Questions on breaking in a new barrel

[EddieCoyle]

I'm buying a new rifle in .357 Magnum. I've read that one should clean after each shot for the first ten shots, then after every ten shots for the 1st 100.
Here are my questions:

1. Is this correct?
2. How important is it for a pistol-caliber rifle?
3. Does "cleaning" mean simply running a couple of patches through the barrel?
4. Is there any particular type of ammo I should use or avoid for the break in period?

 

[1903Collector]

I have read the same thing and NEVER done it, with no ill effects that I can see but I'm sure there will be differing opinions. Maybe it would be beneficial with say a match grade barrel.

 

[Chris]

1. About as correct as any method I've heard.

2. Far less unless it is a bullseye pistol and then you might consider it.

3. You want to remove the lead or copper deposits completely.

4. Really dirty stuff will make the process slower.

The most comprehensive method I've seen is this:

My current procedure involves shooting the first ten rounds and cleaning between each shot with Hoppes Elite Bore gel and a bronze brush. I always use a bore guide and I make sure that the brush does not completely exit the muzzle so that the rod does not fall against the bore. If at any time during the ten shots I see copper streaks at the muzzle after cleaning I will go back into the barrel with Butche’s Bore shine, again on a bonze brush and make sure that the coloration is scrubbed out. I then clean with bore gel to remove any ammonia and fire the next shot. After ten shots I will clean and then make ten passes with JB Bore Bright paste working only breach to muzzle. This pulls out any hard carbon and also any residual copper. I will then proceed with shooting two or three round groups between cleaning again watching for copper streaks.

There is no hard and fast number of rounds that should be used. The barrel may settle in after as few as 3 rounds or may have to be worked out as far as 50. each barrel is individual.

Basically, you are looking for the groups to settle. If you are not a good shot, use something to hold the gun. Once the groups settle, you are all set to go. The purpose of the cleaning is so that the barrel is the only thing acting on the round and that a dirty barrel doesn't change the groups. Naturally you will need to do clean/dirty and cold/hot group tests to determine how those factors change things.

 

[Scrivener]

Sounds extremely obsessive-compulsive, although cleaning between groups does not sound too unreasonable. However, a patch or two is one thing; gel and bore brushes quite another.

OH - if you think the brush going past the muzzled and "dropping" the (probably bronze or teflon-coated) rod will somehow hurt the bore, what do you think reversing the brush IN the bore will do?

At any rate, I use only jacketed ammo during the break-in period.

 

[Admin]

Sounds extremely obsessive-compulsive, although cleaning between groups does not sound too unreasonable. However, a patch or two is one thing; gel and bore brushes quite another.

OH - if you think the brush going past the muzzled and "dropping" the (probably bronze or teflon-coated) rod will somehow hurt the bore, what do you think reversing the brush IN the bore will do?

At any rate, I use only jacketed ammo during the break-in period.

I'm still under the impression that breaking in a barrel is a matter of opinion any ways. For what it's worth on the USMC team we didn't break in either of our rifle or pistol barrels.

 

[Dirtypacman]

I do it just for the sake of doing it ... I have no feedback on if its necessary.

I just run the patches down the barrel or snake it after the first 5 then again after another 5. Then after each 10 up to 100.

 

[drgrant]

I'm still under the impression that breaking in a barrel is a matter of opinion any ways. For what it's worth on the USMC team we didn't break in either of our rifle or pistol barrels.

I'm often with the "just shoot the damn thing" school of thought as well. I've never heard anyone say to me "I had this gun and I didn't break the barrel in right and now the groups suck way more than they're supposed to. " Of course, if a barrel/gun manufacturer comes right out and says "for best results, you should do this" then I'm liable to follow those directions.

-Mike

 

[EddieCoyle]

I just run the patches down the barrel or snake it after the first 5 then again after another 5. Then after each 10 up to 100.

This is probably what I will do.

I mean, we're not talking about a sub-MOA rifle here. But it is pretty:

 

[vellnueve]

On my PSS, I loaded it up and started firing. Probably have about a hundred rounds through it, only cleaned once.

 

[strangenh]

Very nice choice in PCC! I have its modern-style counterpart (IMI Timberwolf).

I suspect that at the 2000-ish fps you'll get out of it, you are not going to have the copper-plating buildup issues that one gets at higher rifle velocities. You'll get copper, but it'll be deposited, not plated on, so I think any break-in process doesn't need to be extreme, even if you want to do one. Your 5, then 5, then every 10 is probably plenty good.

That said, even if copper does build up during break-in, so long as you do clean it well after each trip to the range, you'll just in effect be breaking it in over a longer period by cleaning well in between trips to the range rather than each shot.

