Inquiring Minds Want to know-

[flanman]

So I am trying to figure out which is the best way to go about this step. If I deprime first the process of cleaing the die and the reloader is clearly more labor intensive. However if I clean first then I have some casing with cob in the primer hole on top of the primer. I think that either way I am stuck hand cleaning the pocket so no benefit there. Wondering what eveyone else does


flanman

[MMCSRET]

I clean after shooting and then after sizing and depriming I polish. I keep two tumblers set up for these operations.  I clean the primer pockets of media and carbon, all in one swell foop before I expand for loading and before priming.

[tmd17]

I generally don't clean primer pockets, but then again, I usually just reload handgun rounds for cost saving and am perfectly happy with "good enough" accuracy. On the rare occasion I load up some .223, I will still clean first, then deprime/resize, then use my RCBS case cleaning station to clean the pockets IF I am trying for accuracy.

[peacemaker]

I never clean my brass, but always clean the primer pockets.

[BigRix]

I clean then de prime because the tumbling media I use gets stuck in the flash hole. It gets poked out when I de prime. I tried it after de priming once and had to use a dental pick to get the hole cleaned out.

[Bisley]

Hello, flanman. There is another way...depriming either by punch & base or with a hand-held re-de capper..either way..no die or press involved!

[DFrame]

I never clean my brass, but always clean the primer pockets.

I usually do just the opposite. I almost always toss the cases into the vibrator for an hour of two but cleaning the primer pocket is a step I rarely take,

[Oyeboten]

I clean Smokeless Cartridge Cases now and then, but not every cycle of re-loading.

I do not mind tarnished cases...long as they are clean-enough inside, they are good-to-go in my book.

Black Powder Cartridge, it is best to soak and neutralize the deposits fairly promptly though...of course.

[ColtSnakes]

The only time I ever clean primer pockets is if I'm chasing accuracy in a rifle. As far as handguns go, I toss the case in the tumbler, then run them thru the press. I've got cases I've been loading 20 years and have never even seen the empty primer pocket, muchless clean it.

[Xringshooter]

I almost never deprime prior to cleaning. I use na progressive press and that would just slow everything down more. When I was shooting PPC (practice and matches = 1500 rounds per week) I never cleaned a primer pocket and I didn't have any that didn't go boom.