need an automatic primer pocket cleaning tool

[Benchrest Braxton]

after a long battle of trying to clean my brass to 100% clean each time (more so the primer pockets), I discovered it wasn’t worth my time.

my reloading process now consists of the following steps:

shoot ammo
anneal in amp
full length resize on area 419 zero
clean primer pockets (not with a uniformer) with redding hand tool
tumble in rice on rebel19 or big shot 40
apply 2 coats of neolube #2 inside necks
expander mandrel (1 thou below bullet diam)
trim on henderson
prime on primal rights cps
dump powder on fx120i w/ autotrickler
seat bullets on amp

everything besides cleaning the primer pockets is pretty well “automated”. I decided to forego cleaning in ultrasonic to clean my primer pockets because it wasn’t worth the hassle.

so I am now on the hunt for the best of the best tool to clean my primer pockets most efficiently because I am going to get carpal tunnel using this redding hand tool.

I do not want to clean with a primer pocket uniforming tool as I do not believe in uniforming primer pockets on top tier level brass, nor do I want to accidentally take off any material even just using one for cleaning the carbon out.

Anyone have a recommendation for carbide primer pocket cleaners? and what powered tool would you recommend or know of? (not looking to use a drill either)

 

[Steve morgan]

after a long battle of trying to clean my brass to 100% clean each time (more so the primer pockets), I discovered it wasn’t worth my time.

my reloading process now consists of the following steps:

shoot ammo
anneal in amp
full length resize on area 419 zero
clean primer pockets (not with a uniformer) with redding hand tool
tumble in rice on rebel19 or big shot 40
apply 2 coats of neolube #2 inside necks
expander mandrel (1 thou below bullet diam)
trim on henderson
prime on primal rights cps
dump powder on fx120i w/ autotrickler
seat bullets on amp

everything besides cleaning the primer pockets is pretty well “automated”. I decided to forego cleaning in ultrasonic to clean my primer pockets because it wasn’t worth the hassle.

so I am now on the hunt for the best of the best tool to clean my primer pockets most efficiently because I am going to get carpal tunnel using this redding hand tool.

I do not want to clean with a primer pocket uniforming tool as I do not believe in uniforming primer pockets on top tier level brass, nor do I want to accidentally take off any material even just using one for cleaning the carbon out.

Anyone have a recommendation for carbide primer pocket cleaners? and what powered tool would you recommend or know of? (not looking to use a drill either)

Ultrasonic cleaner cleans mine.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Ultrasonic cleaner cleans mine.

same, but I stated in the OP that I found it wasn’t worth the hassle. The biggest reason for me using an ultrasonic was for getting the primer pockets perfect, but in the time it takes me to pull out all the stuff to ultrasonic clean and then dry, i could have just cleaned the primer pockets out with a tool in probably 1/10th of the time.

tumbling in rice does about 90% of the job an ultrasonic cleaner does, with the exception of hitting the primer pockets (which is why i hit the primer pockets before hand with a cleaning/scraper tool)

 

[acloco]

RCBS prep station. There are other brands on the market, but believe the ergonomics on the RCBS is better (push DOWN) on all of the cases for the variety of operations that are capable on the prep station.

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

You apply power to any type carbide cleaner and you will be removing "brass". Just use a pocket uniformer and very slight pressure. 10-15 seconds per pocket or even less. Your not wanting to uniform high end brass pockets is foundless.

Frank

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

RCBS prep station. There are other brands on the market, but believe the ergonomics on the RCBS is better (push DOWN) on all of the cases for the variety of operations that are capable on the prep station.

you know of a carbide tool for it?

 

[ebb]

Why do you bother, Several over at Benchresr Central have compared clean v unclean and none of them have found any difference in accuracy.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Why do you bother, Several over at Benchresr Central have compared clean v unclean and none of them have found any difference in accuracy.

i like to get exact primer depths via the primal rights cps and primewhere. im personally not convinced it 100% doesn’t matter, and i dont want to leave anything on the table. its such a relatively easy step so why not

 

[DiRTY DOG]

You already spend time vibrating in rice. Instead of vibrating, decap and wet tumble = clean primer pockets (w/pins if you want perfection). The time spent vibrating vs wet tumbling is a wash. And the time spent drying wet brass vs cleaning primer pockets one at a time is a wash, but wet tumbling is a lot less work.

 

[K22]

In my experience, you do not need to clean the pockets to the extent that all visible residue is removed if you need to clean them at all.

I started uniforming pockets about 10 years ago thus I clean them with a uniformer. However, I don't believe even that is necessary i.e., uniforming, a practice that I'm going to suspend on the next lot of virgin cases. I've seen absolutely no difference on target between uniformed versus non-uniformed pockets.

Getting back to cleaning pockets, just a few quick twists with a standard primer pocket cleaning tool is enough to remove the gross residue and you won't get carpel tunnel from it.

I would be careful using a power tool to clean this area of the case especially when it doesn't add any value. You might do more harm than good.

 

[chkunz]

You apply power to any type carbide cleaner and you will be removing "brass". Just use a pocket uniformer and very slight pressure. 10-15 seconds per pocket or even less. Your not wanting to uniform high end brass pockets is foundless.

Frank

This is how I do it also. I use the uniformer because it is aggressive with the carbon but not so much with the brass. If I get more uniform primer pockets in the process, then all the much better.