 

[TY43215]

This is probably what I will do.

I mean, we're not talking about a sub-MOA rifle here. But it is pretty:

The time it will take you and the ammunition used will be a total waste. You will never see an accuracy advantage on this type of rifle.

Before you start, run a patch that has some oil on it through the bore, then have a good time.

 

[EddieCoyle]

The time it will take you and the ammunition used will be a total waste. You will never see an accuracy advantage on this type of rifle.

Before you start, run a patch that has some oil on it through the bore, then have a good time.

That's the info I was looking for!

 

[mark056]

I really believe that breaking in the barrel harkens back to the days of the old bullseye target shooters when ammunition wasn't nearly as clean and frequently residue fouled the barrel and that of course affected accuracy. I have never bothered with the procedure...but on the other hand I can't see how it would hurt.

Mark L.

 

[M1911]

Renowned barrel maker Gale McMillan weighed in on this issue:

As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the prescribed {one shot, one clean] break-in method, a very large number would do more harm than good. The reason you hear of the gain in accuracy is because if you chamber a barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the rifling. It takes from one to two hundred rounds to burn this burr out and the rifle to settle down and shoot its best. Any one who chambers rifle barrels has tolerances on how dull to let the reamer get and factories let them go longer than any competent smith would....

I inspect every barrel taken off and every new barrel before it is shipped with a bore scope and I will tell you all that I see far more barrels ruined by cleaning rods than I see worn out from normal wear and tear.

Full text here: http://www.6mmbr.com/GailMcMbreakin.html

In other words, with a target grade barrel, all you are doing is wasting ammo, barrel life, and elbow grease. With a .357 lever gun, even if barrel break-in actually worked, you are not going to notice the difference on a 2-5 MOA gun.

Take the darn thing to the range. Shoot it as much as you want. When you get around to it, clean it. Then repeat. And chuckle at the obsessive-compulsives who swear that you must follow some elaborate break-in scheme that they dreamed up. All they are doing is wasting time and wearing out their barrels.

 

[Scrivener]

The Ordained Barrel Break-In Ritual must not be questioned!

However, in order to invoke its mickle powers, you must wear your lucky long johns while using a new bore brush rinsed in holy water....

 

[EddieCoyle]

...all you are doing is wasting ammo, barrel life, and elbow grease. With a .357 lever gun, even if barrel break-in actually worked, you are not going to notice the difference on a 2-5 MOA gun.

Take the darn thing to the range. Shoot it as much as you want. When you get around to it, clean it. Then repeat. And chuckle at the obsessive-compulsives who swear that you must follow some elaborate break-in scheme that the dreamed up. All they are doing is wasting time and wearing out their barrels.

I ran a couple of patches through it after the first box of ammo.

BTW, it's not a lever gun. That's what's cool about it.

 

[jrbtzx12r]

Hmmm. I don't think I missed this in the thread, but forgive me if I did. I thought barrel break in was to get the rough edges of the rifling smoothed out so that the barrel is consistent when the rough edges are gone. To do this you need to remove the deposits left from each round so that the next round can continue to smooth out the rifling. Of course even if you didn't follow any barrel break in period, the barrel would finally smooth out after many cleanings and trips to the range (I guess this is good, as you get to shoot more ).

 

[Cuz]

I'm buying a new rifle in .357 Magnum. I've read that one should clean after each shot for the first ten shots, then after every ten shots for the 1st 100.
Here are my questions:

1. Is this correct?
2. How important is it for a pistol-caliber rifle?
3. Does "cleaning" mean simply running a couple of patches through the barrel?
4. Is there any particular type of ammo I should use or avoid for the break in period?

Oh boy, I guess I really blew that one. When I bought my new AR15 the very first time I brought it to the range we ran about 500 rounds thru it without any cleaning at all. Then, a few days later, still without cleaning, but we did lube it up, we ran over a thousand rounds thru it in one afternoon. That was back in November. It's in my safe now and I still haven't cleaned it. I figure as long as it's working fine, why bother cleaning it?

My bad,
-Cuz.

 

[JimB]

clean first

With a new gun i've always given it a good cleaning and lube before
i take it to the range. Most have a preservative on them that needs
to be removed.

JimB

 

[M1911]

Hmmm. I don't think I missed this in the thread, but forgive me if I did. I thought barrel break in was to get the rough edges of the rifling smoothed out so that the barrel is consistent when the rough edges are gone. To do this you need to remove the deposits left from each round so that the next round can continue to smooth out the rifling. Of course even if you didn't follow any barrel break in period, the barrel would finally smooth out after many cleanings and trips to the range (I guess this is good, as you get to shoot more ).

