10/22 Barrel break-in

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M91/30

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I just replaced the barrel on my used 10-22 with a factory take off because of accuracy issues. I friend told me that you need to break in barrels a certain way. Something like shoot 50, clean, repeat until about 500rnds. Is this true? And if so is this how people recommend to do it?


Note's
The original barrel seemed well used(finish was very worn) and wasn't very accurate. After i replaced it though my .22 seems really quiet. Is this due to a tighter bore? It is now spot on accurate and amazingly silent. Is this common? There also seemed to be perceivably less bullet drop.
 
Break-in?
You said yourself it was a used take-off barrel.
It's already broken in & lead lapped just from shooting it.

You would do more harm to a 10/22 barrel by over-cleaning it then by just shooting it.
.22 barrels are relatively soft steel, and too much cleaning does more harm then good.

Top level match shooters run a cleaning rod through a .22 match barrel once a year, if that.

rc
 
I took of the used barrel off and put on the "new" factory takeoff. The replacement has never been shot outside of the manufacturer. At least until i did my test run of 25rnds. Sorry for the confusion. I didn't know that about cleaning them though, thank you.
 
What about a "boresnake" RC? I like to run one through after every time I shoot. Sould I discontinue this practice?
I would just keep an eye on the barrel for any signs of leading in the rifling.

But that is not a common .22RF problem with a relatively smooth bore and quality wax lubed or copper coated ammo.
Your milage could vary with cheap bulk-pack ammo.

If it isn't leading, it doesn't need cleaning every time you shoot it unless you get caught out in a rain storm or something.

I suppose a bore-snake would do less harm over the long run then a hard jointed cleaning rod.
So do what you gotta do.

rc
 
i've never heard of breaking in a 22LR other than just shooting it and then shooting it some more.
curious about the origional barrel? i dought, though it is possible, that it was shot out. maybe it was cleaned too much?
 
I guess I just worry about the barrel corroding from gun powder or priming residue.....I'm kind of a clean freak. I also notice my dad rarely cleans his .22s either. I may have to revise my .22lr cleaning regiment.
 
Really ????? Break in on rimfires now?

How is that supposed to work since most whom are serious about rimfire accuracy believe that cleaning one is of the devil.
 
Some advocate "breaking in" center fire rifle barrels (which I think is a waste of time) but I have never heard anyone suggest doing so with a 22 rim fire.

But, if it makes you happy, a typical routine is fire 5 and clean.

Fire 5 and clean.

Fire 5 and clean.

There you go.
 
Some advocate "breaking in" center fire rifle barrels (which I think is a waste of time) but I have never heard anyone suggest doing so with a 22 rim fire.

But, if it makes you happy, a typical routine is fire 5 and clean.

Fire 5 and clean.

Fire 5 and clean.

There you go.
on a rimfire it's even easier as you can skip the "and clean" step
 
I guess I just worry about the barrel corroding from gun powder or priming residue

as far as i know the powder and primer material are not corrosive. i cleaned my new 10 22 yesterday after about 600 rounds. i didn't even bother with the barrel. i just cleaned the receiver and bolt. that's it.
you may find some talk on 'seasoning' a barrel (22 LR) if you look around on rimfire central.
 
Really ????? Break in on rimfires now?

How is that supposed to work since most whom are serious about rimfire accuracy believe that cleaning one is of the devil.

This. Lots of folks in the know don't clean rimfire bores, period.
 
I just worry about the barrel corroding from gun powder or priming residue
That problem was pretty much cured with the advent of smokeless powder instead of black powder in .22 RF ammo in the early 1900's.
And non-corrosive priming by 1930 or so.

The waxy bullet lube on .22RF bullets that is left in the bore is real good protection against rust and corrosion.

