Best way to clean primer pockets?

[memilanuk]

It could probably be stream-lined a bit... use a rotary media separator instead of by hand, etc.

I will say that it is way less fussy for the amount of 'clean' than ultrasonic cleaning, and in my experience gets the cases *cleaner* and *shinier (the Lemishine really brightens them up!). I started with one of the 'cheapy' US units, then got a small 'name-brand' unit (much more powerful and built like a tank in comparison)... tried wet tumbling with the ovoid-cut stick ceramics (too many stuck pieces) and then the small spherical ceramic (too 'clingy' and near impossible to get all out of the cases, even with dish soap to break up the surface tension). Never got satisfactory results from the pure liquid cleaners (BC Case Prep & Iosso)

My 'bulk' stuff gets corn-cob in the big Dillon tumbler. The 'match' stuff gets a twist on the neck with #0000 steel wool, and a brush in the neck. Every two to three firings I anneal them, and clean them with the wet stainless media.

[gotcha]

MEMILANUK, Very interesting info. Have dried cases in my convexion oven also but ONLY when wife wasn't home. :D Always nice to have an understanding wife! You've got my interest up. I sure appreciate you taking the time to explain the process. LOSTARTS original post has definitely gotten "legs". Have you had any feed- back on the "pointy" stnls. steel rod type media. Anyone?

[lostart]

Thats good info on the stainless stuff. Very interesting.

Neck tension has also had me wondering as of late. Anybody got some good links on process, benefits and the sort?

[memilanuk]

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1513345#Post1513345

Have fun wading thru all the B.S.... and all the folks who don't know how to save a Watched Topic so their sole contribution to the thread is 'Tag'... ::)

[pbcaster45]

Gotcha, I dry them base up in a cake rack cooler I got from Wal-Mart. I use a pre-heated 200 degree oven, just turn it off when you put the cases inside. I'll post a pic when my photobucket account starts working again...

Now it's working.


http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/PBsSecretMethod.jpg

[memilanuk]

Have you had any feed- back on the "pointy" stnls. steel rod type media. Anyone?


Not quite sure what you're referring to here? I know people have been using stainless steel 'punchings' (no idea what actual size/shape those were) for years, and I've heard of others using steel BBs. I think in Nancy Gallagher's book Mid Tompkins wrote about using stainless media, and I think he was either using the 'punchings' or a jeweller's mix. The jeweller's mix stuff is probably 'best', but its gawd-awful expensive to match. This stuff I'm using is actually from a guy that has a set up for making wire bits for other stuff, and he had a big batch that was in a size that wasn't commonly used any more - it just happened to be about the right size (.041" dia.) to pass through even a PPC sized flash hole with ease, and he was able to cut it to a length that worked good in most brass cases - not long enough to jam in the neck of a .308 or even a .223 Rem, but just long enough it shouldn't stick in a primer pocket.

As I mentioned... this batch was getting rid of some remnant material, and as it turned out I got some that were a smidge shorter - just enough to stick in a large primer pocket. They come out easily, and I'd expect newer batches to not have that problem.