Best way to clean primer pockets??

[Dave Pag]

Im curious to know the best way to clean primer pockets. I have 1,000 .223 rounds and I've tried a few different ways to get the residue out of them. First I tried the Lee primer pocket cleaner tool that has a flat head looking end on it, that tool pretty much did absolutely nothing. Then I bought a Lymann mulit-tool with the deburing ends, primer pocket cleaners, and the primer pocket reamers attachments, and the pocket cleaner they have seemed to get about 60% of the residue out but i can’t seem to get whats down in the corner of the pocket. I even went as far as taking a thin flat head screw driver that had a flat head very close to the same diameter of the pocket hole and filed the end nice and flat hoping i could scrap out what residue was left in the corner of the primer pocket but i feel like I’m scratching off some of the brass. I wanted to ask your guys advice on how you all clean your primer pockets. Here are some pics i took to try and show you what I’m talking about, hope they help. Looking forward to what you guys have to say. I feel like a wire brush attachment would be best? Thanks.

 

[ronemus]

Use a Sinclair carbide primer pocket uniformer - it makes your primer pockets meet spec, including squaring the corners, and removes crud at the same time. There are no adjustments and it effectively lasts forever (I've done tens of thousands of rounds with no signs of wear). It easily chucks in a drill and is quick (a couple of seconds per piece). Each time a round is fired there is brass movement, and I find that I remove a bit of brass each time; left uncorrected, that could eventually lead to problems.

 

[bozo699]

Dave,
A wire brush primer pocket cleaner may do the job but have you tried a uniformer on them yet?
Sometimes on my brass when there not coming clean I use my uniformer and it usually does the trick. On my competition brass I uniform them all and use the uniformer for cleaning carbon as well but for plinking brass I usually can get by with a primer brush on my rcbs prep station
Wayne

 

[rsmithsr50]

you could clean the brass in ss pins..that cleans the pockets

 

[Ned Ludd]

Even cleaning SS pins won't always get every last scrap out stuff of the corners of primer pockets. However, they do a pretty good job. IMO - if you follow up tumbling with SS pins using a uniforming tool, the primer pockets should be about as clean as they're ever going to get. Certainly, they'll be "clean enough".

 

[WEL]

I remember seeing a thread on here where a shooter stopped cleaning primer pockets and compared his scores before and after and did not see any noticeable difference. Of course I clean mine lol. As long as the primer sits to the same depth it shouldn't make a difference.

 

[NorCalMikie]

You "could" use a Crockagator". More hands/fingers on but it gets the job done. And SSS pins will get the pockets clean. At least does for me. Come out looking like new. But that has it's drawbacks too.

 

[T-shooter]

I use a K&M carbide cutters even on new brass just incase the pockets are not square or deep enough. They also will clean the carbon out quickly.

 

[bozo699]

you could clean the brass in ss pins..that cleans the pockets

You "could" use a Crockagator". More hands/fingers on but it gets the job done. And SSS pins will get the pockets clean. At least does for me. Come out looking like new. But that has it's drawbacks too.

I have used steel pins and they do clean well,.... too well! Takes all the carbon outta the necks makes sizing and seating bullets very difficult without a neck lube.
Wayne

 

[bozo699]

I use a K&M carbide cutters even on new brass just incase the pockets are not square or deep enough. They also will clean the carbon out quickly.
View attachment 1156996

i have the same one T-hooter and it works great for me as well also have a couple Sinclair’s that work fine also
Wayne

 

[rsmithsr50]

so how do you control the residue build up in your primer pockets to ensure the primers are all set the same.( bottom of the pocket)

I remember seeing a thread on here where a shooter stopped cleaning primer pockets and compared his scores before and after and did not see any noticeable difference. Of course I clean mine lol. As long as the primer sits to the same depth it shouldn't make a difference.

 

[PDS]

The Sinclair carbide primer pocket uniformer will clean the pockets and square the corners. But a lot of primer pockets have a depressed ring around the flash hole. A wire brush will get that last bit of carbon out.
It's one more step in case prep and you have to decide if the effort really makes a difference on the target.

 

[Steve Ladino]

You "could" use a Crockagator". More hands/fingers on but it gets the job done. And SSS pins will get the pockets clean. At least does for me. Come out looking like new. But that has it's drawbacks too.

What, pray tell is a crockagator ? Maybe I should have one or two.

 

[bozo699]

What, pray tell is a crockagator ? Maybe I should have one or two.

They were fine back in the day but now that we have cordless screwdrivers and electric prep stations there are wayyyyy out dated pieces of equipment imho.

yes you should own one or two for quick fixes and to appreciate your nice power tools
Wayne.

 

[Steve Ladino]

They were fine back in the day but now that we have cordless screwdrivers and electric prep stations there are wayyyyy out dated pieces of equipment imho.

yes you should own one or two for quick fixes and to appreciate your nice power tools
Wayne.

Thanks man.....I see its a toothy vigorous looking tool.

 

[tomswede]

so how do you control the residue build up in your primer pockets to ensure the primers are all set the same.( bottom of the pocket)

You don’t, just seat them until they bottom out. I stopped cleaning primer pockets 20 years ago. Never noticed any difference. Somewhere on this forum I think some BR shooters actually did a trail, they could not find any difference either.

 

[Delfuego]

I'll second the Stainless Steel Tumbling for getting them clean. However, I don't think it makes a difference in accuracy. Hell, dirty might even keep the primer pockets tighter

 

[DaveTooley]

I haven't cleaned a primer pocket in 25 years.

 

[Dave Pag]

I use a K&M carbide cutters even on new brass just incase the pockets are not square or deep enough. They also will clean the carbon out quickly.
View attachment 1156996

I saw this tool last night after making this post. I was thinking that might not be a bad purchase. Where did you buy yours at and did you remember how much it cost? I know the RCBS wire brush is $13 and i was going to tey that, but then i saw that K&M tool and had thoughts about purchasing that.

 

[Dave Pag]

I haven't cleaned a primer pocket in 25 years.

Ha,its not like im a competitive shooter, I am just shooting for fun at the moment . No I dont think i could at least not make an effort to clean them out. You never noticed any difference shooting from whether they have been cleaned or not? I contemplated if it was even necessary to clean out primer pockets, to me it is the worst part of all the stages of reloading but I am not the type of person to cut corners on something as important and dangerous that this hobbie can be.