Break-in of new bolt-action rifles

[taliv]

Assuming yiu dont count lapping the lugs which is normally done by the gunsmith, the action doesn't need to be broken in, but it will get a lot slicker after you've run the bolt 20000-30000 times. depending on the type of finish applied

 

[Rule3]

Page 50 Guns Magazine

Stop the Madness

http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0411/

 

[RentaCop]

My break-in regimen is:

1: Load
2: Fire
3: Repeat

Ditto

 

[peacebutready]

Assuming yiu dont count lapping the lugs which is normally done by the gunsmith, the action doesn't need to be broken in, but it will get a lot slicker after you've run the bolt 20000-30000 times. depending on the type of finish applied

I read with some of the Rugers, the bolt can feel like it's binding. How many runs to get rid of that?

Was that 20 thousand rounds or 2 thousand rounds above? Yes, "slicker". That's what I was looking for.

 

[vaupet]

I did a break in for the first time, with my new high end rifle, at the advice of a friend/gunsmith/benchrest shooter.

1 shot clean, 5x
3 shot clean, 5 times
cool down
10 shot, clean & cool down, 5 times

I never shoot more then 20 shots without letting the barrel cool,

don't know if it helpes, but it certainly won't hurt

 

[Bobson]

Was that 20 thousand rounds or 2 thousand rounds above? Yes, "slicker". That's what I was looking for.

For your sake, here's hoping it's two thousand instead of twenty thousand. Just in case, though, you might want to get started. It shouldn't take you more than fourteen hours of constant cycling to reach 25,000 times. If you're fast (once per second), you can cut that down to seven hours. Have a good time.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I never believed in it...

...my thought is that a rifle is housing a miniature explosion that creates astronomical pressures of up to and over 80,000 PSI which, in turn, allows a projectile to travel faster than the speed of sound out of a hole that is a fraction of in an inch all in a package/action that can weight under a few pounds.

I'm sorry, but not "swabbing" this surface every other round is nothing compared to the strain that is created every time you pull the trigger.

But that's just me, I am not an expert, I just play one on TV

 

[gamestalker]

Doc7's response is what I've always been told. The first 6-8 inches of the barrel will often develop heavy fouling if a break procedure isn't employed. I've honestly seen the difference with my barrels, compared to those that have not been broke in. Many custom barrels issue a stringent warning that they won't honor the warranty if a barrel won't shoot moa, if the barrel wasn't broken is according to the provided instructions.

However, prior to breaking my barrels in, I would hand lap them, something I still do, which also works well in reducing excessive fouling.

So it's a personal preference IMO. If your barrel will shoot sub moa out of the box and continues to do so 2K rounds later, then there is no reason to think you ruined a barrel.

GS

 

[ford8nr]

I'm sorry, but not "swabbing" this surface every other round is nothing compared to the strain that is created every time you pull the trigger.

That's why you break a bbl in. All that pressure/speed packs copper into all the bbl imperfections. Breaking in a bbl removed the copper and allows the next bullet to polish the imperfection. My AR bbl was Sooo rough it pulled tufts off the cleaning swab on initial cleaning. The amount of copper I removed during shooting/cleaning the first 40 rounds was amazing

 

[ford8nr]

I read with some of the Rugers, the bolt can feel like it's binding. How many runs to get rid of that?

My sons 77 Hawkeye had initial stiff bolt issues. After several discussions with the Ruger Tech they said I could send it in for eval or it would wear in. I pulled the bolt and compaired wear marks with my old 77. I carefully stoned the areas that showed wear in the finish, problem solved.

 

[mainecoon]

1) Shoot the rifle once on a full moon using a round soaked in silver chloride.
2) Immediately after shooting the rifle, point the barrel in the four cardinal directions and command the demons of fouling to retreat.
3) Wait exactly 7 minutes, then shoot once more. Store the rifle for 5 months.
4) Clean the bore using solvent diluted 50/50 with almond butter and tail of newt. Work up to pure solvent over a series of 15 swabs.
5) Have the rifle blessed by a chaplain from a state created after 1860. It should now shoot perfect 0.5" groups, every time.

 

[HDMF04]

1) Shoot the rifle once on a full moon using a round soaked in silver chloride.
2) Immediately after shooting the rifle, point the barrel in the four cardinal directions and command the demons of fouling to retreat.
3) Wait exactly 7 minutes, then shoot once more. Store the rifle for 5 months.
4) Clean the bore using solvent diluted 50/50 with almond butter and tail of newt. Work up to pure solvent over a series of 15 swabs.
5) Have the rifle blessed by a chaplain from a state created after 1860. It should now shoot perfect 0.5" groups, every time.

Lol

 

[X-Rap]

95 out of 100 of my guns are bought used and they shoot fine so I put little weight on any break in.

 

[Frostbite]

1) Shoot the rifle once on a full moon using a round soaked in silver chloride.
2) Immediately after shooting the rifle, point the barrel in the four cardinal directions and command the demons of fouling to retreat.
3) Wait exactly 7 minutes, then shoot once more. Store the rifle for 5 months.
4) Clean the bore using solvent diluted 50/50 with almond butter and tail of newt. Work up to pure solvent over a series of 15 swabs.
5) Have the rifle blessed by a chaplain from a state created after 1860. It should now shoot perfect 0.5" groups, every time.

Do not forget, only a virgin can shoot and kill a unicorn!

Seriously though, if the rifle is not a dedicated bench rifle, if it is a hunting rifle, what difference does it make? A two MOA rifle is sufficient for hunting.

If you like to print small groups on paper (I like that, when it happens), I do not think it can hurt in any way to follow some break in procedure. After all, it is time at the range, getting familiar with a rifle. Less copper buildup afterwards? It is said so, I have no proof of it nor the contrary. I tend to keep my firearms clean, but I do not think it makes them shoot so much better, I sometimes think a better shooter might.

To the OP: use (shoot) your rifle until the action becomes smooth if it is not already smooth out of the box. Time at the range is never a waste!

 

[Archangel14]

42........

 

[taliv]

i was exaggerating a bit on the 20000 rounds

seriously, metal and some coatings are slick. duracoat, cerakote, etc are not, but they get slicker after you cycle the action a lot.

 

[Frostbite]

42........

LOL!

 

[peacebutready]

Thanks, fellas.