultrasound, so the pockets are all briny shight with no further input from me.

28 August 2010, 18:11

Fishin' Magician

quote:
Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I voted no, never. But that's a lie. I've done it enough to learn it does nothing for my shooting. I think though, it's like Homebrewer said, "if you think it helps you, it probably does."

"if you put five monkeys in a room and in the center of the room hangs a bannana over a step ladder. When any of the monkeys starts up the step ladder, you spray the other four monkeys with ice cold water. Soon, anytime one of the monkeys starts up the ladder, the other monkeys will attack it, biting and hitting to keep it off the ladder. If you replace one of the monkeys with another, in short order he will attack any monkey that goes near the ladder even though he has never been sprayed with ice cold water. Over time you can replace all of the original monkeys but the reaction to any monkey going near the ladder will be the same violence. Even though none of them have been sprayed with ice cold water. If you were to ask them "why"? If they could talk, they would tell you "'cause that the way we've always done it."

However, if you presented the five monkeys with five monkeys of the opposite sex, excluding any monkeys you did not know were of the opposite persuation, none of the monkeys would even look at the ladder, the bananas would turn brown and spoil, then where would we all be. After tiring of sex 56% of the monkeys would go back to cleaning their primer pockets, 14% would suffer from ED, 20% would get the cold shoulder, and the last 10% would suffer pre-mature soiling of the bedsheets.
I think I understand your analogy? However I truly believe your trying to compare bananas to cleaning primer pockets.

Please don't take this personally, I just couldn't pass on this one. Great thread!!

Fishin' Magician

28 August 2010, 19:25

fredj338

I clean my rifle brass but almost never handgun, except for my 44mag hunting loads.

28 August 2010, 20:04

Nordic2

quote:
I clean cases using ultrasound, so the pockets are all briny shight with no further input from me.

Same as me...

28 August 2010, 20:12

Ol` Joe

I`m another that`s anal about my rifle brass, but rarely if ever do more then tumble and load handgun.

28 August 2010, 20:20

wasbeeman

Given a choice between sex and cleaning primer pockets, I'd take the sex.
'course to each his own.

29 August 2010, 02:59

homebrewer

quote:
Originally posted by wasbeeman:

Given a choice between sex and cleaning primer pockets, I'd take the sex.
'course to each his own.

Sex makes you all sweaty and tired. Reloading actually benefits you...

29 August 2010, 03:42

ted thorn

Just when they are dirty.

30 August 2010, 04:56

Doc

I used to do it each time the case was fired. Then, when I found out it was of no benefit, I stopped. I may do it after 3-4 firings if I'm not too lazy. I personally haven't found any evidence that it changes anything unless there's a lot of build-up in there to prevent good primer seating. And even that is rare.

30 August 2010, 06:20

Phil N

I just do it out of habit I suppose.

30 August 2010, 10:10

Idaho Sharpshooter

Phil,

if you don't mind my asking which one?

At my age (61 next month) I can still clean primer pockets every day if I want to...

Rich

31 August 2010, 09:09

2ndtimer

I always clean rifle primer pockets, but handgun loads are assembled in a Dillon RL-550, so the primer pockets stay dirty. Back when I loaded the handgun ammo on the RCBS Rockchucker, I cleaned the primer pockets.
On the rifles, I usually deburr the flashholes, too. Seems like a good idea. But then I also weigh each charge of extruded powder for the rifles as well. (which is why most of my .223's are loaded with Ramshot TAC, or Accurate 2200 ball powders)

31 August 2010, 11:23

Snowwolfe

I clean them everytime with a primer pocket cutting tool.
Have no idea if it really helps anything but it makes me feel better.
Relaxing to do when watching TV.

31 August 2010, 19:20

BISCUT

I do it outa habit....trying to break it by doing every other loading.

31 August 2010, 23:18

temmi

quote:
Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Given a choice between sex and cleaning primer pockets, I'd take the sex.
'course to each his own.

Me too... but I am never really given that choice.....

01 September 2010, 20:15

wasbeeman

quote:
Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:

At my age (61 next month) I can still clean primer pockets every day if I want to...

Rich

You forgot to add, "neener neener neener".

02 September 2010, 08:07

Bill Cooley

I ream flash holes and uniform the primer pockets on new or on once fired. I haven't seen any proof it improves accuracy or reliability. Perhaps some one with a world-class bench rifle would run a test and see if they can tell any difference.
Bill

02 September 2010, 11:51

Rusty

Rich, . . . . .

