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Does anyone agree with me concerning barrel break in?

5K views 26 replies 21 participants last post by  Krowe 
#1 ·
I was just posting before on how i sighted in my new 270...by the way i tried the silver ballistic tips and got 1 inch groups at 100 so im pumped. Anyway i realize how much of a waste of time it would have been for breaking in the barrel. Some guy told me on another board that someday my bore will be ruined because i didnt do this stupid barrel break in BS. Do not get me wrong, it might benefit the life and the accuracy, but i do not believe it by any means hurts your bore. I think over shooting untill the barrel is really hot will. Think of our fathers and grandfathers? Do you think they broke in there barrels? NO! And most of the time there rifles still shoot great. So from now on I will of course give my new rifle a scrubbing before its first session, then shoot as much as i want, and when i get home give it a good cleaning. Does anyone else agree with me on this situation? If you do the procedure and break in the barrel, that is more power to you and i respect that. But when its to the point when people say your rifle wont shoot as good as mine or it wont last as long i say its crap. Good Luck!
 
#3 ·
i have broken in rifles and i have just started shooting them, and i don't think you'll get any difference. i once spent a couple weeks breaking in a brand new Remington Sendro in .25/06 (cleaned 100% after every round for twenty rounds and LIGHTLY oiled the bore before the next shot, then after every five shots, ect...). this gun had a hard time shooting one MOA with any ammo and still fouled badly near the muzzle. not at all great for a gun that heavy, when some of my lightweights will do better.
i don't think it really hurts to break in a barrel, but i really think good long term care is more important by far. some custom barrels come with break in instructions.
if a barrel fouls, sometimes will clean it bore 100% and then polish the bore with a patch loaded with Flitz metal polish, but i don't know if this is a good thing or not.
no one will ever know about barrel break in, because it is impossible to test the same barrel both ways. so i'd say do what you feel you should do. everybody will agree that it is good to clean from the chamber when possible and avoid contact between the cleaning rod and bore as much as possible, so there are still ways to preserve accuracy.
i'd be a lot more likely to break in barrels if i had a shooting range right out my back door (like i used to), and i'll still do it if i really wanna squeeze the most from a gun, but i'm not convinced it provides any bentifit other than a clean bore.

monty
 
#4 ·
I agree with you

Over the years, I have acquired new and used rifles and cleaned and shot them and cleaned them when I got home. Of course, with the used guns someone else broke them in somehow. I believe proper cleaning after use, floating the barrel, adjusting the trigger and carefully crafted ammo have more affect the any involved break in process. Of course the right mounts and rings securely attached and a decent scope help. As does the shooters ability. Just the idle thoughts of an idle fellow. all the best...
Gil
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Keep thnking of one rifle in my safe that is "preverted". Will actually shoot better groups as it gets fouled. Not that it shoots badly clean, just measurably better as it collects fouling..at about round 20-25 it levels off. Must be a drop off in accuracy dome where down the road, but I've never fired it for more than 80 rounds at a session, so I've never found the drop off point.

Would lapping help?...don't care to find out, as the groups it makes are of the type you don't barrel-fiddle with. From my notes, using 10-shot groups (kind of 'hard-core" about groups), can expect 1.2" groups for the first two groups...the 4th and 5th 10-shot groups averaged .84". Would see an even greater difference is using 5-shot or 3-shot groups.

IF the first owner had been using the strict break in system, he'd have only seen the "less than best" groups (which may be possible reason it was sold off after only a month of his buying it).
 
#6 ·
I just did the ''break in'' on a new rifle I just bought. The only reason I tried it was that this rifle is stainless steel, and I thought it might help with the fouling. A friend bought a stainless redhawk and shot cast bullets out of it when it was brand new and it was fouled so badly that it took him forever to get it out. I have an old 270 that was never broken in and it shoots as good today as when I bought it 29 years ago.
 
