The Truth About Barrel Break-Ins?

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Koshy

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Hey,

So I have heard many a concept of why it is good, and why it is bad... I just happened to be reading around today and came across something from Gale McMillan himself...

He states,
Gale McMillan said:
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
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Want to read more on what he has to say? This is where I found it:
http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/Barrel_BreakIn.asp

I would love the input of knowledgeable people LIKE Alberta Tactical Rifle :)

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Barrel break ins have been kinda beaten to death around here. So I expect there will be allot of miserable posts that show up here.

I would like conclusive proof one way or another that a break in helps in accuracy or consistency.

HS Precision claims that the more you shoot one of their barrels, the more consistency you get.

:confused:
 
Max Owner said:
Barrel break ins have been kinda beaten to death around here. So I expect there will be allot of miserable posts that show up here.

I would like conclusive proof one way or another that a break in helps in accuracy or consistency.

HS Precision claims that the more you shoot one of their barrels, the more consistency you get.

:confused:
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To your HS Precision comment, I won't say I disagree... at least in terms of my barrel every time I get out and shoot it, it is getting more and more accurate + consistent (could be me)... I was thinking about cleaning it with only about 100 rounds through it... but now I am kinda thinking that isn't such a good idea :p

Also Gale McMillan talks about Nylon brushes being more abrasive then brass brushes... that one kinda throws me for a loop... but why would Gale McMillan lie and his knowledge is vastly superior to mine...

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
I have broken in many new barrels and have watched others do the same thing. The reason we believe it helps is that we can see a change in the barrel over the first 20 shots.

the process involves firing 1 shot and then cleaning. This is done 3 to 5 times. It is always shocking how much crap comes out of the barrel after just that one shot.

Then I fire 2 shots and clean, then 3 shots and clean, then 5, then 10.

After shooting the 10 the barrel has very little fouling. It has changed over that first box. It is now broken in.

So, what would be differrent from just firing 20 shots, then cleaning?

I have a 20X borescope. After one shot, the barrel looks like a bowling alley with a lot of gravel on it. The crap include metal fouling hunks from the bullet jacket. If I was to fire another shot, this fouling get pounded into the barrel.

After 20 such rounds, the barel surface looks a little different than a abrrel that was broken in.

We who break in barrels are convinced that our barrels foul less and are easier to clean than if they had not been broken in. hard to prove that, though.

Custom barels are well finished inside. Most have been lapped. They may not need a break in as much as an ordinary factory barrel.

Don't try lapping your own barrel. You would probably use use the wrong type of lapping compound and do more harm than good.
 
I'm gonna quote myself, here:

redman said:
I'll sum the remainder of this thread up:

- Boomer will chime in with quotes from barrel manufacturers and how the jacketting of the bullet gets stripped by the chamber reamer burrs, turns into a "plasma" and gets deposited in the bore and will give you Krieger's suggested method.
- Obtunded will tell you it's a waste of time
- MysticPlayer, although erring on the side of indifference, will lean towards it being useless and will likely refer you to Shilen stating that their break-in procedure was created only because people seem to think they need one.
- Overall, people will mock this thread
- Some will say to do it because "if you do, you don't loose anything and might gain something, but if you don't, you might miss out"
- This thread will also likely be peppered with some posts alluding to your described break-in procedure, but will probably be somewhat less complex.
- I'll chime in and say that I don't know what you think you can do to hardened steel with soft metals like copper & lead.

Neither side will have concrete evidence to back their claims and you'll end up none the wiser. Just do whatever.
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p.s. That comment by Mr. McMillan is ancient history.
 
redman said:
I'm gonna quote myself, here:



p.s. That comment by Mr. McMillan is ancient history.
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Haha thanks... but how does Mr. McMillan's thread being ancient history make it any less relevant (or did you mean it has already been posted 1000+++++ times lol)? :p

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
My high power rifle used to take forever to clean, a few shots would make a crap load of junk build up. Now it cleans faster and little to no build up. All together though the accuracy, consistency, whatever other features used to describe a group, havn't changed from new.
 
I break in my barrels....they shoot like laser beams....works for me....I'll keep doing it.

You need to load develop anyway, is the extra step cleaning putting extra wear on the barrel? Nope.
 
I would say what I do to break in but I really don't want to argue about it.

If you don't think a brass brush hurts your barrel then take one to the outside of the barrel and see what it does. I mean a SS barrel not some sandblasted, blued Remington.

A quality barrel does not need a brush but then I don't want to argue about that either, just my opinion!
 
Gale's comment is all based on one barrel makers comments to him many, many years ago. An anecdotal story - a short account of a humorous incident.. true or false we do not know. Was the barrel maker serious in his belief? Does he think breaking in procedures involve 100 rounds? Who is this unknown barrel maker?

Just one mans comments... because Gale related the story does not make does not make that person more credible.

A big leap to the fallacy of "wearing your barrel out breaking it in" is the fact you only use about 20 rounds in breaking a match quality barrel in... and these are not wasted shots if you are checking for pressure signs and adjusting the scope. The only thing that would be wasted if indeed it is, would be the time involved. It certainly will not wear your barrel out any sooner.

Forget about what you read on forums, consult the quality barrel makers of today (They all have websites and some different points of view) and make your own decision.
 
I do the shoot and clean for break in just because it make Me feel better. Even if it is a lapped barrel by Gaillard, Kreiger, Shilen or any other barrel maker. Does it make them clean easier, I like to think so. Been doing the same routine for 50 years and so far its worked.
 
Ian Robertson said:
I would say what I do to break in but I really don't want to argue about it.

If you don't think a brass brush hurts your barrel then take one to the outside of the barrel and see what it does. I mean a SS barrel not some sandblasted, blued Remington.

A quality barrel does not need a brush but then I don't want to argue about that either, just my opinion!
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I'd take a PM on your opinion. :D

If you don't want to post publicly. And it takes 2 to argue.
 
Well, since you've already put over 100 rounds through without cleaning, the real question is, do you really want to beat yourself up over not breaking it in if given concrete evidence that it would have been beneficial?
 
A bit about cleaning...
Copied and pasted below from a Benchrest Forum, quoting a serious often winning competitor.

I have used nothing but Butches in my Benchrest Barrels ever since it came out. I do use bronze brushes.

My cleaning regiment is fairly typical. When I finish a group, I immediately run a couple of wet patches through, then I brush about 5-10 strokes with a bronze brush, then use enough wet patches to get the "brush blue" out, then let it soak until I am ready to go back to the line. I then patch it out with clean patches until it is reasonably dry.

The most important thing in cleaning a Rifle is to STOP that jag and brush the instant it clears the muzzle, not allowing that rod to rub on the bottom of the barrel while in motion. I have personally seen a great barrel's muzzle ruined by a shooter doing this. We chopped 1/2 inch off, and it came back to life
 
joshledoux said:
too many opinions out there, seems like a fair bit of voodoo black magic.
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There is no scientific proof that it does any good.

Then again, there is no scientific proof that it doesn't.

90% of shooting is mental and 10% equipment. If your mind is at peace knowing that you did or didn't break your barrel in (whatever it is you choose), you will likely shoot better.
 
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