Like I said earlier, if you don't get caught in a rain storm and come home with a wet rifle, fogadaboudit!

rc
 
Thanks for the info, I guess my friend is just uber picky or something idk. Anyways does anyone know the cause of differences i explained in note's? It seems that if that barrel was that worn out then it must have had many many rounds through it before i owned it. The reciever doesn't show any excessive wear other then some chiped off finish on the inside.
 
Nobody can possibly live long enough or shoot enough to wear out a .22 RF barrel by shooting it.

Maybe the previous owner wore it out doing the Clean & Shoot Break-in procedure?
Or fire-lapped it to death with abrasive coated bullets.

That is the only two ways I know of to wear out a .22RF barrel in a lifetime.

rc
 
Nobody can possibly live long enough or shoot enough to wear out a .22 RF barrel by shooting it.

Maybe the previous owner wore it out doing the Clean & Shoot Break-in procedure?
Or fire-lapped it to death with abrasive coated bullets.

That is the only two ways I know of to wear out a .22RF barrel in a lifetime.

rc
OR the OP's barrel never shot good because about the time it would season in and start shooting good he would clean the pee out of it and be back as square ONE

I know folks will call shenanigans on this but in my opinion (and that of many world class shooters) it works on a new barrel. The Dave Tubb Final Finish will result in a better barrel.

http://www.davidtubb.com/ff_22.html

It works......works great for destroying a perfectly good barrel. I would NEVER EVER consider firelapping a barrel that wasn't a badly pitted milsurp and perhaps not even then
 
It works......works great for destroying a perfectly good barrel. I would NEVER EVER consider firelapping a barrel that wasn't a badly pitted milsurp and perhaps not even then

So you have used this then?
 
Quote from above post"

"Top level match shooters run a cleaning rod through a .22 match barrel once a year, if that."

Ever hear of many times National rifle Champion Lones Wigger? I've shot with and against him for years. He cleans after every match, as he says "because they shoot better that way." And check out Rimfire bench shooters, who are even more particular and clean even more often.
 
So you have used this then?
have you?

I buy barrels of a quality so that I'm not tempted to fire a bunch of gritty bullets down in order to do?????????

Please explain to us how a grit covered bullet will wear the bore EVENLY down it's entire length rather than eating away at the throat end most aggressively where the abrasive is the most aggressive.
 
have you?

Yes I have but evidently you are willing to condemn something you haven't tried...interesting.

The system removes no more than .0003" of metal from the inside of a barrel. It is even safe for chrome lined barrels. Normally the roughest area is in the throat and it does a great job there as well.

I bought a Volquartzen barrel and was not thrilled with the groups I got so I used the Final Finish and it reduced groups sizes by about 30%....I hope I can "ruin" all my barrels like that.

Of course David Tubb has only has won (to date) a record eleven NRA National High Power Rifle Championship titles at Camp Perry, Ohio. He probably doesn't know what he is talking about after all.
 
Yes I have but evidently you are willing to condemn something you haven't tried...interesting.

The system removes no more than .0003" of metal from the inside of a barrel. It is even safe for chrome lined barrels. Normally the roughest area is in the throat and it does a great job there as well.

I bought a Volquartzen barrel and was not thrilled with the groups I got so I used the Final Finish and it reduced groups sizes by about 30%....I hope I can "ruin" all my barrels like that.

Of course David Tubb has only has won (to date) a record eleven NRA National High Power Rifle Championship titles at Camp Perry, Ohio. He probably doesn't know what he is talking about after all.

So how do you know the Final Finish was responsible for the reduction in group sizes and not just the act of shooting more rounds through it?

The fact that world champion David Tubb uses it is irrelevant because it still doesn't answer the big 64 million dollar question that the barrel break in proponents never seem to answer............ how would know or not know that some elaborate break in procedure worked or not? Once a barrel is broke in, you can't un-break it in and start from scratch for a control. Conversely you can't shoot it without a specific break in procedure for a control and then go back and try it with a break in procedure because you've already shot it and it's no longer new so it doesn't require a break in procedure........ see how ridiculous this gets?
 
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