Barrel break in

ericthered

This isn't a question, but I see the subject of barrel break in come up quite often, so this is my theory.
1.New barrels (from most manufacters) have microscopic burrs.
2.You shoot bullets down the bore to iron the burrs out.
3.You clean the barrel, to get the copper out, so that the next bullet can do it's job.
It really doesn't matter if you shoot one, five, or twenty shots between cleanings, as long as you get the barrel clean. Again, this is only my theory, not the gospel.

ericthered

I just got a Marlin 1894 in .357 primarily for cowboy shooting. It's the first rifle that I've gotten new. The same day the American Hunter came in the mail. It had an article about barrel break in. I will mostly be shooting lead, and not looking for pinpoint accuracy. Do I need to follow some kind of breakin process? The article talked about jacketed bullets. Should I use them for the first 50 rounds or so ?
Thanks for your help,
Marc

ericthered

I have heard lots of people talk about breaking in
their barrel with a 100 or so rounds. What is the purpose in
cleaning it between shots. I see no rational for that.

And how much will it close the group to break it in.
I am trying to get a better group out of an almost
new springfield M1A.

Is there anything to coat the bullets with to polish
the barrel without buying the ridiculously expensive
firelapping stuff. I priced it around 50 or 75 bucks.

Eric

thats'me

MIKE WISKEY

THE SUPPOSED REASON FOR THIS BREAK-IN SHOOTING IS TO POLISH THE INSIDE OF THE BORE SO THE RIFLE A. WILL GROUP MORE PRECISLY, B. REDUCE COPPER FOULING (EASYER, LESS OFFEN CLEANING). IF YOU HAVE A GOOD QUALITY BARREL FIRE LAPPING IS UNNESSESSARY.

Nighthawk

The main reason to clean a new break in barrel is to remove any metal shavings that might remain in your rifleing. I didnt use to do this, but now I sware by it. After every six or seven rounds run a patch soaked in a good bore solvent. Repeat this about four times.you will start to see them groups tighten. Hope this helps.




Rugster

JustC

there are very fine pores in the metal, (all metal). therefore, when you break in the barrel, you are compacting some of your metal which is stripped off of the bullet during it's path down the barrel. By cleaning between shots and then shooting, the theory is that you are closing the pores with that metal. It will actually reduce the miniscule amount of gas pressure uneveness and serve to create the same frictional force on the bullet at every point in the barrel. this in turn allows the bullet to not have to enter a tight or loose spot (hundreds of thousandths of an inch) in the barrel. This will then allow the center of gravity of the bullet to remain central and not be forced to the outside of a particluar section of the bullet which would cause slightly less stable spins. This is all of course a very, very, small scale which is hard to measure, but at long distances, the results are evident in fractions of, and or even greater than an inch. This is why the benchrest guys break in barrels. The winner is determined by group sizes often being measured with calipers and only hundredths of an inch seperating first and second place.

clean every shot for the first 10
clean every 5 shots for the next 50
clean every 10 shots for the remainder of 100-150 rnds.

I don't consider my barrels in prime condition until around 150-200 premium quality bullets have benn run through in this manner. But that's just me, this is a topic of great debate among the shooters.

A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.

GreenLantern

What type of M1A? Standard, NM, ...?

JABS

I just bought a used varmit rifle (70's)and i have no idea of how the previous owner used it. It looks in very good shape however. I know that the breaking in procedure is usually done on a new barrel but if it has never been done, is it too late for my rifle or could it be usefull anyway. Thanks

idsman75

If the gun is used and has seen more than a couple of rounds then, theoretically, it is too late. Be wary though. There are just as many experts who insist that this is an unnecessary procedure as there are "experts" who swear by it. For hunting and field purposes, this is just going to take life away from your barrel. It will be 100 rounds closer to the end of its expected life-span. Tom Gresham of "Guns and Ammo" swears by it and Winchester publishes the entire process and the theory behind it on their firearms website. Then again some over at McMillan laugh at it. It all seems like superstition to me. If it is what you need to do in order to have utmost confidence in your rifle, then so be it. Confidence in the equipment you use is just as important as competence with the equipment you use. However, there are few people that I know that actually go through this ritual.

SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY

beachmaster73

JustC has it exactly right... Virtually all competitive riflemen break their new barrel in to achieve premium accuracy. If you are not shooting in bench rest competition or National Match level shooting you may not want or need to do it. There are a few PREMIUM rifles barrels made by some makers...especially those that want you to believe their barrels are better than anyone elses who say it's not necessary, fine don't break your new barrel in....and Someone who has is going to beat you out. My .338 McMillan cost me alot and I broke the barrel in despite what some McMillans might say. I have broken the barrels of all of My match M1's, M1A's, and now my AR-15s. My two best match service rifles give me groups from a bench that I would compare to almost any full match bolt guns...they do it without heavyweight match barrels...Yeah yeah they were worked on by the best match armourers in the United States Marine Corps and Navy, but I'm convinced the breakin is what has given me the consistancy in those rifles. If you are only going to be using your rifle for "spray and pray" shooting or deer hunting at under 200 yards you don't need to do it. If you want to achieve long range accuracy at 600 or 1000 yards or greater you just ought to do it. It costs you 40 rounds of ammo and a bottle of copper solvent...if people think that is "wearing out the barrel" they are probably on drugs. If you go to Camp Perry in July and August just ask the best shooters in the country. You might find one who doesn't do it but he's probably not a very good shot. The best ones all do. Annealing has been around for a long long time and in a way that is what you are doing to the barrel.

If the barrel has more than 10-15 rounds through it..it is probably too late to really improve the accuracy but it sure won't hurt to try. Beach


P.S. Yeah yeah I probably shouldn't have said anything but I'm committed to education and not ignorance. If it helps the rifle's accuracy(and it does) just do it.

coyote-man

ericthered,
It seems your question was answered on barrel break in, so I give a quick note on fire lapping. You would only do this at last resort, never want to do it to a fine custom barrel. It will help in some rifles if they are really poor shooters, but like I said, only at the last resort.
Now as for revolvers, this will really make a big difference in some of them. I seen it happen on Wesson 445 Super Mag., when the guy got done, after 60 rounds, it was printing a 300gr swc 5/8" at 50 yrds.(3shots).