#8 ·
Whatever benefit the standardized break-in procedures yield is more a function of 'not shooting the barrel hot', than anything else. I have broken in rifles with disregard for the strict 'shoot and clean' protocols and they turned out to be accurate; I have ignored the protocols and found that to work well too. Just shooting moderately breaks in a good barrel as well as any strict 'shoot and clean' regimen. After a few dozen rounds of SHORT strings, and a couple of cleanings: just regular cleanings after a session… the bore will be in condition to accept a longer string of shots...as in a match, etc.
Many guys take a rifle out and right away plink hundreds of shots at a session. No bore can tolerate that for long. Sure it's fun, but that's not how to assure best accuracy and longevity from that barrel.
If the barrel of your new rifle gets too hot to touch, you've probably done some damage to it. But I've also found that a good swamping out on mistreated/neglected guns can often revitalize them. This may include long sessions with J-B paste and a lot of elbow grease, but sometimes miracles occur as the result of hard work.

slabsides
 
#9 ·
About a month ago I finished a long break in procedure on my BLR. Its groups did apear to get a little smaller, but I had my scope fail on me towards the end of the test so, I really can't go off of my records from the test. This BLR is the worst fouling gun I have every shot!! It did get a little better with the break in, but man, its still bad. Shoot three down its bore and then clean, you will think that you had just shot 100rds with out cleaning, very rough bore is all I can think of. I plan to either lap it one day, or use that Tubbs finishing kit. I really can't complain now though, as long as I clean it the same way each time, it will put its first shot exactly where I want it, 2 inches high at 100yds. Then the three shot group will open up to about 1.25-1.5 inches @ 100yds. But if I clean it the exact same way I can come back and reshoot that target and shoot again and just about touch that first bullet hole, 2 inches high @ 100yds. I think the break in helps a little bit with most guns, it sure can't hurt, so if you have the time and the money, go for it. The biggest thing as mentioned before is not to overheat the barrel.
Just my .02
 
#10 ·
Yes, I agree with you.

RSY
 
#11 ·
If it helps you sleep better tonight , chalk me up for one in the agree column . Of course I'm one of those weirdo's who hasn't been in real life field situation that would benefit from a rifle that puts three shots in .00013 inches . Never had a deer stand still long enough to put that second shot into the same bullet hole , their usually preoccupied falling over dead from the first one. By the way, all those Dads and Grandpa's were "breaking in their guns" all those years they just didn't know it and it took decades instead of a three hour trip to the range ,and I'm certain it was a whole lot more fun.


444fitch
 
#13 ·
MossyOak88 said:
I was just posting before on how i sighted in my new 270...by the way i tried the silver ballistic tips and got 1 inch groups at 100 so im pumped. Anyway i realize how much of a waste of time it would have been for breaking in the barrel. Some guy told me on another board that someday my bore will be ruined because i didnt do this stupid barrel break in BS. Do not get me wrong, it might benefit the life and the accuracy, but i do not believe it by any means hurts your bore. I think over shooting untill the barrel is really hot will. Think of our fathers and grandfathers? Do you think they broke in there barrels? NO! And most of the time there rifles still shoot great. So from now on I will of course give my new rifle a scrubbing before its first session, then shoot as much as i want, and when i get home give it a good cleaning. Does anyone else agree with me on this situation? If you do the procedure and break in the barrel, that is more power to you and i respect that. But when its to the point when people say your rifle wont shoot as good as mine or it wont last as long i say its crap. Good Luck!
I've never had a problem with a new rifle with my break-in techniques. I cleaned the bore with a brush and two or three patches then fired until I thought that the deadly target (cans at a gravel pit or dirt clods) or at our rifle club range. 150 or 200 rounds at an afternoon session never hurt the accuracy of my rifles. If you get 1" or so at 100 yards, you are doing great and I couldn't really ever ask more of my hunting rifles. I have a .30-06 in a 700 REM BDL that my wife bought for a college graduation present back in 1973. Believe me, I have shot this a lot. Common sense cleaning after a session at the range has kept this rifle shooting as well as the day that I got it.
 
