How to properly break in my new rifle???

micromind

micromind

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So I have bought myself a new savage 10fcp 308, And I have never broke in a Brand new rifle before. was wondering what the best way was to go about it?

Any suggestions would be a great help.


Thanks in advance.
 
Run a dry patch through it, shoot it, don't get the barrel hot !!!!! Now you will get another 100 different opinions as to how to break in the new gun, this was my 2 cents worth !!
 
some say shoot/clean repeat 3 times, then shootx3/clean repeat few times.
but personally i do not use those methoods on all my rifles.
I will have a bore snake out on the range and use that even i feel like it. but will do a proper solvent cleaning back at home.
all differs with how you want to clean the rifle and so many people have their own opinion with how to care for rifle and their way is the right way.
so make your way of cleaning the rifle and that is the right way! but good ol solvent that stink like amonia will take a chunk of copper fouling off!
 
option 1 - don't worry about it, it probably doesn't matter

option 2 - read all the different suggestions offered here, plus whatever else you can find on the intertubes. Choose something that seems sensible. Use your breakin process as a way to get to know your rifle, get it set up, adjusted and sighted in, etc.
 
Shoot it until it won't shoot anymore, then clean it til it will. Repeat as needed.

I'll usually strip a new barrel down to bare metal after the first few range sessions, then shoot it until to either quits or gets rained on.
 
This has been asked I think every week... hundreds of threads on this...

You will find varying opinions about barrel break in... or how often you should clean it...

...some say do it
...some say don't do it
...some even go so far as to say it is recommended by barrel makes so you will wear your barrel out faster... (That’s a myth)
...some even get pissed off talking about it

I particularly like what Lilja has to say about 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. "
...there are breaking in procedures if you wish to do it.

Factory barrels are considerably different than custom match grade hand lapped barrels.

I am going to post one method.

Breaking In A Barrel - Read fully before starting the procedure

When cleaning, always use a good bore guide and a good rod.

Start with a clean, lightly lubed barrel, fire one shot, then run a loose patch through with Sweets 7.62 or any other solvent that will “eat” jacket fouling. Saturate the bore and let it sit a few minutes. Sweets indicate jacket fouling with a blue colour.

Run patches through to dry the bore and then wet patch it again and saturate the bore. After a few minutes dry patch it again. Repeat until the jacket fouling is removed (no blue patches). That means the barrel is clean.

After cleaning with Sweets, brush with Hoppes #9 and dry patch the bore and then leave it slightly lubed with a wet patch of Hoppes #9 before firing.

Then fire one more shot, and repeat the above procedure. Do this for a total of 10 shots, and then proceed to fire 2 shots and then clean as above, for 10 more shots. (For a total of 20.) The barrel is now broken in. It should be cleaned after every 20 or 30 shots there after if possible, or less often if fouling is not a problem.

You will find when the bore is broken in properly; the cleaning procedure is very quick, because there is very little jacket fouling in the bore.

I prefer Sweets 7.62, because it shows “blue” if there is any jacket fouling. I never use a copper or bronze brush with Sweets, because it will eat them, and give a false blue indication of fouling. I never let any other chemicals mix with Sweets. That is why there is a lot of dry patching and swabbing with rubbing alcohol and dry patching between switching chemicals.

For storage after cleaning with Sweets, dry patch and then swab the bore with several patches using rubbing alcohol; this will dissolve any remaining ammonia. Then lightly oil the bore.

Here are some links to various barrel maker's break in procedures:

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_...246-wp2558.htm

http://www.shilen.com/faq.html#question10

http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles...el_fouling.htm

http://www.pac-nor.com/care/


I have posted this information in the last 10 or 15 inquiries about "breaking a barrel in"... good luck with what ever you decide...

No one has mentioned when you do clean your barrel, the equipment and procedure is very important so you do not damage your barrel.
 
guntech said:
This has been asked I think every week... hundreds of threads on this...

You will find varying opinions about barrel break in... or how often you should clean it...

...some say do it
...some say don't do it
...some even go so far as to say it is recommended by barrel makes so you will wear your barrel out faster... (That’s a myth)
...some even get pissed off talking about it

I particularly like what Lilja has to say about 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. "
...there are breaking in procedures if you wish to do it.

Factory barrels are considerably different than custom match grade hand lapped barrels.

I am going to post one method.

Breaking In A Barrel - Read fully before starting the procedure

When cleaning, always use a good bore guide and a good rod.

