Author Topic: Barrel break in - worthwhile? (Read 1401 times)

lilabner · « **on:** January 27, 2005, 03:59:48 AM »

There are some elaborate schemes for breaking in new barrels and the benchrest folks swear by them. Are they really necessary for a lightweight sporter? Has anyone done comparative studies? Like, two rifles of the same caliber and make, one with break in and the other just shot? One of my friends would break in a new car by driving it at high speed for several hours. His cars seemed to run as well and last as long as mine, and I went by the book.

Zachary · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2005, 04:30:52 AM »

Are there any comparative studies and thus worthwhile? I don't know, but my general idea is that if proper barrel break in works for benchrest shooters then it should work for lightweight sporters too. It doesn't take that much more time to "properly" break in a barrel, so then why not just do it? It certainly wouldn't hurt. right?

Zachary

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2005, 04:50:45 AM »

Not sure I'd agree on it not taking much time but that does depend on which break in method you use. I've used the 100 shot method on several precision rifles and while I feel it helped I have to wonder if it was really worth the time and effort. Still the barrels it was used on were the most accurate shooters I've owned. Would they have been anyway? Dunno.

These days I've pretty much given it up for rifles over 6MM and any used only for big game hunting. The most I'll do with these is to clean the barrel thoroughly before firing the first shot using JB Bore Paste. I'll then do same after each of first ten shots and then treat it as if broken in. That's about as much time as I'm personally willing to devote to it.

For varmint/target guns I do a more involved and longer break in routine but I've pretty much stopped carrying it to a full 100 rounds. I think from my experience it really makes a lot of difference which barrel we're talking about. Some foul badly and some don't. Some are just smoother from the start. They just don't need as much as the others.

Questor · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2005, 05:12:24 AM »

I take David Tubb's opinion to heart: It's a waste of time. Mr. Tubb is the top competitive rifle shooter in the world, and has been for several years.

Zachary · « **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2005, 07:09:24 AM »

GB makes an interesting point - it depends on which method you use. For me, I don't do a 100 round break-in, so that's probably why I say it doesn't take that long. So how many shots do I shoot for a break-in? To be honest with you, I'm not consistent in that department. It may be 40 rounds, or it may be 20 rounds. I know that it also depends on the cartridge and time of year.

For example, when I was sighting in my .375&H& mag, it was in August, and that's HOT in MIAMI! The temps were about 98 degrees, and that was in the shade. I think that I shot less than a box of ammo, but then again I had to. Why? Well, I cleaned the barrel after every shot. That really wasn't a problem because the barrel got so hot from such powder, and it was so hot outside, that it took a long time for the barrel to "cool off." It I shot 3 shots during a 20 minute shooting session at the range, then that was a lot of shots for that gun for that day - 2 was pretty much standard.

On the other hand, if I'm shooting, say, a milder kicking gun like a .270, and if the weather is cool, like under 60 degrees, then I could break in the barrel by shooting much more shots. So GB is right, it depends on the method that you use (and I guess the cartridge and conditions present at the time.)

Again, I too am not certain of how helpful barrel break in is, but I do it anyway - just to be on the safe side. :wink:

Zachary

Ramrod · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2005, 11:03:09 AM »

Quote from: Questor

I take David Tubb's opinion to heart: It's a waste of time. Mr. Tubb is the top competitive rifle shooter in the world, and has been for several years.

But Mr. Tubb is buying the finest, smoothest, most expensive barrels he can get. A far cry from the rough run-of-the-mill factory barrel you and I usually get. On another thread I mentioned that polishing or lapping a barrel can eliminate break-in. That is because if it is done correctly, you end up with a barrel as slick as what Tubb bought in the first place.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2005, 11:08:09 AM »

On a hunting rifle---take it out of the box--clean it----go sight in---clean it when done at home. Don't fall for any bogus schemes or gimmicks---just a waste time.

Go over to the old TFL forum and do a search on what Gale McMillan(now deceased----McMillan--as in McMillan Rifles)----had to say about barrel break-in nonsence.

Patriot_1776 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2005, 01:17:11 PM »

I am starting to go by what I read out of the Barnes reloading manual. They stated it basically like this, but I'll cut out the in between stuff:

Fire ten (10) shots, cleaning thoroughly after every one (1) shot; fire ten (10) shots, cleaning thoroughly after every two (2) shots; fire ten (10) shots, cleaning thoroughly after every five (5) shots.

That should be applicable for all types of barrels; and it has worked fine enough for me so far. Only consumes thirty rounds, which I usually buy only two boxes of twenty when I purchase a new rifle anyway, so I use the factory ammo for pretty much two reasons: see how the rifle shoots, and break it in in the mean time. Afterwards, I can devote ALL my reloads to accuracy shooting, and not worry about the "what ifs" concerning barrel break-in. Like everyone else says, don't really know the actual difference it could make, but I like to do it just for the sake of measure.

-Patriot

longwinters · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2005, 02:51:48 PM »

I have never had a rifle that shot better after 100 shots than it did when it was brand new. All shoot better than 1" groups with my reloads. So I guess I generally don't believe in having to "shoot in " a rifle. Not saying that some rifles may not need it, but it has not been my experience. I clean the barrel before first shooting it and then maybe after every 20 shots or so.

Long

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2005, 03:16:36 PM »

Almost every custom barrel manufacturer's web site explains "their" recommended technique for breaking in a barrel. And while they do vary a bit, they all seem to recommend some form of break-in.

