Any value in pocket uniforming Lapua or ADG brass?

[Winny94]

Was considering picking up a pocket uniformer, but curious if there is any reason to if i only shoot Lapua and ADG brass. How about flash hole deburring

 

[jackieschmidt]

I know it’s Benchrest Heresy, but I don’t touch them.

 

[Bc'z]

I dont care who's brass it is, all pockets are set after 2nd hit.
Flash holes are addressed from the git go.

 

[Scott Harris]

I used to uniform Lapua pockets but eventually asked, "why the heck do I keep doing this worthless activity?"

 

[Sandstorm]

Scott that's a tuff one for some OCD types to swallow...choke choke.
But Im starting to lean that way a little more all the time.

 

[Evan]

I tried it on a set of 50 cases years ago and saw no difference on target vs the untouched cases. Haven't tried it again since.

Same experience with flash holes on my Lapua brass. Haven't tried it with my more recently acquired Peterson brass and don't plan to.

Weighing and sorting primers? Yes, I see that on target and it is now a mainstay in my reloading process.

I'm game to try most anything, but if it doesn't show up on target within 50-100rnds, I stop doing it. I do way too many things in the reloading room and any simplification is welcomed as a way to prevent unintended consequences.

 

[R.Morehouse]

I use a hand uniformer after the 1st firing and I keep using it every time after to clean out the pockets before re-priming, it does a good job.

Regards
Rick

 

[1shot]

I never use the uniformer until after the first firing. During the fire forming the brass moves a little in all directions. Very little, but it does move. That is where you will find the advantage to doing this operation.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[dgeesaman]

I use a hand uniformer after the 1st firing and I keep using it every time after to clean out the pockets before re-priming, it does a good job.

Regards
Rick

Ditto I use a uniformer to bust the crust out of the primer pockets. It occasionally shaves some brass.

 

[LVLAaron]

Never used ADG. I've sorted through a lot of Lapua. I don't see the need. The pockets are a uniform depth and the flash holes are drilled/clean. There's nothing to clean up.

 

[rardoin]

I don’t...anymore. That being said I’ve seen a particular lot of brass that had shallow pockets and HAD to be deepened slightly to use. That would be the only instance where it would be necessary. The uniformers work well for pocket cleaning if you are so inclined; I’m not

 

[mikecr]

I'm not a brand hugger, and regardless of probabilities, my cases are checked & prepped just the same.
I have held brass among the best AND among the worst, from different lots of brown box 6br.

 

[searcher]

My experiences with Lapua, while good, have shown that their brass has variation just like all other - but just a bit less. Guys who look for the difference on their targets won't likely see it - but you will see it on the chrono in respect to varying flash holes. Not so much on the pocket depths. If you do the flash holes - be sure to use a QUALITY reamer and take great care to do it right and not be in a hurry - or it can end up worse that before you started. Regarding the primer pockets, a cutter that takes your depth just a few .000 more than it should will hurt too - especially with the types of primers mostly used in bench rest - whether American or Russian. With the Russian primers like Wolff or Tula - you can get misfires. That said - I do the primer pockets and flash holes on all of my target ammo. On my varmint and plinking ammo - I wouldn't get any noticeable benefit - so I don't. If I miss a few squirrels out of a hundred at long distance - I'm OK with that. Some brands of brass get far greater benefit from this than Lapua - for sure.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Well I can’t see why it doesn’t help .
It does have the Primers all at the same heights?
I do flash holes to .

like that idea after first firing .
Will try it .

 

[K22]

Can't comment on Laupu or ADG brass cases because I use Remington, Federal, Winchester and Hornady cases.

I've been uniforming the pockets for about 5 years now with the Sinclair Tool. I haven't noticed any improvement in performance of my reloads. So why do I do it? Good question.

Well I do believe it is worthwhile to clean the primer pockets after each firing since accumulation of spent primer fouling can interfere with seating the primer. By uniforming the pockets I obtain a smooth uniform pocket which makes cleaning the pockets significantly easier. I also use the uniforming tool to clean the pockets which does a superior job to any other pocket cleaning tools I've tried in the past. With the Sinclair Tool the "stop" prevents cutting the pocket too deep.

 

[dgeesaman]

Can't comment on Laupu or ADG brass cases because I use Remington, Federal, Winchester and Hornady cases.

I've been uniforming the pockets for about 5 years now with the Sinclair Tool. I haven't noticed any improvement in performance of my reloads. So why do I do it? Good question.

Well I do believe it is worthwhile to clean the primer pockets after each firing since accumulation of spent primer fouling can interfere with seating the primer. By uniforming the pockets I obtain a smooth uniform pocket which makes cleaning the pockets significantly easier. I also use the uniforming tool to clean the pockets which does a superior job to any other pocket cleaning tools I've tried in the past. With the Sinclair Tool the "stop" prevents cutting the pocket too deep.

