I have a question on barrel break in

[tech]

I have a .308 Winchester stealth on the way and I am wondering about breaking in the barrel. I have heard you must do it. I have also heard just shoot the darn thing. To get the most accuracy out of the rifle, is barrel break in necessary? If so what is the correct way?

Mike

 

[Mike Hull]

Personally, I think Gale McMillan about says it all.

http://www.aboutguns.net/mcmillan.html

 

[swifter]

Someone always invokes Saint Gale...

Clean it thoroughly and carefully before you shoot it. Don't let the barrel get hotter than you can comfortably keep your hand on it for a slow 10 count.
It helps to not allow a large build-up of carbon/copper fouling without cleaning.

A custom barrel should "break-in" (quit copper fouling) in 10 to 20 shots.
A factory barrel will take a few hundred...:banghead:

Tom

 

[tech]

Hmmm.. interesting read. Makes sense to me, I wonder how the break in crowd would react to those ideas?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Clean it thoroughly before the first use, and run a dry patch through before shooting.

Clean after each use, lube, and dry-patch before the next session.

That's all any barrel needs.

 

[tech]

So Tom you recomend no break in but keep the fire slow as to minimize fouling?

Mike

 

[Fatelvis]

I think breaking a barrel in, is a waste of time, and does little to nothing to improve the bore`s condition. Ill never do it.

 

[tech]

Well guys I find my views mirror yours. I will clean after use as I would any firearm I own, with the exception of my .22s .

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

On custom barrels, I just keep them clean (clean after each string or session) and they do fine. Recently I've been using Coppermelt on an undersized brush and patch. Seems to work great at removing the fouling, and doesn't seem to be dulling the rifling based on occasional looks through a borescope. But then, I never had any problems with Butch's, either.

On factory barrels, I do tend to break them in before using them hunting or in competition, but only because it seems to work. The factory barrels seem to shoot better after the first 50-100 rounds. I keep meaning to try firelapping as a way of breaking it in, but haven't gotten around to it.

 

[30Cal]

I don't bother breaking in. I figure the first couple of outings are going to be devoted to preliminary load development anyways.

 

[Quintin Likely]

Make sure the bore is clear, shoot it, clean it when you're done. That's how I've done all my rifles, and they'll outshoot me any day of the week and thrice on Sundays.

 

[taliv]

i'm in the "break in" crowd, but it's important to realize what "break in" means. as swifter pointed out, it's when the barrel stops copper fouling.

if you don't believe in it, it's simple enough for anyone to test. shoot a new barrel and clean between shots and see if there's a difference in fouling between shots.

this article from Dan Lilja explains it fairly well:

It is important to break-in a barrel though. The jacket material must be removed after every shot during the initial few rounds. If this isn't done the areas of the barrel that fouled will tend to pick up more fouling and it will build on itself. It is important to get a layer of powder fouling on top of the lands & grooves. This hard deposit will prevent the copper from stripping off the bullets. However, if the internal finish of the barrel is too rough the barrel will never be completely broken-in and fouling will always be a problem. Some barrels can't be broken-in.

A similar phenomonon can exist if the shooter uses an abrasive-type cleaner too often. The abrasives are very effective at removing all traces of both powder and jacket fouling. I mentioned that a barrel can be too smooth. The abrasives can get a barrel too clean as well and in effect the shooter is rebreaking-in the barrel again every time he cleans. This can end up in the dog-chasing-his-tail scenario. The shooter thinks the barrel is a fouler, as evidenced by the copper accumulations in the barrel. He works hard at removing the copper, resorting to using an abrasive cleaner. But when he does he removes the desirable layer of carbon fouling left by the powder and exposes fresh steel ready to grab some more copper off the bullet on the next shot. The cycle repeats itself. Like the dog the best way out is to go lay down and take a nap.

if by "break in" you mean doing something that prolongs the life of your barrel magically, then no.

I read a very interesting technical article once about how the difference in fouling had to do with the surface of the bore being porous or non-porous, but I didn't really understand it, and can't seem to find it now. Seems like it had something to do with that "desirable layer of carbon fouling" Lilja mentions above clogging up the holes and reducing copper fouling, but I don't remember. I could be way off base on that.

 

[tech]

How many rounds do you long range guys put through the rifle at a sitting. I am a pistol shooter, but I figure I would shoot 30 rounds or so then clean. I guess this whole "break in" thing is exclusive of rifles as I've never heard of doing it with a handgun.

Mike

 

[mpthole]

Tech: I rarely ever shoot more than 30 rounds in one outing with my Rem 700. I never really think about it... it just kind of works out that way. I clean it when I get home.

The funny thing is - and after reading this thread it makes even more sense - the next time I take it out, it takes 5-7 rounds before my group will "settle in". By the time I've got 20 rounds down range, I'm shooting very nice groups no matter what the range. Maybe I need to clean a little less thoroughly...

It would be interesting to hear one of the highpower shooters chime in here.... Steve? Jon?

 

[taliv]

in a normal sitting, i put 50-100 rnds through my rem700 .308, and i clean the barrel after every 10 shots or so unless i'm at a range that prohibits cleaning. this is a habit i picked up in thunder ranch's precision rifle course. they seemed quite keen on frequent cleaning. but this is a quick cleaning, maybe 2-3 minutes and is not the sort of thing i do after shooting 300-500 rnds in a pistol, where i let the barrel soak in bore solvent for an hour or so.

at high power matches, (which admittedly, I suck at), I'd like to clean more often, but don't have my act together yet, so i haven't found a way to make the time between stages in order to clean. it's all i can do to get my shots off and my gear on and off the line, etc. honestly, a dirty barrel is the least of my problems.

however, i don't see anyone else there cleaning between stages, although some may.