New to reloading: Cleaning Primer Pockets

[AssGasOrBrass]

I just took up reloading. Because I live in an apartment I opted for an ultrasonic brass cleaner instead of a noisy tumbler.

After FL sizing and depriming my cases
I have been running my brass in the US cleaner for about 60min at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brass comes out looking nice and shiny on the outside but about 80% of the primer pockets are gunked up. I have been cleaning them out with q- tips which works but is a major PITA.

Am I going other the top cleaning out the primer pockets with q-tips?

[IraqVet1982]

You're using the wrong tool. Get a primer pocket cleaner and clean before you put in the ultra sonic.

Tool here Lee Precision Primer Pocket Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SF6QQW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9C9KybA7MD683

I only clean primer pockets on my precision rifle rounds. For everything else, I just decap and prime.

[Waylander]

I use a primer pocket uniformer something like these. Just a quick spin and the gunk is gone. It won't go into a crimped pocket which is a good indicator it needs to be reamed or swaged.

https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Primer-Pocket-Uniformer-Large/dp/B00134AFQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486085264&sr=8-1&keywords=primer%2Bpocket%2Buniformer&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Primer-Pocket-Uniformer-Small/dp/B000N8MWP0/ref=pd_bxgy_200_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K2HSY5BNB50MPKPHNG7M

[AssGasOrBrass]

Thanks guys. I will pick up one of those tools. I am loading for precision to begin with (6.5 Creedmoor) so it sounds like the tool will be helpful.


Another question I have: I lube by cases with Hornady one shot aerosol spray before running them through the FL sizing die. Is it ok to toss the brass with the lube residue on it into the US cleaner?

[wilson1911]

Imperial sizing lube or home brew lube (pure lanolin+ 99% alcohol) A little goes a long way.

One shot is pricey. Imperial will last you over a year easy, even shooting lots. Home brew is cheaper and the only thing better than imp.

If your reloading large amounts of brass, you may want to consider stainless media, it rocks.

[Coal Dragger]

Upgrade to stainless media wet tumbling. Cleans brass better and cleans the pockets completely. Use the US cleaner for gun parts. Win at everything.

[masan]

Imperial or homebrew are both great, a little goes a long way.

I switched over to this recently and will not be looking back : https://bulletcentral.com/product/sharpshoot-r-royal-case-and-die-lube/

Oneshot is great for loading on a progressive but the Dillon lube is better still.

[Ryno12]

Another question I have: I lube by cases with Hornady one shot aerosol spray before running them through the FL sizing die. Is it ok to toss the brass with the lube residue on it into the US cleaner?

I use One Shot & an ultrasonic cleaner as well & do exactly what you're asking. There's no issues at all.

I think you'll find your setup fast & efficient. I don't require shiny brass, only clean brass, so when you're done with the US cleaner, it's a quick rinse & set out to air dry. I don't have a ton of time when I'm reloading so messing around with tumblers every prep cycle is wasted time IMO.

[MWAG19919]

I don't even bother cleaning my primer pockets when I load for my 9mm or my AR; I've noticed no difference. When I do clean the pockets I use the RCBS case prep center. I tumble in dry media, so idk if an ultrasonic cleaner necessitates primer pocket cleaning.

[ww2farmer]

I use the Lee tool IraqVet1982 linked to for all my rifle rounds, as they get fired in AR's, M1's, M1A's, etc...with floating firing pins to make sure the pockets are all clean and free of junk so I don't get a high primer that could slam fire in these rifles. I am not a high volume reloader, I often load in batch of 100 or so at a time, and the lee tool takes like 5 minutes to do every case in a batch, plus it's simple and cheap. I rarely if ever clean pistol primer pockets.

[elephantrider]

This tool for PP cleaning (probably the same as the Lee tool): https://deweyrods.com/product/cr-crocogator-universal-primer-pocket-cleaning-tool/

- clean the PP before cleaning the brass. Get a separate decapping die, or hand tool if you need to as you will probably clean the brass BEFORE re-sizing anyway.
- Sizing lube is fine if left on while tumbling, ultra sonic cleaning, or wet media tumbling.
- Best sizing lube, if applied by hand is the Imperial as others have pointed out. A little thin film goes along way.
- best spray lube, if you are doing more volume, or if in a hurry is probably the Dillon pump spray. I have some Rooster Labs spray lube that is working great, but I think they stopped making it.

