Cleaning primer pockets

[mrappe]

For the past 17 years I have been using a rotating wire brush to clean the black crud from the primer pockets of my brass. It is tedous even though I put the brush in my drill press. Is there some way to loosen this stuff and make it easier to get out. Or some chemical to remove it? Any advise would be helpfull.
Thanks,
Tularosa Mike

[Mako]

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

We talked about it here:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,37986.0.html

~Mako

[Jefro]

Howdy mrappe,skip the primer pocket cleaning for the nest 17 years and see if it makes a dfference. I've never cleaned a primer pocket, and don't know of anyone who does, have yet to see any problems. Good Luck

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Mako]

Howdy mrappe,skip the primer pocket cleaning for the nest 17 years and see if it makes a dfference. I've never cleaned a primer pocket, and don't know of anyone who does, have yet to see any problems. Good Luck

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

That's all wrong... If you can't see yourself in the reflection of the pocket then the BP won't ignite.  It feels like it has been neglected and it gets grumpy...

If we make this too easy then who will do it?  You need to tell him that he has to clean his brass every full moon and if the full moon falls on the last 2 weeks of a month then he has to clean the pockets and then cycle his brass out for a sabbatical replacing it with Virgin or "extra virgin" brass until the next cycle of the moon.  All powder has to be spread on a tarp under the night sky of a full moon to return to it's full energy state. 

You need to get serious about this stuff.

~Mako

[fourfingersofdeath]

Use a progressive press, can't see primer pockets! Problem solved.

I cleaned a few when I bought my rockchucker press in 1981 as I bought a primer cleaning brush at the same time. I had been loading with a Lee Loader prior to that fr some 15 years and never heard of about cleaning primer pockets, so had never done it.
I got the tool home and was very excited about it. After doing 50 or so, I got sick of it and haven't bothered for the past thirty years with it. I think about it every now and then, but don't actually get excited enough to actually do it!

I am thinking of taking up long range Palma style shooting again, I may make the effort there, but unless ultimate precision is needed for benchrest or long range stuff, I got better things to do.

[Paladin UK]

I started reloading about 25yrs ago, part of my initial purchase wuz a nice new deep blued double ended,( LPP SPP) Lee primer pocket cleaner, still got my..................nice AS NEW   deep blued double ended,( LPP SPP) Lee primer pocket cleaner!!

Never used it!!
Paladin (What should`ve bought more primers instead!!  ) UK

[Mako]

Sorry Mako I gotta call BS on that, ya didn't give us any charts or pictures that I couldn't see. WM

Okay...


The results:





As you can see the chart and the photos speak speak for themselves.

~Mako

[Lefty Dude]

Mako;

You have far to much idle time.

Why not do something constructive. Go clean some Primer Pockets.

[wildman1]

KOOL, WM like pictures.  WM

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Mako;  Anal Engineers are almost as high strung as anal Accountants!

[Mako]

Why not do something constructive. Go clean some Primer Pockets.

Are you kidding, clean my pockets???  ALREADY done!  The Waning Quarter Moon began  at 6/23 (6:48 a.m. CDT) which was great this time because I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to start the cleaning.  Brass from yesterday started at 0237.  Finished and in drying pans in the Sun as we speak.

The really great news for all of us is that the July NEW MOON begins 7/30 (1:40 p.m. CDT)!!!!  Woooooo hoooooooo!!!  Can you believe it?  Full moon on the last day of the month?!!!   Get out your tarps and spread that powder boys!  I'm so excited I'm going to even re-clean any clean brass I have!

~Mako

[pony express]

Full moon on the last day of the month!!! Oh, my, the energy of the powder might be multiplied greatly, you may have to reduce your loads by 47.25-51.125% until the next full moon!

[Fox Creek Kid]

Mako;  Anal Engineers are almost as high strung as anal Accountants!

An old saw: what do engineers & accountants use for birth control?     Their personalities. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

An old saw: what do engineers & accountants use for birth control?     Their personalities. 

HAHAHAHAHAHA!  Thats a goodun

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I only know this from experience.  I shoot BP cartridge.  I didn't clean primer pockets ... until after 9 loadings (I keep track) I began to get misfires with some loaded rounds, but when struck again they ignited (the force of the hammer strike forced it down enough to work properly) so I began to clean the pockets.  NO ... they were NOT high to the touch and visual examination - I KNOW what high, improperly seated primers will do.  And I firmly believe it was the residue in the filthy pockets that was causing a thousandth or 2 (.001"-.002") of distance that caused the problem!  My primers are normally seated .004" (plus .001" - minus .0005") low of the case base.

The problem went away.

I was using Winchester primers, bought at the same time and both bricks were from the SAME lot #!  I clean all primer pockets now after 3-4 loadings.  No problems.

Remember, I said I was loading Black Powder loads.

I have smokeyless cases that are 25-35 years old and have been loaded 20 or more times that only have been cleaned once (prmr. pkts), and I was simply in a mood to try out my (then) new RCBS case prep machine and got energetic and cleaned the primer pocket of every case I own ... BP calibers, smokeyless rifle, etc.


This is MY experience - YMMV.

PS - Mako, thanks SO MUCH for enlightening me about the moon phases; this clears up some questions I've had.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I usually soak BP fired cases in soapy water.  I found that if I deprime first, then twirll a small screwdriver in the primer pocket most of the primer residue came out easily.  If I let any sort of moisture get on the primer residue before cleaning It became VERY difficult to remove.

This way, by the time I have the BP crud cleaned off and cases tumbled, the primer pockets are squeaky clean.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

That there is a couple of professions that Ah had not heard of.  WM

There are many highly skilled and educated professions required to make the anal industry successful.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

There are many highly skilled and educated professions required to make the anal industry successful.

Sir Charles, once again you are right on the money!

Indeed!

[Mako]

There are many highly skilled and educated professions required to make the anal industry successful.

Sir Charles, once again you are right on the money!

Indeed!

Hmmmm...

[Fox Creek Kid]

Mr engineer Mako, riddle me this. Elmer Keith wrote that primer pockets flow BOTH directions and I have found this to be true, albeit too late once. Is there a scientific explanation for this?