 

[D Coots]

after a long battle of trying to clean my brass to 100% clean each time (more so the primer pockets), I discovered it wasn’t worth my time.

my reloading process now consists of the following steps:

shoot ammo
anneal in amp
full length resize on area 419 zero
clean primer pockets (not with a uniformer) with redding hand tool
tumble in rice on rebel19 or big shot 40
apply 2 coats of neolube #2 inside necks
expander mandrel (1 thou below bullet diam)
trim on henderson
prime on primal rights cps
dump powder on fx120i w/ autotrickler
seat bullets on amp

everything besides cleaning the primer pockets is pretty well “automated”. I decided to forego cleaning in ultrasonic to clean my primer pockets because it wasn’t worth the hassle.

so I am now on the hunt for the best of the best tool to clean my primer pockets most efficiently because I am going to get carpal tunnel using this redding hand tool.

I do not want to clean with a primer pocket uniforming tool as I do not believe in uniforming primer pockets on top tier level brass, nor do I want to accidentally take off any material even just using one for cleaning the carbon out.

Anyone have a recommendation for carbide primer pocket cleaners? and what powered tool would you recommend or know of? (not looking to use a drill either)

Enjoy

And what discipline?

 

[TylerFromMS]

You get exact depths using that tool just like everyone else with a Sinclair, 21st century, RCBS, etc… when you bottom the tool out. But, all your primer pockets may not be the same depth. So while you’re going to the “same depth”, it may be a different level of crush that has to be “felt”.

How do you get around this? Primer pocket uniformer. Then they’ll be the same depth and crush in every one. And you can clean them with the same tool. 21st makes a nice one (like everything else they make, frankly).

Otherwise, wet tumble with pins or ignore it.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Enjoy

And what discipline?

competitive wise, none.

casually? long range

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

You get exact depths using that tool just like everyone else with a Sinclair, 21st century, RCBS, etc… when you bottom the tool out. But, all your primer pockets may not be the same depth. So while you’re going to the “same depth”, it may be a different level of crush that has to be “felt”.

How do you get around this? Primer pocket uniformer. Then they’ll be the same depth and crush in every one. And you can clean them with the same tool. 21st makes a nice one (like everything else they make, frankly).

Otherwise, wet tumble with pins or ignore it.

i have a 21st for “match prepping” cheap brass that actually needs it.

I have yet to find high quality brass that needs uniformed, from all of my high quality brass (lapua, adg, peterson) i have checked the depth variation and it is sub 1 thou.

So if I am within 1 thou, what am I uniforming exactly? No need to introduce a cutter and remove material that doesn’t need removed. I am in the camp that believes uniforming may do more harm than good (on top tier brass) due to introducing a human element.

My whole reason for cleaning is that I fear that the carbon will build up and impact the anvils from making a true firm contact to the bottom of the pocket.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

You already spend time vibrating in rice. Instead of vibrating, decap and wet tumble = clean primer pockets (w/pins if you want perfection). The time spent vibrating vs wet tumbling is a wash. And the time spent drying wet brass vs cleaning primer pockets one at a time is a wash, but wet tumbling is a lot less work.

actual time wise its a wash, but I find for me, that the handling time is alot less with rice tumbling.

 

[TylerFromMS]

i have a 21st for “match prepping” cheap brass that actually needs it.

I have yet to find high quality brass that needs uniformed, from all of my high quality brass (lapua, adg, peterson) i have checked the depth variation and it is sub 1 thou.

So if I am within 1 thou, what am I uniforming exactly? No need to introduce a cutter and remove material that doesn’t need removed. I am in the camp that believes uniforming may do more harm than good (on top tier brass) due to introducing a human element.

My whole reason for cleaning is that I fear that the carbon will build up and impact the anvils from making a true firm contact to the bottom of the pocket.

Right, so you do have a uniformer. Here’s what you do… set it for the deepest one you find in a lot, even if it is only 0.001 difference. Then, use it to clean the primer pockets on a Bench Rite neck turning lathe with an arbor chuck on it.

Otherwise, wet tumble with pins or ignore it.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Right, so you do have a uniformer. Here’s what you do… set it for the deepest one you find in a lot, even if it is only 0.001 difference. Then, use it to clean the primer pockets on a Bench Rite neck turning lathe with an arbor chuck on it.

Otherwise, wet tumble with pins or ignore it.

yeah i get that, but i dont want to potentially cut or alter anything inside the primer pocket by introducing me as a variable.

my redding tool does exactly what i want, but requires more twisting of my hands than i prefer.

 

[TylerFromMS]

yeah i get that, but i dont want to potentially cut or alter anything inside the primer pocket by introducing me as a variable.

my redding tool does exactly what i want, but requires more twisting of my hands than i prefer.

Welp, thems the options. Figure out a way to power it or get carpal tunnel. Something tells me that unless it's a brush or plastic or something like that, the Redding tool has the potential to remove material, as well.

Otherwise, wet tumble with pins or ignore it.

 

[762plinker]

the bottom line is you are pretending to be precise, while ignoring the primer pocket depth.
using one uniformer tool in the process to initialy set the pocket depth and then to MAINTAIN the depth and clean the pocket so the primer is set the same maintains the intial precision.
primer pockets have a habit of moving over the life of the brass. cleaning with a brush ignores this.