Stainless Steel Barrel breakin
- Thread starter Model99
- Start date
- Status
Woodworker74
Member
As you didn't state exactly what type of barrel, what type of SS, or what the desired end results are, I'll give you the answer I got from an AR barrel manufacturer. In response to my own personal inquiry into this exact question regarding an 18" Stainless AR barrel with polygonal rifling, Andy Baker of Black Hole Weaponry gave me the following reply.
"50-100 rounds of a good quality copper jacketed bullet every fifth round run a wet patch then a dry patch. Continue till you see great results. Happy shooting"
I followed the above protocol with good results. This barrel is WAY more accurate than I'll ever be.
"50-100 rounds of a good quality copper jacketed bullet every fifth round run a wet patch then a dry patch. Continue till you see great results. Happy shooting"
I followed the above protocol with good results. This barrel is WAY more accurate than I'll ever be.
From what I've read and come to understand talking to high end bbl mfgs, if it's a custom hand lapped barrel, no need to break it in. If it's a standard factory barrel the window of accepted QC is so large, bbl break in is a good idea. Besides "potential" accuracy improvements, you WILL see greatly reduced copper fouling. I always did a 1 clean for 5 shots, 3 clean for next 4 series, 5 clean for next 2 series, for around 30 shots total. I used Butches solvent which includes a copper solvent and let the amount of blue copper on the patch dictate when I changed from 1, 3, 5 shot strings.
Here's recommendations, and explanations why, for barrel break-in from Kreiger Barrels:
http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm
I don't buy a new rifle very often so when I do I take the time to do some kind of break in, generally 30 shots or so. Don't always know if it helps but it surely can't hurt.
Laphroaig
http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm
I don't buy a new rifle very often so when I do I take the time to do some kind of break in, generally 30 shots or so. Don't always know if it helps but it surely can't hurt.
Laphroaig
if you've already read both points of view, what difference does it make what everyone else thinks? try using search to find the few hundred threads that already discuss this topic if you don't have something more specific to ask.
is it a stainless barrel on a 22LR? a 338LM? a hunting rifle? a benchrest rifle? an AR15 you plan to use for 3gun? a model 99 barrett 50BMG?
is it a factory gun? or a krieger that someone custom chambered?
what is it you hope to accomplish by break in process?
if you've read both points of view, you should at least understand some of those things might make a difference.
I apologize for jumping on you if it was an honest, but ill-conceived question. it sure seemed like trolling though.
is it a factory gun? or a krieger that someone custom chambered?
what is it you hope to accomplish by break in process?
if you've read both points of view, you should at least understand some of those things might make a difference.
I apologize for jumping on you if it was an honest, but ill-conceived question. it sure seemed like trolling though.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
I had two blued Minis and two stainless Minis. No break-in. Group sizes were the same for all four: First three shots, about 1.5 MOA.
My 700 Ti is stainless. No break-in. Sub-MOA since NIB, with no "meddling" or "tweaking".
I'd had right at a half-century of messing with centerfire rifles before I ever heard of "barrel break-in". But what I do know is that copper burnishes steel, whether a breaking-in process is followed or not followed.
Casual thoughts: Today's production machinery is capable of much closer precision than it was when I started out. Seems to me that breaking-in would have been more necessary, long ago, than now. (Assuming decent quality control, of course.)
I'll never tell anybody not to, but I'm not going to bother.
My 700 Ti is stainless. No break-in. Sub-MOA since NIB, with no "meddling" or "tweaking".
I'd had right at a half-century of messing with centerfire rifles before I ever heard of "barrel break-in". But what I do know is that copper burnishes steel, whether a breaking-in process is followed or not followed.
Casual thoughts: Today's production machinery is capable of much closer precision than it was when I started out. Seems to me that breaking-in would have been more necessary, long ago, than now. (Assuming decent quality control, of course.)
I'll never tell anybody not to, but I'm not going to bother.
Jackal
Member
I break in nothing. I use it as it will be used and clean it when it gets too dirty to function properly or when accuracy drops off.
I agree with Art and Jackal. I used to break in barrels but I don't any longer. I believe your barrels going to get broken in on there own whether you clean every other round, every 10th round or every 100th round. I have noted no difference in accuracy between rifles I did a break in procedure on and those I didn't. In fact, some of my most accurate rifles had no break in procedure done.
Barrels will break in on their own to some extent. It's just a matter of how much copper you want to pack into the rough bore before cleaning. Considering there was an answer copied from Krieger Barrels, one of the better barrel mfgs, I'm sure we all know better with NO barrel manufacturing experience. If you don't want to do it that's fine. I just don't think you can counter Krieger's advice.
Vern Humphrey
Member
Do this: Shoot a group. If it shoots well, leave it alone and keep shooting. At the end of the day, clean it.
If it doesn't shoot well, go through the standard drill -- check bedding, scope mount, screws and scrub the barrel. Then try again.
If it doesn't shoot well, go through the standard drill -- check bedding, scope mount, screws and scrub the barrel. Then try again.
I have a NM SS on my .308, shoot 1 rnd & clean for 5 rnds, you should see less copper each time. If the barrel looks clean and smooth then shoot 5 rnds and clean, it should take no more than 25 rnds, after that your barrel should have it's (memory) "breaking in". RNGR1
Gale McMillan did....I think he also knew a thing or two about barrels
http://yarchive.net/gun/barrel/break_in.html
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Remember that for Gale in his bench rest competition, groups larger than 0.10 were losers. His need for "No copper!" was in a completely different arena from most people, particularly hunters.