[markm]

I don't even bother cleaning my primer pockets when I load for my 9mm or my AR; I've noticed no difference.

Agreed. Cleaning primer pockets is a complete waste of time.

[Coal Dragger]

My primer pockets get cleaned only as a side affect of SS wet tumbling. I make zero effort to clean pockets specifically.

[Waylander]

My SS pins have slowly stopped cleaning all the fowling from the primer pockets. It's still a lot better than vibratory tumbling and not enough to clean out unless I have time to kill.

[Ned Christiansen]

The only thing spray case lubes have ever done for me was stick cases in the die.

The latest SWAT Magazine (March issue) has an article by me on getting back into reloading .223. It's geared to guys who maybe have not given it a try and does not go into every last nuance; I certainly have nothing to offer experienced reloaders. My results won't be winning the Galactic Championship but they are more than good enough to keep me in distant-steel-bangin' 77 grain loads without resorting to Ramen noodles.

[Waylander]

I use a cheap spray bottle filled with a solution of Lee resizing lube and 91+% alcohol about 1:8 or so ratio lube to alcohol. It takes a while to break up the lube and shake the piss out of it but from then on a quick shake before spraying cases. A 32 ounce bottle has lasted me for at least 1k rounds and have never had a stuck case.

Spray is so much faster than lubing cases individually I'll never go back.

[markm]

My primer pockets get cleaned only as a side affect of SS wet tumbling. I make zero effort to clean pockets specifically.

Bingo.

[Coal Dragger]

The only thing spray case lubes have ever done for me was stick cases in the die.

The latest SWAT Magazine (March issue) has an article by me on getting back into reloading .223. It's geared to guys who maybe have not given it a try and does not go into every last nuance; I certainly have nothing to offer experienced reloaders. My results won't be winning the Galactic Championship but they are more than good enough to keep me in distant-steel-bangin' 77 grain loads without resorting to Ramen noodles.

Try the Dillon Precision pump bottle spray lube. Basically the classic lanolin suspended in alcohol. Works great for me. No stuck cases, and no deformities on the shoulder from too much lube. Keeps my XL650 churning through rifle brass for case prep days.

Downside is the lube is kind of sticky, Dillon claims you don't have to clean it off but I don't want it in my other dies so I SS wet tumble the brass again after resizing and de-capping. Just for an hour, probably could go only 30 minutes. The SS media also knocks off any burrs from case trimming as well, so ends up saving effort to just tumble that second time.

[T2C]

My primer pockets get cleaned only as a side affect of SS wet tumbling. I make zero effort to clean pockets specifically.

Same here. If the flash hole is clear when I inspect the brass I don't touch the primer pocket. I haven't noticed a change in accuracy.

As a matter of fact I've reloaded filthy brass that was only hand wiped clean enough to reduce grit in the reloading dies and did not notice a change in accuracy.

[Coal Dragger]

I've never noticed any accuracy difference with a clean vs dirty primer pocket. I guess theoretically enough carbon could build up that primer seating consistency might be an issue, but the flash holes are going to be self cleaning upon firing from a carbon build up standpoint. By the time a primer pocket could be dirty enough to impede consistent ignition the brass will have long beforehand suffered a split neck, case head separation, or split in the body of the case, or have simply been lost in tall grass on a range.

That said it makes me happy that my SS tumbler cleans the primer pockets as it goes about its business, but I'd make no effort anymore to clean the pockets manually.

In other news I bit the bullet today and ordered a Dillon RT1500 case trimmer and a .223 size/trim die. I am declaring war on laborious case prep.

[williejc]

I've cleaned 1000's of primer pockets one at a time because I thought I should. Now they are cleaned coincidentally with tumbling--when I tumble. I learned long ago that after a handgun shooting session, I could dump the empties onto a big towel saturated with lighter fluid and then roll around for a light clean. A batch thus treated would reload nicely and shoot just as well as the super clean ones. I not saying that those new to hand loading should forego the brass cleaning step but am stressing that super shiny brass, though nice, is not essential. Just regular old clean is very good. Brass gets clean way before it becomes shiny.