#14 ·
IMHO barrel break in is only good for two things. Causing the ammo makers to sell more ammo and the barrel makers to sell more barrels. To listen to their BS I have ruined almost every barrel in my collection of firearms, most all of which shoot MOA or better. The only reason I MAYBE see to do the procedure is for target barrels and I admit, I did go through the incredible expense and PITA process to break in the barrels of two match rifles, an Armalite M15-A4(T) and an Armalite AR-50.
Considering my other ARs shoot just about as well with their stock barrels that were not broken in as does the M15-A4(T) does with its HB and broken in tells me that breaking in is pretty much a waste of fine ammo and several days of shooting.
Like you said though, if it makes one feel better by doing it, have at it. I'll spend my time shooting MOA or better groups with ruined barrels and be perfectly content.
 
#15 ·
Well I do use a barrel break-in for rifles not pistols. So if its just yea or nay - I'll guess I'll vote for a break-in.

But I do it my way. 1) Clean, use J-B bore polish and clean again before I shoot either a used or new rifle to me. 2) Don't shoot more than 10 rounds through a new rifle 1st time out (not a problem with used rifle). 3) Don't let new rifle barrel get hot 1st time out. 4) Clean, polish, and clean again. So far a new rifle its not hard - two longer cleaning sessions with a short trip to the range in between.

Now, if I were to get a custom target rifle with a specific recommended break in, I would probably try to follow it. On a hunting rifle I would probably use mine even if manuf. wanted more.

Would ask those that are resisting break-in procedures to relay in more detail the procedure they say they are unwilling to follow.
 
#17 ·
Mossyoak: I agree with you. A few years ago I customized a Ruger 10/22 with a very nice Clarke barrel. Like you, I read various wildly detailed procedures for barrell break in on the Internet and elsewhere. I mean, you'ld be looking at a long afternoon's work, shooting a shot, cleaning with various solvents, shooting a second shot, etc. None of it made real sense to me, so I called the good folks at Clarke about it, and they nearly laughed in my face. According to the source, all those procedures where unecessary with a well made barrel. They recommended cleaning after each shooting session. "Take your gun out, shoot all you want, bring it home and clean it." --MB
 
#19 ·
RaySendero said:
Mykal,

I agree with you that 22 LR don't need break-ins. But center fire rifle barrels are a completely different aminal than the rimfire barrels. Rimfire barrels don't need a break in - They even shoot best with little or NO cleaning to the rifling!

I too have a barrel from Clark Custom Guns on my 10/22. I assume this is the "Clarke" you have. Mine has a match chamber and is real accurate - They make good barrels! My rifle actually held a world record in the Top Gun Competition for over a year. Here's the target:

Ray: Yep, Clarke and Clark are the same! They have great customer service as well as great barrels. The ongoing discussion about barrell break ins aside, thanks for including your target. Talk about your "one ragged hole"! tremendous shooting! You must have about jumped out of your skin that day, seeing that target. Makes me want to grab the 10/22 and head for the range. Lately, though, I've been shooting the heck out of my new Ruger 77/17 Target Gray. Even stock, it's an accurate little cartridge and rifle. by the way, I noticed you were shooting Eley Match ammo. My 10/22 seems to prefer a higher velocity/pressure ammo for both reliable cycling and accuracy. Are you using an after market bolt or springs? --MB
 
#20 ·
Have tried the Lupua, Eley, RWS, Remington and Winchester premium ammo in my factory heavy barreled and stocked 10/22. Of all ammo, it likes the PMC Target best.
 
#21 ·
Funny. I have a Clark 10/22 barrelled action w/ 16" fluted SS barrel. Trigger pull weight is 48 oz. This is in a Boyd's laminated thumbhole stock, and topped with a Bushnell 4200 4-16X-50mm scope. just recently I was testing different ammo thru it and at 50 meters, average of 4, 5-shot groups, these are the results I got. Sellier&Bellot Club: 0.62". (50 @ $1.80). RWS 0.63" (50 @ $6.50). Federal Lightning 0.75". (50 @ $$3.75). Blazer(!!!) 0.84" (50 @ $2.20). Federal Gold Target 0.91" (50 @ $2.00). All others were more than 1" for the average.

BEST group was RWS with 0.34", followed by S$B with 0.43".

