Break-in....

[vega]

I tried to search this forum but I came up empty handed. I'm probably using the wrong term. How do I break it in? What kind of brush do I need to clean the barrel. I've seen lots of shooters in the range brushing their bores like hell. They will shoot some then brush again. What solvent must I use? Would the second gun rest work just like the first one? It's a lot cheaper...







vega

 

[vega]

Hi Art, Can you please move it to Rifle thread, made a boo-boo again.

TIA,
vega

 

[ojibweindian]

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=60102&highlight=barrel+break

This is from Gale McMillan:

will make one last post on this subject and appeal to logic on this subject I think it is the height of arrogance to believe a novice can improve a barrel
using a cleaning rod more than that a barrel maker can do with 30 years of experience and a * million dollars in equipment . The barrel is a relatively
precise bit of machining and to imagine that it can be improved on with a bit of abrasive smeared on a patch or embedded in a bullet. The surface finish
of a barrel is a delicate thing with more of them being ruined with a cleaning rod in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use one. I would
never in a million years buy a used rifle now because you well may buy one that has been improved. First give a little thought to what you think you
are accomplishing with any of the break in methods. Do you really believe that if what you are doing would help a barrel that the barrel maker wouldn't
have already done it. The best marketing advantage he can have is for his barrels to out perform his competitors! Of coarse he is happy to see you
poking things in your barrel . Its only going to improve his sales. Get real!!!! I am not saying the following to brag because the record speak for it' self
McMillan barrels won the gold at 4 straight Olympics. Won the Leach Cup eight years running. Had more barrels in the Wimbledon shoot off every year
for 4 straight yearsthan any other make. Set the national 1000 yard record 17 times in one year. Held 7 world records at the same time in the NBRSA .
Won the national silhouette matches 5 straight times and set 3 world records while doing that . Shot the only two 6400 scores in the history of small
bore and holds a 100 yard world record that will stand for ever at .009 of one inch. All with barrels the shooter didn't have to improve on by breaking
them in.

This should answer your question.

 

[vega]

Got ya, thanks for the link.

vega

 

[Art Eatman]

I never heard of break-in until I joined up at The Firing Line; the subject arose around 1999, I guess.

I can see why benchrest shooters would take such care. My own experience has been that accuracy of better than one Minute of Angle is mostly due to the bedding of the barrelled action in the stock, and some is due to tailoring handloads to the rifle.

Since my primary concern is hunting, and anything of one MOA is plenty good, I've never worried about the break-in process. If I'm only doing a sight-in or testing a new load, the relatively few shots mean to me that only an oily patch through the bore is sufficient. Every few boxes or so, I'll make a point of using a copper-removing bore cleaner.

My preference in a cleaning rod is a single-piece, 22-caliber stainless or teflon-coated stainless. I think it's best to clean from the chamber, to protect the crown of the muzzle. For casual cleaning, I've never had a problem with using WD 40 on a patch as a rust preventative and for a pass or two through the bore. (I don't spray directly onto the rifle.) Gun oil works just as well.

Art

 

[HankB]

I believe McMillan has a very valid point - as long as the barrels under consideration are premium high grade barrels like McMillan's own!

But face it - not everyone spends several thousand dollars on a really top quality rifle. The barrel you get on a standard commercial or military surplus arm that may have cost less than $500 is unlikely to be as smooth and precise as a premium tube from McMillan, Lilja, Shilen, or Krieger. Fire lapping or just "breaking in" (shoot one round, clean, shoot 1, clean, repeated several times) will probably improve an ordinary barrel, if done correctly.

 

[Dave R]

I pains me in my heart to sound like I'm disagreeing with McMillan, but I do believe a commercial barrel can be improved by break-in. Commercial barrels are likelier to have rough tooling marks & pores in the bore, etc.

Break-in may or may not help accuracy much, but probably does reduce fouling by smoothing the bore.

Remington's website has their break-in recommendation. Its the ol' shoot one, clean, repeat a few time, then shoot 5, clean, repeat, etc.

I don't see how that could impact barrel life much.

Yes, abrasives like JB bore paste certainly can, but careful cleaning with a bronze brush prolly does not affect life much.

OTOH, I would NEVER break in a McMillan barrel.

 

[Werewolf]

I'm certainly no expert but the only thing barrel breakin is for IMO is to get rid of those microscopic burrs and fill in the microscopic pits in the metal of the bore that are there after machining.

If you really wanna fill in the pits then buy yourself a good quality lubricant with Teflon. Before shooting scrub the bore of your new barrel and then use a decent degreaser to thoroughly remove all traces of cleaner. You want that bore to be as free from chemicals and as close to clean shiny metal as you can get. Apply a healthy dose of your lubricant with teflon and let the barrel sit overnight. Then using patches swab out the bore until it's dry. The teflon fills the pits.

Go out and shoot the thing using FMJ bullets. 30 or 40 rounds should be enough to get rid of the micro burrs in the barrel. Clean the barrel using standard cleaning methods but if you're really anal use some copper scrubber too. Finish up by running a lightly lubed patch using your teflon lubricant thru the barrel. The next time you go out swab out the barrel with a dry patch before shooting.

YMMV...

After 3 or 4 times of using the teflon lubricant you can stop using it.

Hey - it works for me!