Is it necessary to scrape carbon from inside primer pocket?
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Carbon buid up in the primer pocket can cause high primers, but can also act as a shock absorber to absorb part of the firing pin strike energy leading to light indent misfires. I prefer to clean everytime except I have come into a large quantity of Speer RHT brass. The lead free priming compound leaves very little residue. I have not been cleaning those for the first re-load. Commercially available primers are pretty dirty, I clean after that first re-load.
I like my reloads to go bang everytime, so I do this step after polishing / depriming. You can do it sitting in front of the TV, listening to GunTalk, or whatever. It is just part of my brass prep before putting them away until the next reloading session. May not be "necessary" but I feel better for doing it.
One of the reloading guru's (I think in NRA's American Rifleman) did some testing a few years back and proved that you don't have to clean out primer pockets.
Having said that, I usually do it anyway, just because I want to make sure that everything is done right.
Having said that, I usually do it anyway, just because I want to make sure that everything is done right.
ROGER4314
Been Called "Flash" Since I Was A Kid!
Carbon build up in the primer pocket can cause high primers, but can also act as a shock absorber to absorb part of the firing pin strike energy leading to light indent misfires.
+1
I use an RCBS primer pocket cleaning brush in an electric drill. It takes all of 10 seconds to clean each primer pocket. We have an inside joke at our matches about how most folks beat themselves at the 200 yard firing line. My rounds are as perfect as I can make them and everything is double checked.
I have chambered every round manually before a match to make certain there are no tight fits. I place each round on a flat surface to check for "rockers" due to high primers and visually check each primer installation. One of our friends messed up a match stage because he had a primer in upside down and failed to catch it. Those are things that beat you in a match. You beat yourself.
As the above referenced post states, the anvil sits in the bottom of the cartridge primer cavity, the pellet material is above it and the cap covers the whole mess. When the firing pin strikes the cover, the pellet is smashed on the anvil. If you seat the anvil on crud, the strike force will be changed. What difference does it make? You never know. Are you willing to introduce an outside variable into your ammunition quality instead of spending 10 seconds to correct the problem? The uncleaned primer pocket will probably go "bang" when you want it to.......or maybe not.
My .308 match loads have been chronographed with 14 fps spread in velocity between the tested rounds. That kind of consistency doesn't come without serious attention to details. So.....do what you think is best. The performance and accuracy of your home brewed ammo is entirely in your hands.
Flash
+1
I use an RCBS primer pocket cleaning brush in an electric drill. It takes all of 10 seconds to clean each primer pocket. We have an inside joke at our matches about how most folks beat themselves at the 200 yard firing line. My rounds are as perfect as I can make them and everything is double checked.
I have chambered every round manually before a match to make certain there are no tight fits. I place each round on a flat surface to check for "rockers" due to high primers and visually check each primer installation. One of our friends messed up a match stage because he had a primer in upside down and failed to catch it. Those are things that beat you in a match. You beat yourself.
As the above referenced post states, the anvil sits in the bottom of the cartridge primer cavity, the pellet material is above it and the cap covers the whole mess. When the firing pin strikes the cover, the pellet is smashed on the anvil. If you seat the anvil on crud, the strike force will be changed. What difference does it make? You never know. Are you willing to introduce an outside variable into your ammunition quality instead of spending 10 seconds to correct the problem? The uncleaned primer pocket will probably go "bang" when you want it to.......or maybe not.
My .308 match loads have been chronographed with 14 fps spread in velocity between the tested rounds. That kind of consistency doesn't come without serious attention to details. So.....do what you think is best. The performance and accuracy of your home brewed ammo is entirely in your hands.
Flash