Sellier % Bellot was a surprise as it does not shoot particularly well in some of my other guns, but go figure!
 
#22 ·
Mykal said:
Ray: ...... I noticed you were shooting Eley Match ammo. My 10/22 seems to prefer a higher velocity/pressure ammo for both reliable cycling and accuracy. Are you using an after market bolt or springs? --MB
That target was shot at "a warm-up" match. I had some Eley Match EPS left over from some ammo tests so I used it. The rifle will shoot even better with the Eley Ultimate EPS ammo. Like your's my rifle didn't want to cycle sub-sonic match ammo. So, I called Ruger and ordered a second action spring assembly. Took rifle to range and cut one loop of the spring off at a time until it would function the match ammo - Now it feeds match ammo just fine. Still have the original assembly I re-install to shoot silhouttes and hunt.
 
#23 ·
had a friend that was at the range the other day. he met a guy that was breaking in a .350 remington, the guy scrubbed it till the patches came out spotless, then he was going to shoot 50 rounds cleaning with copper solvent and powder solvent after each shot till the patches were spotless again. My friend was at the bench for about an hour and the guy hadn't put more than 3 shots down range. It all seems a little silly to me
 
#24 ·
jb12string said:
It all seems a little silly to me
I agree with you that being that fanatical is a bit silly. But, I do also believe that there is some merit to breaking in ANY barrel, at least to some degree. Just for the sake of being thorough, the point of "breaking the barrel in" is to remove any very fine metal shards along the lands that may not have been fully cleaned when the barrel was rifled. Firing a shot or two should "smooth" things out a little bit, but may also leave behind a bit of fouling... fouling from the metal of the barrel, not the bullet/jacket. I think we all know that the metal from the barrel is harder than the metal on the bullet. Consequently, shooting many loads in a new barrel without some sort of cleaning (even just a dry patch or two for catching the larger foulings) can cause the bullet to press these foulings into the barrel causing nicks and/or pits. I think we all can agree this is not optimal.

Now, seeing that not all barrels are created equally, even on two identical production rifles (or even to identical custom rifles, if there is such a thing) , your need to break in the barrel will differ from someone else's. But even further, the amount of foulings from the barrel's metal itself may be so minor that they wont be causing any pitting or scratching if you dont break it in.

So, without wasting anymore of you guys time, I think my stand on this is that somewhere in the middle is where you should be... Be nice to a new barrel... shoot a few rounds, give it a good once over while the barrel is cooling, shoot a few more, push a few more patches, etc. Over the course of the day you'll probably notice that the patches are getting cleaner and cleaner compared to previous sessions... all because the barrel is "smoothing" and causing less overall fouling than when it was literally brand new. Of course, after a while, you can go shoot quite a few rounds at the range and wait to clean once you get home, or even the next day. In the end, going thru the break in process will never "hurt" your rifle, but not going thru it to some degree may adversely affect the barrel... so i choose to break in my rifles, just not to the extreme that it takes weeks to do so.

Now, it's my turn to ask one question here. It seems to me that combining a "fire lapping" process and "barrel break in" process would be optimal. The rounds that are slightly abrasive going thru the barrel for the first shots ever fired thru it should eliminate imperfections in the barrel faster than using standard loads, right? So do you guys think that a "mild" fire lapping used to break in the barrel could possibly be the best way to do it? I'm just looking for your thoughts on this possible process as the answer...
 
#25 ·
RaySendero said:
That target was shot at "a warm-up" match. I had some Eley Match EPS left over from some ammo tests so I used it. The rifle will shoot even better with the Eley Ultimate EPS ammo. Like your's my rifle didn't want to cycle sub-sonic match ammo. So, I called Ruger and ordered a second action spring assembly. Took rifle to range and cut one loop of the spring off at a time until it would function the match ammo - Now it feeds match ammo just fine. Still have the original assembly I re-install to shoot silhouttes and hunt.
Ray: Thanks for the reply. I think I'll do the same. I did that recently on a 1911 so I could practice with low pressure handloads. Do you recall how much spring you trimmed?
 
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