Knarley Bob 102 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 How often do you clean out the primer pockets on your brass? Or do you even bother? Knarley Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reuben McCoy Rankin # 34239 50 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 never Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Bill Burt 3,312 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Like Reuben, never. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BLACKFOOT SASS #11947 435 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Don't clean pockets on cowboy and wild bunch ammo, I tumble it then it goes on the press. Station one deprime and resize, station two prime and drop powder. Only clean pockets on high power rifle ammo. Blackfoot Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Krazy Kajun 793 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) Wut they said. It has nothing to do with a progressive press. Kajun Edited January 8, 2017 by Krazy Kajun Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sedalia Dave 13,665 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Haven't cleaned the primer pockets on the brass I use for SASS since I started. Brass where accuracy counts is another story. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ace_of_Hearts 1,142 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Cleaning the brass using a wet tumbler will also clean the primer pockets if the primer is removed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 2,923 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Never, and I don't use a wet tumbler because, among many other reasons, I often load right after cleaning. Good luck, GJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G. I. Tarpicker, SASS #998 3 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Oh, I thought you were asking about the news media. -- GIT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Boy 917 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 How often do you clean out the primer pockets on your brass? Every piece of brass that I reload has clean pockets in addition to the rest of the case when they come out of the rotary tumbler. I do not reload dirty brass Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smoken D 2,444 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Don't clean pockets on cowboy and wild bunch ammo, I tumble it then it goes on the press. Station one deprime and resize, station two prime and drop powder. Only clean pockets on high power rifle ammo. Blackfoot +1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pat Riot, SASS #13748 26,053 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Don't clean pockets on cowboy and wild bunch ammo, I tumble it then it goes on the press. Station one deprime and resize, station two prime and drop powder. Only clean pockets on high power rifle ammo. Blackfoot Another +1 When I started reloading many years ago I cleaned primer pockets for my CAS brass and after a while I found I was just wasting time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gold Canyon Kid #43974 105 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I have never cleaned primer pockets. Brass goes in cleaner with old primers still in place. After cleaning they get mixed with One Shot then go in 650 to be deprimed, sized, reprimed and loaded. I do not know anyone that cleans primer pockets for SASS shooting. I have brass that has been reloaded way more than 25 times with no issues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Isom Dart, SASS#8096 110 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 +1 Ace of Hearts ,,, shoot Holy Black, wet tumble with primers out,, pockets come out clean. No sweat ! Isom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Judge'm All Duncan, SASS#67320 144 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I shoot BP only and never worry about clean pockets. Never worry about one not going off either. When the deprime rod clears the hole it will ignite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Original Lumpy Gritz 7,492 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Blast'n smokeless ammo-never. Match grade-Every time. OLG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wyliefoxEsquire 90 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I consider the pocket clean once the new primer is seated for 38spl 357mag 45acp 9mm 40s&w & 12ga I deprime and wet tumble for all other cases. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 1,846 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 With rifle brass I clean them every time. With pistol brass I don't bother. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evil dogooder 1,000 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Never Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matthew Duncan 1,543 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Never for 15 years. Then I started wet tumbling with SS. I thought why not so I Deprime before tumbling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Keystone, SASS # 47578 322 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Well, The wife's 38's & 357's don't need primer pocket cleaning but the 45's using Trailboss & Federal LP primers get dirty. Recently started wet tumbling 45's with SS pins after removing primers. Nice clean cases with clean primer pockets. Wet cleaning is a little more labor but no dust or media residues left on the press is well worth it. Also, with wet tumbling there is no dust in the air or on the floor as it all goes down the drain. A lot quieter too. New primers press very smoothly in the pockets with a real firm feeling when fully seated. Hasta Luego, Keystone Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Griff 1,613 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 BP ammo get sonic cleaned after depriming. Rifle ammo gets pockets cleaned, smokeless pistol ammo, NOT! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lead Friend, SASS #53635 468 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I never do but my brother does. He's peculiar in all kinds of other ways too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarkVII 0 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I didn't bother to clean mine for the longest time, but started having problems with high primers due to build up in the primer pocket. Consequently, I decap my brass with the Frankford Arsenal hand decapper while I'm watching TV, then clean the primer pockets. I clean them any of several ways, depending on how big a batch I'm cleaning. The Lyman Case Care Kit (https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-7777793-Case-Care-Kit/dp/B000NOUEAY/ref=sr_1_53?ie=UTF8&qid=1483934549&sr=8-53&keywords=primer+pocket+cleaner) is a favorite for while I'm watching TV. For large batches, I use the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler and stainless steel pins. If you wet tumble, invest in their brass dryer or a cheap food dehydrator. Air drying brass takes forever. Also get a media separator. Wet tumbling with pins does wonders for the primer pockets. HTH, Mark Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ventura Slim, SASS #35690 30 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I do not bother doing it and I may pay the price someday, but until then... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackwater 53393 6,017 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 When a newer cowgirl was asking questions several years ago, she got around to asking about reloading. She told us that her husband, another newer shooter and an experienced reloader, had her cleaning primer pockets as well as several other accuracy promoting operations on their CAS ammo. My buddy, Will Reilly, told her that most all of that was totally unnecessary. "I'll kill 'im!!"she fumed, "I'll freakin' KILL HIM!!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Yul Lose 6,641 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I never do but my brother does. He's peculiar in all kinds of other ways too. You can say that again. LOL!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red Cent 453 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 SASS brass needs to be cleaned just enough to rid it of grit and grime. The stuff our brass lands in will scratch the interior of the die. I have never deprimed mine before cleaning. Any hand press has the power to overcome the carbon and should seat with a firm push unless the press is not rock solid. Any give when seating the prime will remove the power to seat the primer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Silver Sam, SASS #34718L 558 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 BP ammo get sonic cleaned after depriming. Rifle ammo gets pockets cleaned, smokeless pistol ammo, NOT! Griff, I didn't realize that they cleaned BP brass at Sonic, I love their Super Sonic Double Cheeseburger. Can they clean my brass while I'm having Lunch ??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bugler 140 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 People actually clean their primer pockets? Never heard of such a thing!! Bugler Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chuckwagon McTaggart 62 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Another vote for Never. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 1,477 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Using full case loads of Goex 3F ,,, Yes every time ... Jabez Cowboy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rancho Roy 267 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Never...that little bit of carbon is harder than brass and the pockets last longer....That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
El Hombre Sin Nombre 1,843 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Never for 15 years. Then I started wet tumbling with SS. I thought why not so I Deprime before tumbling. I deprime before wet tumbling as well. An extra step that is probably not needed, but I got tired of the occasional wet pocket when I deprimed and sized at the same time. So now right after a shoot I just put in my universal deprimer, pop them all out, toss the cases in water, then get to work on cleaning the guns. Give the cases a rinse and toss them in the wet tumbler. It doesn't take that long. This is with black powder. I probably wouldn't even bother cleaning anything with smokeless if I ever used the stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slowhand Bob, 24229 124 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 KB, as per your original post, I heard many reports of the Blue Press leaving blue highlights in those primer pockets! For this reason I decided to go with the Hornady LNL and have never looked back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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