Author Topic: Barrel Break-In (Read 614 times)

Old 180 · « **on:** June 29, 2004, 06:26:06 AM »

I was hoping to get some input on good methods of breaking in a new barrel or trying to improve the rifling on a used barrel. Any ideas oe experiences are appreciated!

Mac11700 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2004, 07:11:46 AM »

OLD 180:

There is a very nice feature that you can use on this site...it's the search feature...tons of info at your finger tips...here's a link to it...just type in barrel break in

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/search.php?mode=results

here's a thread from that search...http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=35764&highlight=break

one other thing you can do is to give it a regular good cleaning...you can run some tight patches down the bore and see if you have any rough spots and you can try to brush it out(bronze brush) with Hoppes or you can just try to shoot a box or 2 factory loads thru it...remember not to damage the muzzel crown when cleaning it...like I've said before...different guns behave differently...and no 2 will shoot exactly the same.Everyone has their own way of breaking them in...you just have to find what works best for you.

Good Luck

Mac

Dave in WV · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2004, 03:16:25 PM »

There are those that claim a break in is a waste of time. Others do it and won't change their minds about it. I'm in the second group. I started breaking in my newest rifle recently. I cleaned it after each shot for the first five shots. Then I cleaned it after three shots for the next fifteen rounds. When I got home I really cleaned it with an ammonia free solvent to get the carbon out and then used Sweet's 7.62 copper solvent until I didn't get any signs of copper removal. The next time at the range I shot twenty rounds and then cleaned it until I got all of the copper out again. The latest issue of American Rifleman has an article about barrel break in.

Iowegan · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2004, 08:01:37 PM »

I agree with Dave. I use almost exactly the same procedure. After break-in, I clean every 20-30 rounds for as long as I own the gun.

Improving rifling in an old gun is basically fruitless. The best thing you can do is follow Dave's cleaning procedure initially and again every 20-30 rounds. Bores rarely wear out. It's usually throat erosion that causes accuracy problems. Only a new barrel will fix that problem.

Some shooters swear by firelapping. It does smooth the bore but personally, I don't think it is needed. In fact if its overdone or done in an older gun, it can ruin the bore or throat. I've never owned a rifle where the bore was rough enough to warrant firelapping.

Daniel · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2004, 04:31:33 AM »

I'm one of those who thinks it's a waste of my time. I've done it to a few rifles, but with most of them I haven't. As far as I can tell, it doesn't accomplish much of anything. I now just thoroughly clean my rifles for powder and copper fouling after every 20 rounds or so and this seems to work fine. I haven't missed a deer in over 25 years, so I can't imagine what I'm missing out on.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2004, 04:44:56 AM »

Barrel break-in is BS----clean your new gun----shoot it---clean again when done.

Go over to the The Firing Line forum---do a search on "Gail McMillan" ---as in McMillan rifles----as see his thoughts on barrel break-in.

Again---barrel break-in is total BS.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2004, 03:15:22 PM »

I read the atricles posted on The Firing Line by McMillan. I don't believe twenty rounds will wear my barrel out. Cleaning more often during the first twenty rounds on a factory barrel makes for less work for me. Then again, I clean my firearms after each range trip. I get the copper and carbon out and keep it out. Other than military surplus ammo corrosive primers haven't been around for years and pitted barrels still show up. You can get corrosion under barrel fouling.