Is it necessary to "Break in" a new gun
- Thread starter silverfoxdj
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
I read somewhere that Savage maintains the barrel cutting equipment a little better and monitors the accuracy ongoing, when it starts to show near the limits of Q.C they change them.
paperslayer
Regular
- Location
- Chilliwack
Indeed. Opinions don't matter. Even opinions from experts (remember when experts said Thalidomide, asbestos, and Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation was safe) Evidence does. What I do have is a borescope and many pieces of paper with holes in them. I used to break-in religiously. then I didn't. The borescope tells me that it takes no effort at all to get rid of copper from a custom lapped barrel, if it builds up at all - with or without break-in. It is molecules thick and it is easy to eliminate. Carbon takes a bit more effort if it builds up, but in the end there is no difference between breaking-in and not. Dan Lilja has a vested interest in selling you barrels, so the faster you can wear them out, the better. I'd waste up to 10%+ of an overbore cartridge barrel life if I believed in the break in theory. To each his own
Considering it only takes a few shots to break a match grade barrel in if one were to do so, those few shots can also be used to adjust a scope, check pressure signs... I seriously doubt those few shots would have reduced barrel life by any amount you can measure.
Any one who thinks a barrel maker is going to sell more barrels because someone might wear a barrel out by cleaning it between shots a few times early in it's life is out to lunch... a barrel maker will sell more barrels if his product consistently performs well...
Not to mention its been stated multiple times by multiple members that break-in is much less necessary with nicely lapped match barrels and usually most beneficial to factory offerings. There is no answer to "is it necessary?" There are multiple answers depending on exactly which barrel we are talking about. If its a little rough then a break-in can improve its performance. If its lapped you won't see as big of a difference, if any. That's the whole point to lapping, it wouldn't be done if those burrs were acceptable. Break-in helps finish that step depending on how much work the bore still needs. I do it anyways and let the rifle tell me what's going on. Its over quick then its shoot till she opens up, clean, repeat.
- Location
- West Quebec
Thanks all who contributed.. 
Breaking in your guns is very important but don't do it yourself!!! Send all your guns to a professional "gunner breaker inner" like me and I will shoot thousands of rounds through them. When you get them back, they will be thoroughly broken in. Some may even be just plain "broken".
- Location
- West Quebec
Breaking in your guns is very important but don't do it yourself!!! Send all your guns to a professional "gunner breaker inner" like me and I will shoot thousands of rounds through them. When you get them back, they will be thoroughly broken in. Some may even be just plain "broken".
Your on the list..
Most of your top guys take a lot of care to break in and clean their barrels , having said that there is a variance mostly based on past experience . some shoot one clean one for the first five while fire forming then shoot groups of five rounds to finish fire forming and call it good , others will shoot one and clean for the first 15-20 rounds depending on how the patches look ,after its broke in clean every 7-20 rounds , the groups will tell you when to clean . Is it a gun to be used in benchrest or a gun your going to use to shoot from a bench ? I have never seen a savage in a registered bench shoot or a .223 , most bench guns are 6ppc .
Well my buddy and I may have sacrificed a brand new Savage 10 FCP HS Precision in the name of this thread today. We threw the scope on and said to hell with breaking it in and set about firing 60 straight rounds thru it. And guess what? The first 3 rounds were touching at 100m and the 58th 59th and 60th rounds were touching at 100m. A lot of blue on the patches at the end but nothing out to left field. Any thoughts?
For the sake of me i can't find this article on Lilja's website. Anyone got a link.
EDIT** Nevermind found it on KRIEGER'S website.
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Dan Lilja believes in barrel break-in, the folks at Shilen do not, Krieger does, Bartlein does not, Hart does, and so on. If even the top barrel makers in the world cannot agree on it, I doubt that we will settle it here on an internet forum.
It's about barrel fouling...
http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/barrel_making/barrel_fouling.htm
Part of it - It is important to break-in a barrel though. The jacket material must be removed after every shot during the initial few rounds. If this isn't done the areas of the barrel that fouled will tend to pick up more fouling and it will build on itself. It is important to get a layer of powder fouling on top of the lands & grooves. This hard deposit will prevent the copper from stripping off the bullets. However, if the internal finish of the barrel is too rough the barrel will never be completely broken-in and fouling will always be a problem. Some barrels can't be broken-in.
My thoughts,
The copper will continue to build up and eventually will need to be completely removed as your accuracy will drop off... and then you start over...
A barrel that is broken in will most likely not have copper build up as much, and not need to be stripped clean as often, resulting in more predictable uniform accuracy over a longer period of time.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
Yes they want you to "break in" a barrel because it induces more wear on it. In turn makes you buy more barrels. I think I read that exact line on 6mmbr. The barrel makers are in it for making money just like every other business. If they can get a little more they will tell you whatever you want to listen to.
When I got my savage 223 I just shot the hell out of it. To the point sometimes you couldnt touch the barrel even. The first time I cleaned it was after 1500 rounds ish. I was bored one night so cleaned it although it still shot the same as day one. Now about 3000 rounds through it and still shoots like day one. There still isnt ever any copper in it. Never even heard of barrel break in until I came on here. Never heard of anyone ever doing a special process except "get 3 boxes of ammo, go to a gravel pit and blast away."
If break in is so special youd think more people would know about it or have some proof that its more then a fairy tail.