Start with a clean, lightly lubed barrel, fire one shot, then run a loose patch through with Sweets 7.62 or any other solvent that will “eat” jacket fouling. Saturate the bore and let it sit a few minutes. Sweets indicate jacket fouling with a blue colour.

Run patches through to dry the bore and then wet patch it again and saturate the bore. After a few minutes dry patch it again. Repeat until the jacket fouling is removed (no blue patches). That means the barrel is clean.

After cleaning with Sweets, brush with Hoppes #9 and dry patch the bore and then leave it slightly lubed with a wet patch of Hoppes #9 before firing.

Then fire one more shot, and repeat the above procedure. Do this for a total of 10 shots, and then proceed to fire 2 shots and then clean as above, for 10 more shots. (For a total of 20.) The barrel is now broken in. It should be cleaned after every 20 or 30 shots there after if possible, or less often if fouling is not a problem.

You will find when the bore is broken in properly; the cleaning procedure is very quick, because there is very little jacket fouling in the bore.

I prefer Sweets 7.62, because it shows “blue” if there is any jacket fouling. I never use a copper or bronze brush with Sweets, because it will eat them, and give a false blue indication of fouling. I never let any other chemicals mix with Sweets. That is why there is a lot of dry patching and swabbing with rubbing alcohol and dry patching between switching chemicals.

For storage after cleaning with Sweets, dry patch and then swab the bore with several patches using rubbing alcohol; this will dissolve any remaining ammonia. Then lightly oil the bore.

Here are some links to various barrel maker's break in procedures:

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_...246-wp2558.htm

http://www.shilen.com/faq.html#question10

http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles...el_fouling.htm

http://www.pac-nor.com/care/


I have posted this information in the last 10 or 15 inquiries about "breaking a barrel in"... good luck with what ever you decide...

No one has mentioned when you do clean your barrel, the equipment and procedure is very important so you do not damage your barrel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this and all the other replys, really appriciate it.
 
From all Ive read it seems barrel break in is just burnishing any light maching/lapping marks left in the barrel during manufacturing. These are the biggest culprits for rapid copper fouling. With the shoot 1, clean with copper remover this becomes evident as you go along. Copper fouling will be heavy for the first few shots then taper off as the bore is smoothed a little by each bullet. I do feel this is particular to each barrel however as bore condition varies greatly on brand new barrels. A high end barrel will require much less burnishing if any while a rougher factory barrel can benefit more from it. The result is a bore that stays cleaner (and accurate) longer letting you shoot more/clean less.
 
Savage barrels shoot much better than they should, it a wonder they shoot at all. They are horrible looking inside, excessively deep chatter marks and machining grooves the full length of the bore and this grabs copper and carbon badly. There is nothing the regular guy can do and nothing a pro would do with the insides of factroy barrels to make them nice inside, however looks don't make accurate. Hand lapped custom barrels are ready to fire, no break in required. I would do the shoot 3 and clean method for awhile but understand this, the barrel will always foul badly compared to a lapped barrel even though it may shoot very well. Don't worry about the fouling so much, clean it but spend more time shooting than cleaning.
 
Give a good clean out of the box, than shoot it without let it come red hot, when you are done run a few patchs tru it, a few drop of oil... and an advice that served me well over the years, dont use any metallic brushs in your barrel they do more harm than good... JP.
 
liberty said:
This
Click to expand...
X3

I have beaten myself up DOs vs DON'Ts
from percision custom rigs to out of the box firearms

The only thing i can say is start with a clean bore it never hurts to take the greese and crap out of the bore, and as Dogleg said above let the gun tell you when it needs it.

They all are a bit different I have had guns run 200-300 rounds before accuracy falls off and others 20 to 30 ?

Someone else said dont get it to hot to quick, again good practical advice.

And again some give detailed advice from barrel builders

I dont have the right answer but i have had the oppertunity to break many new barrels in, and I have not seen a dramatic effect either way on the way you go about it, other than the time it takes if you follow the step 1,2,3

good luck

j
 
Simple procedure - the key is step #2.

  1. Clean the new firearm when you first get it
  2. Shoot until accuracy drops off
  3. Clean it again - goto steep #2
 
I dont break in a rifle.
The rifle is new when you get it, and shoots the best when it,s new.
I dont believe in the whole break in thing. I have NEVER read an article comparing the accuracy of the sme model of rifle, one "broken in" and the other not broken in.
i call this BS....
 
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