Rusty
We Band of Brothers!
DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member
"I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends."
----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836
"I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841
"for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”

02 September 2010, 16:40

Lloyd Smale

havent cleaned a primer pocket in 25 years. When i first started loading i though it was nessisary but found that its nothing but a waste of time.

02 September 2010, 20:15

thndrchiken

I use the ultrasonic cleaner which gets the primer pockets pretty clean, I will however hit the pocket lightly while chamfering and deburring with the RCBS power station. When using the Lee Case Length Guages, I can trim, chamfer, deburr and clean the primer pocket all at the same time.

02 September 2010, 23:00

Sam

I clean the pockets on military rifle brass before I run it through my Dillon Deswager. I've never cleaned the pocket on pistol brass. I cut the crimp form the first batch of pistol brass I ran, if I deswage the next I'll probably clean the pockets first.

03 September 2010, 03:06

KRyder

I always do it just because I always have. Figure it can't hurt.
Ken

03 September 2010, 03:48

Doc224/375

My pockets get inadvertently cleaned as my media in the vibratory Dillon does it for me .

Do I fool with them prior too reloading , YES I DO . It wasn't always the case .

I fully prep Rifle cases ( Pistol NO , what's the point ?. ) which includes trimming sizing

neck turning pocket prep an weighing . After firing if cases are really dirty they go into the Dillon,

usually after I've re loaded 5-7 times then anneal cases I put them into the Dillon .

In other words do I clean an polish all rounds prior too shooting , NO .

Thank whomever invented BoeShield T-9 as it's my case lube an brass tarnish preventive

it's no longer necessary . I prefer shooting too polishing !!!.

03 September 2010, 23:41

Captain Finlander

Any reloader worth his salt is going to properly clean and prep every case.

04 September 2010, 03:17

wasbeeman

Wow! Captain Anal has spoken.

04 September 2010, 17:13

boondocker

I uniform rifle brass once, no pistola yet. Rifle I will clean again if it gets ugly or if media gets stuck in it. Let me see ,it's a feel good thing and who want's to be upstairs"s when a reality show is blaring on the wife sitter!!!

05 September 2010, 19:41

vonfatman

Just rifle, no pistol.

Bob

05 September 2010, 23:47

Red C.

I really didn't know what this poll would reveal. I knew that from reading other forum posts, many were not cleaning primer pockets, but I could not tell whether there were a lot of people who weren't. When you add the "No" (don't clean primer pockets) to "Some but usually not" you come up with a total of 42 of the 153 respondents usually NOT cleaning primer pockets (that's 27%). When you add the "Yes" (do clean primer pockets) with "Not all but most" you have 111 of the 153 respondents cleaning MOST primer pockets (that's 73%).

I suppose there are more that don't clean most primer pockets than I was expecting. However, it is clear that the majority who have responded to this poll, so far, clean most primer pockets.

There may be many conclusions one could draw from these results, but I'll leave those to you to make.

Thanks to all who have responded to this poll!

07 September 2010, 20:09

hughman

Before I started cleaning the pockets I would occasionally have a primer that was difficult to seat. Now I clean them every time and have not had that problem since.

Hugh

07 September 2010, 23:38

airgun1

I clean them every time. I do not think it has a bearing on accuracy, but believe it lets the primer seat fully.

It probably is only necessary on very dirty primer pockets, but where do you draw the line? I clean them each and every time I reload them.

08 September 2010, 00:09

RCHOUSER

I never cleaned primer pockets till now. I got the stainless steel media, and it does it as part of the cleaning cycle. The cycle works and is easy, so, now I clean. Couldn't hurt to have them clean. rc

08 September 2010, 23:12

wasbeeman

Cleaning them in your tumbler don't count!!!!

I run my cases thru a tumbler and the corn cob gets what appears to be most of the crud out except for a trace of stain. (maybe the stain is caused by the fact that I don't uniform them either)
When you use a tumbler, it is cleaning the outside and the inside and cleaning the primer pocket. When someone sez "I clean primer pockets", to my way of thinking, it means they make a definite seperate operation of it.

08 September 2010, 23:41

Lloyd Smale

Id rather spend my time making more ammo and doing more shooting then waste it on a procedure that dosent accomplish a thing. About like changing the air in your tires every day before you drive your car.

quote:
Originally posted by Captain Finlander:
Any reloader worth his salt is going to properly clean and prep every case.