Barrel break-in a myth?

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Falconeer

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I've been reading up on procedures to properly 'break-in' the barrel on my new Savage 10FP. I've come across a number of articles stating that breaking in a rifle barrel is a myth, and actually shortens barrel life. I did some searches but didn't see any topics on the subject. Any definative word?
 
I think it has to do a lot with the initial quality of the barrel.
If the barrel has been well lapped at the factory there should be no need for breaking-in.
If the barrel has a relativley rough finish, breaking it in by the 1. fire a couple rounds 2. clean 3. repeat method, may help to burnish out the rough spots to reduce fouling and perhaps improve accuracy.

IMHO most new barrels are good enough these days that break-in is unnecessary.
 
If I shot benchrest and was a good enough shot to notice a difference I`d likely follow the procedure. (positive mental set helps) I`m not though and I`ve come to the conclusion a barrel is broke in by fireing and cleaning X amount of times in the break in instructions.
I like like to shoot.
I don`t like to clean.
I shoot what ever I want, and clean after, until I`ve done the required amount of shooting and scrubbing and call it "broke in".
I know, not very scientific, no proofs. I don`t know how the proponents of breaking in barrels prove that it improves a barrel over not doing it either though. IMO you either don`t break it in, or you do. You can`t do both and compare as far as I know.......
 
Gale McMillan said it was a myth. That's good enough for me.
 
Savage barrels are accurate shooters but are pretty rough inside. I think they will take either a long breakin period or do as I did and shoot the Tubb Final Finish lapping bullets.
 
I suspect this is one of the typical deals that everyone paints with one broad brush. If you've got a factory barrel that was #999 and they change the tooling every 1,000 rounds, it probably needs a break-in.

I read the factory recommended procedure for AR-10's, and one of my friends did it with his Remington 700 in 22-250. Shoot one, clean, LIGHT polish with polishing compound for maybe the first 10, then shoot 3, repeat until you'd fired something like 30-50 rounds...don't remember exactly.

All I know is, by the time he was done, 5 shots were going into a dime at 200 yards. A polished barrel is easier to keep clean.

Some of the very best custom barrels are hand lapped (broken in).

Now you'll get some guy that says "well, I never broke my barrel in and it shoots 1/2" groups at two miles". The only absolute is there are no absolutes YMMV
 
Here's what they say at Shilen:

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

How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?

Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal. All our stainless steel barrels have been hand lapped as part of their production, as well as any chrome moly barrel we install. Hand lapping a barrel polishes the interior of the barrel and eliminates sharp edges or burrs that could cause jacket deformity. This, in fact, is what you are doing when you break-in a new barrel through firing and cleaning.
Here is our standard recommendation: Clean after each shot for the first 5 shots. The remainder of the break-in is to clean every 5 shots for the next 50 shots. During this time, don't just shoot bullets down the barrel during this 50 shot procedure. This is a great time to begin load development. Zero the scope over the first 5 shots, and start shooting for accuracy with 5-shot groups for the next 50 shots. Same thing applies to fire forming cases for improved or wildcat cartridges. Just firing rounds down a barrel to form brass without any regard to their accuracy is a mistake. It is a waste of time and barrel life. Back to top.
 
I have a MA1 SuperMatch with a Douglas barrel. It was never broken in except a patch was run through the barrel with Hoppes #9 and then another patch t6o dry it. From 200 yds scoped from the bench it shoots bullet to bullet.

I also have a CZ 550 FS in 9.3x62mm. I looked down the bore ran a dry patch through it and fired. First three rounds out of the rifle were bullet to bullet

I personally think its a myth unless there's a burr in the bore and then maybe you need to firelap it?

All my other rifles shoot better than I can aim and none have been broken in.

Turk

Remember to pray for our troops.
 
Myth or not FWIW Savage Arms does have a barrel break in procedure. I use it, but mostly because of any warranty problems,work that might come up in the future. It is a long process but I get to know my rifle(s) better.
 