Read Gale McMillan's full article about barrel break-in.

 

[Admin]

The time it will take you and the ammunition used will be a total waste. You will never see an accuracy advantage on this type of rifle.

Before you start, run a patch that has some oil on it through the bore, then have a good time.

That sounds like a plan right there.

 

[Admin]

I really believe that breaking in the barrel harkens back to the days of the old bullseye target shooters when ammunition wasn't nearly as clean and frequently residue fouled the barrel and that of course affected accuracy. I have never bothered with the procedure...but on the other hand I can't see how it would hurt.

Mark L.

I think that's part of the reasoning. If it give you an advantage mentally because you think it's "broken in" correctly it will probably improve your scores. We all know shooting is 90% mental and 20% physical.

 

[Chris]

The only purpose of "break-in" is to get the groups to settle to a consistent point.

That's it.

You can do it by just shooting.

Those that clean and fire and clean and fire are just being anal about it.

I take a new gun, clean it and lube it, take it out and shoot it for fun with no real worry about accuracy. I'll shoot a short range at a big target. Take it home, clean it again. Then on the NEXT range trip worry about sighting it in. Over time I'll make note of how first rounds tend to react (most first rounds don't fall exactly where following rounds do - something you should know if you ever intend that first shot to count.)

The problem is, it is hard to know when the groups settle unless you do some kind of methodical approach. However, if you go out and shoot 100 rounds, you can pretty much be assured of it.

Keep in mind that a gun's groups may drift over time, so even if you do a 'break-in', you still need to check zero every so often.

Competition shooters also learn how their gun reacts when it gets dirty or hot. If you are lucky, there will be no reaction. Chances are there will be a slight reaction.

In the end, it all boils down to knowing your gun.

 

[boomerang]

I think I'll believe Kreiger...

Match barrel only.

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm

Nylon brush only goes in one direction on a match rifle and the rod never comes out past the crown.

 

[curlymaple42]

This is sort of a shameless plug, but it is one of the reasons I started dealing with Corrosion X. I did a soso job of "breaking in" my match grade 6.5Grendel AR15 rifle by shooting 10rds doing load testing, then cleaned the hell out of it with CX, then shot a few more rounds, cleaned again, etc until I probably had 80 or so rounds down the pipe. The thing I noticed the most was how easy the barrel cleans since I started using CX. Before, cleaning was a chore and took a ton of patches and such (on other rifles), now I brush once or twice with CX, let it sit for a minute, then run a couple patches down and DONE!!

 

[TY43215]

This is sort of a shameless plug, but it is one of the reasons I started dealing with Corrosion X. I did a soso job of "breaking in" my match grade 6.5Grendel AR15 rifle by shooting 10rds doing load testing, then cleaned the hell out of it with CX, then shot a few more rounds, cleaned again, etc until I probably had 80 or so rounds down the pipe. The thing I noticed the most was how easy the barrel cleans since I started using CX. Before, cleaning was a chore and took a ton of patches and such (on other rifles), now I brush once or twice with CX, let it sit for a minute, then run a couple patches down and DONE!!

I have used corrosion X since Mike Tuit first started making it for guns. It is a great product and what is posted by CurlyMaple is dead on accurate.

 

[Pilgrim]

Clean it, lube it and shoot the sumbitch !

 

[Vintovka]

Only comment I have to add is that when my AR match upper arrived from White Oak, it was accompanied by a note which said (paraphrasing from memory): "You don't need to break this barrel in, but if you want to do so, we recommend cleaning once after your first magazine" (the last part may be a bit off... I'll check the actual note and edit later).

I figure if that advice is good enough for John Holliger, it's good enough for me (and if that didn't convince me, Derek's note re: the USMC team definitely did).

 

[Jay G]

It just dawned on me that I have never bought a new rifle. Interesting...

 

[boomerang]

Only comment I have to add is that when my AR match upper arrived from White Oak, it was accompanied by a note which said (paraphrasing from memory): "You don't need to break this barrel in, but if you want to do so, we recommend cleaning once after your first magazine" (the last part may be a bit off... I'll check the actual note and edit later).

I figure if that advice is good enough for John Holliger, it's good enough for me (and if that didn't convince me, Derek's note re: the USMC team definitely did).

coincidently, the paper was right in front of me as I read this. Here's the quote.

"Your upper receiver has been fired approximately 10 rounds to get a rough zero. Because of the quality of the barrel, very little additional break-in will be needed. Just a couple of three shot groups, cleaning between each, should be sufficient."