So I have been doing the same thing, but I'm reconsidering.

All of this assumes you've uniformed the pocket and flash hole to your standards of quality before or immediately after the first firing. It's cleaning the pocket again after each firing I'm thinking about.
1) The carbon on the bottom face of the pocket won't really accumulate. It comes out easy enough, so I expect it will blast out with the primer and only ever be a light build-up.
2) The seating of the primer should not be affected because as long as the primer doesn't push back, the cup will stay in firm contact with the primer pocket bottom surface. The next primer will go back in the same way and seat firmly on the brass.
3) Any differences in flow across the soiled surface have been shown in testing to not matter.

 

[Straightshooter1]

When deburring flash holes, I se the 20th Century Flash Hole Debr Tool as it's design is perfect for deburring properly. In various brands of brass this tool takes out the burr leaving a nice flat surface (no chance of counter sinking) and a little pile of brass shavings. But with Lapua brass, I get very, very few shavings, if any, which indicates to me there's really no need for this step in case prep for Lapua brass. And so, I don't do this step with Lapua brass.

As far as primer pockets, I do uniform Lapua brass to be sure to get a uniform depth I want on all of them. Then when I'll use the uniforming tool to clean them and without exception, when I do this I get a very small amount of brash shavings. This indicates to me that the bottom of the pocket is being pushed out. The distance it's pushed out is apparently really small, as the brass shavings is really a small about . . . but, it's there. In an effort to make everything uniform, I want to make sure the primer's anvil is seated the same way every time. The the carbon build up is minimum, but taking care of it this way means it's one less thing I might have to think about that goes unchecked.

It's a small thing, but if one ignores a lot of small things, they tend to add up.

 

[David Christian]

Disclaimer: I do SST each firing.

I have never touched my primer pockets. I have over 1,800 pieces of Lapua brass in my reloading cycle, and my brass works great. Some lots have been fired 12x, others only 3x. All the same results.

 

[K22]

So I have been doing the same thing, but I'm reconsidering.

All of this assumes you've uniformed the pocket and flash hole to your standards of quality before or immediately after the first firing. It's cleaning the pocket again after each firing I'm thinking about.
1) The carbon on the bottom face of the pocket won't really accumulate. It comes out easy enough, so I expect it will blast out with the primer and only ever be a light build-up.
2) The seating of the primer should not be affected because as long as the primer doesn't push back, the cup will stay in firm contact with the primer pocket bottom surface. The next primer will go back in the same way and seat firmly on the brass.
3) Any differences in flow across the soiled surface have been shown in testing to not matter.

I don't disagree and you're probably right. But for 50 years I cleaned primer pockets. Why? Cause the reloading manual say so. Does it make sense - I don't know - they say it does - but maybe it doesn't. But those clean pockets sure do look nice and make me feel good.

OK, I stop cleaning them. I can just see it now, I miss a ground hog on an easy shot or worse, a 10 point buck, then the mental doubts about my ammo starts to creep into mind, cleaning or not cleaning obviously having nothing do to with the miss but my mind will start to playing tricks on me. Maybe it just a matter of mental toughness, I overcame my fear of "bullet weld" and now load my summer varmint rounds in the winter so when spring hits I'm locked and loaded. Took many groundhogs with ammo that has "bullet weld".

Besides, I have the time - I'm retired and cleaning the pocket keeps me from watching re runs of Gunsmoke which I've see 20 times. But thanks for your input - I'll consider it.

 

[danny]

Was considering picking up a pocket uniformer, but curious if there is any reason to if i only shoot Lapua and ADG brass. How about flash hole deburring

I primer pocket uniform EVERY piece of brass EVERY time because I want to be sure that the primer pockets are of the proper depth to accept a primer, PROPERLY. I have almost never not uniformed the pockets to some degree, and when it has happened, it was probably with .22 Hornet loads, low pressue. I don't care about cleaning primer pockets... the uniformer cleans up what might be in the way. I don't bother with flash hole deburring, because I doubt that would do much, if anything, for accuracy, and nothing for safety. I also do not think that primer pocket uniforming would do anything for accuracy. I also do not use one of those "whiz bang" expensive primer seating tools that allow you to dial in a "below flush" setting for the primers, because if you do that, you are going to crush some primers and not push some primers to the bottom of the primer pocket, especially if you do not uniform. You get a simple primer seating tool, one where you do not have to handle each primer, then push it to the bottom of a properly uniformed pocket, which sets your "below flush" dimension.....and properly.

Danny