barrel break in?

limit time

limit time

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Hi, is it true you should "break" in a barrel? I was told all guns are fired at the factory before they are shipped out.
what would be the best way to break it in??


thanks!
 
There are many schools of thought on this. Some say you should some say it is just the manufacturers way of getting you to shoot more so you will buy more barrels.

Shilen recommends that you shoot 5 rounds run a brass brush soaked in solvent through the barrel for 10 passes. wait 10 minutes then run patches thru with a good jag until the barrel is clean. do this for the first 50 rounds then clean after every 20.

I truly believe that more damage is done to a barrel by poor cleaning equipment and practices than not breaking in the barrel. My .02 fwiw
 
Do a web search. there are many different ideas on this practice. The idea is that mass produced rifles have barrels that were not hand lapped when leaving the factory, therefore they need to go through a proccess of shooting cleaning, shooting cleaning, until the imperfections in the barrel are worn in, sort of speak. The idea is if you follow this practice you will end up spending a lot less time getting the copper out once your barrel is broken in.
 
It's not so much barrel break in as getting the machining in the throat to match that of the actual riflings in the barrel. The bullet is literally going from one machined surface to the other and often this is what requires multiple shots to break in. But following a religious cleaning regime for the first 100 shots is critical.
 
Boy did you ever hit on a hot topic. I'm sure that if you search, you'll find lots of information.

I clean mine with boiling hot water and dishwashing soap.
Then I clean it it Hoppes' #9
Then I polish it (just a few strokes) with polishing compound.
Then I clean it again, lubricate, then I go shooting.

My procedure takes up about a half hour at the kitchen sink, does not involve a lot of booolits at the range and truley removes sharp edges from the lands. I don't care if others don't like it or approve of it, but it works for me. I read about it in an old magazine, figured that it was right, blablabla, I don't give a ####. I choose this method not because it shortened the time span, but because I figured that was best for my barrels.
 
I clean after every shot for the first 15 rounds on every new centerfire. Shoot ...let cool for a couple of minutes...insert bore guide....1 dry patch... 3 wet patches (Barnes CR-10)... 5 one way wet nylon brush passes from chamber end.... more wet patches until they show clean ... 2 dry patches....2 passes with oiled patch.... 1 dry patch -----Shoot again
Yes, it takes time and patience. I purchase several new rifles every year and use this regime on each.
After break-in, I clean my rifles after each session at the Range. When I clean at home, I use a couple of patches wet with rubbing alcohol before the oil to "neutralize" the copper solvent.
One of the guys from the Tactical Squad that shoots at our Range says they do a 30 shot break-in. That would take a couple of days! I'm not that patient.
Some barrel makers recommend break-in some don't. I can't say for certain that it is "necessary," but if done properly can't hurt.
 
With a new barrel, I give it real good cleaning. Then I shoot it 'till accuracy starts to fall off at which time I clean it.

I've found that most times my rifles shoot their best when the barrel is fouled
 
I used to shoot/clean, shoot/clean when I had my first few customs built.

My 243AI is newly built, and I'll shoot a box or so through it and then clean it up...life is too short to break in another barrel!
 
limit time said:
Hi, is it true you should "break" in a barrel? I was told all guns are fired at the factory before they are shipped out.
what would be the best way to break it in??


thanks!
Click to expand...


I cannot tell you what is correct, however I shall tell you what works for me:

For my work rifles I go the thorough initial clean then clean after every shot there-after for twenty shots route, this may not be applicable to what you are doing as my work rifles are Remington 40XBR's and weigh slightly over fifteen and a half pounds, these firearms are used exclusively for shooting kangaroo's in the head.

My hunting firearms are thoroughly cleaned then shot as per normal without any consideration for breaking-in, I have not noticed any difference in accuracy or longevity using either method, I simply choose to hedge my bets when it comes to my lively-hood.
 
Just load the gun and go shooting. Keeping the barrel clean of any residue (run a bore snake after every trip to the range). You'll be fine. Don't drive yourself nuts. Shoot and have fun.

-Jason
 
I sat in on a seminar that Kenny Jarrett gave and if I walked away with one thing...it was to drive yourself nuts for those first 100 shots as they will ultimately determine the accuracy of that barrel for its lifetime. While I'm no expert on barrels, I'd sure consider Kenny one and if he reccomends copper cleaner after every five shots for the first 100...I think I'll listen.
 
I shoot-clean for 3 shots, then 5-clean then 10-clean. Not to onnerous.