That's good enough for me. I break-in all of my barrels, custom or otherwise.

VH

Don Fischer · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2005, 04:19:41 PM »

Gale McMillan's view on barrel break in can be found at http://www.yarchive.net/gun/barrel/break_in.html. At least that's what it say's on what I printed out. Found it on Savage Shooter's site. Pretty interesting and worth reading.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2005, 04:41:21 PM »

The site I mentioned above didn't work when I tried it but I tried one other and it does work. http"//groupes-beta.google.com/group/rec.guns/browse_thread/thread/2f3e5b3c7be10adf/a4a That will get it!

mountainview · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2005, 08:26:44 PM »

I have watched a number of shooters go through the breakin process while I have yet to try it. None of my rifles seems to suffer in the accuracy department from not having been broken in, and since range time is precious, I continue to spend my time at the range shooting and doing the cleaning work when I get home.

Much of the information given on the topic in support of break-in appears to be empirical and based on results from a few specific rifles. Based on established tribological data and surface engineering principles , I don't see where there would be any real tangible benefit for the effort. On the other hand, if it is something someone does not mind doing or thinks it makes a difference, by all means go for it .

Daniel · « **Reply #13 on:** February 03, 2005, 04:37:31 AM »

The custom barrel makers do NOT universally agree that barrel break-in is necessary. Some recommend it, some say it's no big deal at all. Of course I understand a custom barrel that's been hand lapped is not comparable to a rough factory bore.

I've gone through the tedious process of break-in with a few guns (factory barrels), but I don't bother any more. Can't see that it provided any benefit other than maybe reducing copper fouling sooner than what would have been accomplished by normal shooting and cleaning. Never noticed any accuracy benefit.

Donaldo · « **Reply #14 on:** February 03, 2005, 07:09:57 AM »

Go to the Lilja Barrel site. They have a video of a custom lapped Lilja barrel and a factory Remington barrel. It is astonishing the difference, but then it should be. On a custom hand lapped barrel, I would think it is already "broken in". The breaking in process is mainly just smoothing out all the minute tooling marks left from manufacturing. I have had good results from polishing the bore of my last two rifles with Flitz metal polish mixed with "rotten stone", which is a super fine dirt. It is like prehistoric mud or something like that. Kind of like the stuff used to polish jewelry. I take a 410 bore mop, coat is with Flitz, dip the end in the "rotten stone" and make about 100 passes thru the barrel, refreshing the Flitz and "dirt" every 30 or so strokes. I did this even after shooting about 20-30 rounds at first and cleaning after about every 3 round. I now don't get any copper fouling at all in these barrels, nada, none. They are very shinny and look like polished jewelry. I am sure JB bore paste would do the same thing, I just don't have any, I made my own.

shooterpunk · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2005, 08:23:26 AM »

hey guys, im new to this forum. i was wondering when you say you make 100 passes through the barrel, do you mean you make 100 passes back and forth, or do you push it through from the action first and out the end, then take off the brush and push through the same way? i was just eondering, because ive always heard when you clean a rifle you should just pass the brush though then take it off the rod and push it through again the same way. thanks guys.

bajabill · « **Reply #16 on:** February 18, 2005, 09:09:00 AM »

I dont know how anyone can say cleaning a barrel 15 times in a single shooting session is fun and not time consuming? I was able to 1 shot - clean, 2 shots-clean, 2 shots-clean, 3 shots-clean, 3 shots-clean at home and then called it broken in. Since then I havent shot more than 20 between cleanings so maybe I am still breaking it in per some definition, but thats all I was able to offer on that endeavor.

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2005, 09:39:29 AM »

Gains are directly proportional to the roughness of the barrel from the box. I guess you get what you pay for but my $200.00 25-06 Handi-rifle really needed a lot of shooting or a bore lapping session to shot well.
Unpolished bore, from sandbag rest.

More of a pattern than a group.

Polished bore, from sand bags, notice it still needs a fouling shot to steele down and shoot well.

The more I shoot the rifle the better it groups.
After several hundred rounds and a bore polishing with Flitz.
Four rounds from sand bags

hunt127588 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2005, 10:13:18 AM »

Gale McMillan says break-in is hogwash:

http://yarchive.net/gun/barrel/break_in.html

Sorry for duplicate post

borg1 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2005, 10:54:27 AM »

I usually shoot 1 shot and clean until i can shoot one shot and get absolutely no copper showing on patch, that is, after the powder fowling is out of the barrel. Afterwards, i will shoot 3 shot strings, clean, and see if copper is coming out of barrel. IF not, i will shoot 5 shots and do same thing. Once, no copper comes out with cleaning after five shots (that is after powder residue is removed) i usually clean after every 15 to 20 rounds.

Note: i polished bore with JB's probably 6 or 7 times as recommended by JB's before i started shooting.

If the bore is broken in properly the imperfections will be smoothed, and the bore should not retain much copper and what it does retain, in my experience at least with my .223 handi, is usually removed along with the powder fowling. It takes about 3-4 patches soaked with BMG 50 before my .223 barrel comes up clean... During break in i bet i went through >300 patches.

jd45 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 19, 2005, 09:58:05 AM »

Donaldo, where does a person get ahold of some of this "rotten stone", if they wanna try your method? Thanx, jd45.