FWIW, I rarely did any serious scrubbing when cleaning my pet '06. Finally, after some3,000 rounds, group size began to degrade a bit. I did the copper solvent thing and got my group size on back down where I thought it belonged, mostly around 3/4 MOA.
FWIW, I rarely did any serious scrubbing when cleaning my pet '06. Finally, after some3,000 rounds, group size began to degrade a bit. I did the copper solvent thing and got my group size on back down where I thought it belonged, mostly around 3/4 MOA.
Thanks for all the input. While I have not had the time to look at the links I have decided that some method of "breaking in" is the way to go for me. This is my first build and of course I had to start with a SS barrel. Just so ya know it is a 16 inch 1 in 9 .223 DPMS .
Since it is not the longest of barrels I do want it as accurate as possible as I like to put holes in pieces of paper from long distances . Thanks again.
Since it is not the longest of barrels I do want it as accurate as possible as I like to put holes in pieces of paper from long distances . Thanks again.
Breaking in for me consists of zeroing the rifle.
I have known others who shoot lapping bullets, they claim they have seen the throat smooth after firing.
But, that causes throat wear. I don't see how removing material from the throat increases barrel life.
I have known others who shoot lapping bullets, they claim they have seen the throat smooth after firing.
But, that causes throat wear. I don't see how removing material from the throat increases barrel life.
quite the contrary. Gale McMillan did NOT counter krieger's advice because Gale's comment long preceded Krieger's. In fact, in the link you posted, he says this:
Krieger's explanation came many years after that. As far as I know, Gale died before anyone explained it to him.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Gale also said that the idea originated with a competing barrel maker who told Gale that it made his customers wear the throats sooner, necessitating the purchase of a new barrel sooner.
So young guys hear the advice, go to work for firearms manufacturers and the next thing you know it's Gospel Truth.
So young guys hear the advice, go to work for firearms manufacturers and the next thing you know it's Gospel Truth.
Gale also said that the idea originated with a competing barrel maker who told Gale that it made his customers wear the throats sooner, necessitating the purchase of a new barrel sooner.
So young guys hear the advice, go to work for firearms manufacturers and the next thing you know it's Gospel Truth.
Yeah, I gotta say, PC Power and Cooling was considered the tip top brand of computer switch-mode power supplies about 10 years ago. They were considered by even the experts as one of the best, but they published a bunch of marketing gobble-de-gook which some people ate up, because it was coming from the best seller of power supplies...but the experts called it out for what it was...complete BS.
Stuff like that makes me take the advice of a company trying to sell items with a grain of salt, and I am not going to start drinking Kool-aid just because Krieger said it and well...they are a great barrel maker.
Maybe Krieger is on to something, maybe they are not.
actually, according to Gale's post, it was
as I have said almost every time this topic comes up... Gale asked for somebody to explain it to him. Krieger did. The ball is in your court now. Explain how Krieger is wrong instead of perpetuating a conspiracy theory.
My personal experience with 12 bartlein barrels on 4 rifles over the past 3 years is that the ones I clean after the first shot or three show substantially less copper buildup than the ones I just shoot without ever cleaning.
My most recent barrel showed a good bit of copper after the first round, and none after then second. Since I used the first round to get on target, no rounds were wasted. I spent maybe 5 extra minutes cleaning.
The worst of the 12 took about 6 shots before it stopped copper fouling. That's a pretty small investment for break in of a precision rifle, and not one that would cause me to buy barrels any faster.
my only goal in "break in" is to keep copper out of the barrel, which I think contributes to consistent velocity and the very low SDs I get. I don't think break in will contribute to accuracy that would show up on paper at 100 yards.
as I have said almost every time this topic comes up... Gale asked for somebody to explain it to him. Krieger did. The ball is in your court now. Explain how Krieger is wrong instead of perpetuating a conspiracy theory.
My personal experience with 12 bartlein barrels on 4 rifles over the past 3 years is that the ones I clean after the first shot or three show substantially less copper buildup than the ones I just shoot without ever cleaning.
My most recent barrel showed a good bit of copper after the first round, and none after then second. Since I used the first round to get on target, no rounds were wasted. I spent maybe 5 extra minutes cleaning.
The worst of the 12 took about 6 shots before it stopped copper fouling. That's a pretty small investment for break in of a precision rifle, and not one that would cause me to buy barrels any faster.
my only goal in "break in" is to keep copper out of the barrel, which I think contributes to consistent velocity and the very low SDs I get. I don't think break in will contribute to accuracy that would show up on paper at 100 yards.
scythefwd
Member
Dan Lilja seems to be of two minds about breakins. i asked his opinion on it.. and he said he recommended a barrel break in proceedure that he has posted on his site but it doesnt really do anything and that it doesnt smooth out the barrels.. that needs to be done by the manufacturer.. See below
ok, but say instead of cleaning it after every shot for the first 3 shots....
you shoot it 20 times, and clean it
you shoot it another 20 times and clean it
you shoot it another 20 times and clean it.
Do you think this would not produce the same results? Or do you think the break-in is a small window comprised only of the first few shots? (i.e. if you don't break it in by cleaning after every shot for the first few shots, then you missed the window and your barrel can never be the same as if you had?)
- Status