What I notice is the huge amount of crap than come sout after the first shot and after the forst 3. Somewhare before I get to the 10, the rifle stops the fouling. The barrel is smooth and broken in.

Some commercial barrels are rougher and may need the 5-clean twice if the 5-clean is badly fouled.

If you look down a new barrelafter the first shot with a 20X borescope you wills ee some larher pieces of jacket material. Too me it looks like sneakers thrown down on a bowling alley. The second shot pounds the pieces into the barrel. This is why the shoot-clean for the first few shots is so important.

If you do nothing else, I suggest shoot-clean for 3 single shots.

A typical factory rifle fires a proof shot and is cleaned. Then it fires 3 to 5 shots to make sure the magazine, extractor and ejector all work properly. They get a very simple quick cleaning.
 
Here is a post from a fellow CGN member (Dimitri) with some quotes from Gale McMillan. Yes, that McMillan regarding barrel break-in. Pay particular attention to the records and achievements obtained with barrels that were NOT subjected to any break-in process.

I'm not saying a BBI process will not yield results. I'm saying that any BBI process out there will not yield results significant enough to bother investing any time or materials.

Well when it comes to barrel break in I don't believe in it after learning of Gale Mcmillan's opinion.

Quote:
posted September 25, 1999 10:10 AM

The break in fad was started by a fellow I helped get started in the barrel business . He started putting a set of break in instructions in ever barrel he shipped. One came into the shop to be installed and I read it and the next time I saw him I asked him What was with this break in crap?. His answer was Mac, My share of the market is about 700 barrels a year. I cater to the target crowd and they shoot a barrel about 3000 rounds before they change it. If each one uses up 100 rounds of each barrel breaking it in you can figure out how many more barrels I will get to make each year.

If you will stop and think that the barrel doesn't know whether you are cleaning it every shot or every 5 shots and if you are removing all foreign material that has been deposited in it since the last time you cleaned it what more can you do?

When I ship a barrel I send a recommendation with it that you clean it ever chance you get with a brass brush pushed through it at least 12 times with a good solvent and followed by two and only 2 soft patches. This means if you are a bench rest shooter you clean ever 7 or 8 rounds . If you are a high power shooter you clean it when you come off the line after 20 rounds. If you follow the fad of cleaning every shot for X amount and every 2 shots for X amount and so on the only thing you are accomplishing is shortening the life of the barrel by the amount of rounds you shot during this process.

I always say Monkey see Monkey do, now I will wait on the flames but before you write them, Please include what you think is happening inside your barrel during break in that is worth the expense and time you are spending during break in
Quote:
Posted: 01-27-2000 08:57

I will make one last post on this subject and appeal to logic on this subject I think it is the height of arrogance to believe a novice can improve a barrel using a cleaning rod more than that a barrel maker can do with 30 years of experience and a * million dollars in equipment . The barrel is a relatively precise bit of machining and to imagine that it can be improved on with a bit of abrasive smeared on a patch or embedded in a bullet. The surface finish of a barrel is a delicate thing with more of them being ruined with a cleaning rod in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use one.

I would never in a million years buy a used rifle now because you well may buy one that has been improved. First give a little thought to what you think you are accomplishing with any of the break in methods. Do you really believe that if what you are doing would help a barrel that the barrel maker wouldn't have already done it. The best marketing advantage he can have is for his barrels to out perform his competitors! Of coarse he is happy to see you poking things in your barrel . Its only going to improve his sales.

Get real!!!! I am not saying the following to brag because the record speak for it' self McMillan barrels won the gold at 4 straight Olympics. Won the Leach Cup eight years running. Had more barrels in the Wimbledon shoot off every year for 4 straight years than any other make. Set the national 1000 yard record 17 times in one year. Held 7 world records at the same time in the NBRSA.

Won the national silhouette matches 5 straight times and set 3 world records while doing that . Shot the only two 6400 scores in the history of small bore and holds a 100 yard world record that will stand for ever at .009 of one inch. All with barrels the shooter didn't have to improve on by breaking them in.

TDC
 
Hang on a minute!! Match barrels are almost always hand lapped by the maker with a non-imbedding lapping compound.

Commercial barrels are not lapped. The shoot-clean for 3 to 5 shots is the substitute for lapping.
 
i bought a browning and on the website it has their procedure for "breaking" in a barrel. starts with cleaning every shot for the 1st 10 shots then goes from there.
 
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