Funny how almost all the top shooters with quality barrels do it, while the guys with $20 factory barrels that are most in need of it, don't. As for shortening barrel life, the Krieger break-in routine I follow of 13 shots is inconsequential in my mind. What you are actually doing during break-in is burnishing the throat, which tends to be a little rough even with a hand-lapped quality barrel. If you ever get a chance to check out the interior of a factory barrel with a borescope you will be shocked.:uhoh:

Don
 
I've continued looking and found this and this article during my searches. There's a msg in there which says something to the effect that barrel break-in procedures were created to help sell more barrels. :p

The author of the second above article spoke to 'four metallurgists and 3 barrel manufacturers (Rock Creek, Hart, & Shilen)' to try and find a scientifically definative answer. They essentially told him that break-in procedures generally do more damage than good, and the reasons why. Comments?

I have a copy of the Savage break-in procedure. It says in the faq that it's taken from 'Precision Shooting Magzine', so I don't believe it's a waranty issue.
 
Falconeer,

Ask yourself two questions: Does a 13 shot regimen of shooting REALLY shorten a barrel's life and cause you to need to buy another barrel, and how do you damage a barrel by shooting and cleaning between shots? Remember, the Flat Earth Society has evidence to support their claim. A little common sense will go a long ways here.

Don
 
USSR said:
Ask yourself two questions: Does a 13 shot regimen of shooting REALLY shorten a barrel's life and cause you to need to buy another barrel, and how do you damage a barrel by shooting and cleaning between shots? Remember, the Flat Earth Society has evidence to support their claim. A little common sense will go a long ways here.
Click to expand...
The article in question states that the cleaning down to the metal between each shot essentially creates a metal to metal contact which wears away the lands. It's the equivilent of running a car without oil.

That second article covers the details much better than I can, plus I'm at work so cutting and pasting between my PC (THR) and my Blackberry (Sniper Country) isn't a doable thing. :p
 
I've seen far too many Milsurp rifles with really rotten pitted bores shoot too many great groups to believe that barrel break in is anything but an ol wives tale.
 
Sam, My Savage cleans easier after Tubbing, I can't tell that it improved accuracy but it sure didn't hurt it.

Falconeer, in re metal to metal contact, if a barrel is such soft steel that it is appreciably worn by rubbing it with a copper bullet jacket, it isn't much of a barrel. Most barrel wear is heat erosion from the powder flame temperature.

If you clean your barrel thoroughly at all, you will break it in. The first shot or two on a clean bore are going to burnish and erode the tool marks. If you clean it every shot it will take, say, 20 shots; if you clean every ten shots it will take 200 shots, etc.
 
If you clean your barrel thoroughly at all, you will break it in.
Click to expand...
This has always been my contention.

Eventually you'll get all your cleanings in but it's a lot less hassle if you just shoot your normal amount and THEN clean. If you have a barrel that is metal-fouling severely, that's another story. For the average barrel, you aren't hurting a thing by not breaking it in as long as you clean it thoroughly everytime you shoot.
 
The article in question states that the cleaning down to the metal between each shot essentially creates a metal to metal contact which wears away the lands. It's the equivilent of running a car without oil.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that comparing a bullet traveling down a rifle's bore to a car's engine is not a very good analogy. Good bullet to bore contact is required to seal the bore and give good accuracy. Jim Watson said it well. When a bullet made of copper and lead tranverses the bore, the bullet comes out on the losing end of that match up. As Jim said, barrels are worn out through heat erosion in the throat, not by the wearing down of the lands by contact with bullets. That is why many barrels are reused by cutting off an inch or two at the breech and rechambering them.

Don
 
Have there every been any scientific studies done on this? I'd think the the military or gun/barrel manufacturers would have something published that would answer the question once and for all.
 
Everytime you obtain a new rifle, even a used one or a rebarrel for example, it is prudent to clean it right down. And then I 'break-in' the scope by setting zero. Same deal if I switch a scope.
 
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