Barrel Break In???? Myth or Fact?

J

JVHome869

New member
Hello forum members,

I was recently on the Howa website and stumbuled upon the following info...What is everyones thoughts on barrel break in? Is it needed or just a ploy to get us to burn out our barrels faster?

Jay

"Howa Break-In Procedures and Ballistics Charts

BREAK-IN PROCEDURE FOR GUN BARRELS USING JACKETED BULLETS

For the first ten shots we recommend using jacketed bullets with a nitro powder load (Most Factory Ammo). Clean the oil out of the barrel before each shot using a simple window cleaner (like Windex®) which will soak the oil out of the pores. After firing each cartridge, use a good copper cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove the copper fouling from the barrel. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.

After cleaning with bore cleaner, clean again with window cleaner after each shot. Use window cleaner because many bore cleaners use a petroleum base which you want to remove before firing the next shot. This will keep the carbon from building up in the barrel (oil left in the pores, when burned, turns to carbon).

To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will destroy the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel “walk” when it heats up in the future. We have all seen barrels that, as they heat up, start to shoot high and then “walk” to the right. This was caused by improperly breaking in the barrel (generally by sitting at a bench rest and shooting 20 rounds in 5 minutes or so). If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the barrel in the future.

Look into the end of the barrel after firing a shot, and you will see a light copper-colored wash in the barrel. Remove this before firing the next shot. Somewhere during the procedure, around shot 6 or 7, it will be obvious that the copper color is no longer appearing in the barrel. Continue the window cleaner and bore cleaner applications through shot 10.

Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots, for the next 10 shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed through the cutting and hand lapping procedures.
 
Originally Posted By: JVHome869In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed through the cutting and hand lapping procedures.[/i]

Ya gotta love the *in theory* part. That's a
lol.gif


In theory, if the wife and I never had sex we woulda never had kids.
 
I say it's a myth. This is a post by Gale McMillan on another forum several years back. It's good enough for me.

"I 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."
 
I concur. I called Rock River and talked to them, they said shoot. I called Wilson and they said, that would imply that our barrels aren't finished when they leave us. Like stated above, just shoot. Nothing wrong if you want to do the break in thing, just sayin, SHOOT and have fun.
 
So,the next thing is to touch on "more people screw up barrels with incorrect cleaning"

So, how are we supposed to be cleaning a rifle, to keep from screwing them up???

I use a 1 piece steel rod with a higher quality alum. bore guide for my specific caliber, nylon, not brass brush.

What do the "experts" recommend so the average Joe doesn't screw things up with his ignorance in cleaning his rifle.
 
Bore guide, no sectioned rods, keep the rod clean, don't use excessively tight patches, clean your brush after each use, and replace them regularly. Don't clean the barrel excessively.


I had a customer bring in a .223 that he had run about 10K rounds through according to the number of boxes of primers he had used for it. There was only decent rifling in the last 4 inches of the barrel. When I asked him what his cleaning procedure had been he said "JB and sweets every 10 rounds". No wonder it looked like a smooth bore for most of the barrel.
 
Both. On custom barrel that have been hand lapped it's a waste of time. On rough factory barrels it does help some to keep the fouling down. Most factory chambers also have a few small burrs from chambering it will smoth those out also.
 
I think we're all thinking too much.. I'm 63 years old and have never conciously done a barrel break in procedure.. I also clean my guns when they need it.. Same way I have all my life.. Personally I have never noticed any difference in how they shoot new or after 2-300 rounds.. A gun either shoots good or it doesn't. That's my experience
 
I recently bought a new 22-250 barrel. I called the manufacture and asked them about their break in procedure. He told me that barrels now a days need no break in period at all. He just told me to make sure the barrel was clean before I shoot it the first time. He told me break in periods are a thing of the past.
 
On a custom high dollar barrel I would sure hope they come lapped from the manufacture. On factory guns maybe. I've seen several test done on lapping compounds, hand lapping, lapping by firing and cleaning, etc.

Hand lapping results almost always improved the barrels some, but I've read about a couple with no improvement.

The fire and clean method is simply another way to remove the high spots, fill the low, and smooth rough spots in general. In my oppinion you're going to get the same results by putting a couple hundred rounds down range anyhow. That is on of the reasons why you hear people say it took a hundred rounds or so to settle in. The more you shoot the smoother it gets and better it shoots, until you pass the hump. After that the more you shoot the larger the groups become until you have to replace the barrel.

Hand lapping replaces the first 1000 or so shots for those that don't want to wait or spend the money on ammo. The twenty round clean every round, twenty round clean every five might make up for the first 100 rounds by allowing the bullets to "sand" the rough spots on claened and degreesed barrels.

I do truely believe it only applies to mass produced barrels not lapped at the factory though.
 
Quote:What do the "experts" recommend so the average Joe doesn't screw things up with his ignorance in cleaning his rifle.

Always use the proper bore guide.

Always use a one piece rod that spins freely.

Always (when possible) clean from the breach.

Never use a brass brush or jag when using a copper solvent (what's brass made of..DUH).

Be careful when using different solvents, some don't mix well.

Don't let your jag or brush come out of the muzzle.

Don't overclean. Let your rifle tell you when it needs to be cleaned.

"A dirty barrel is a happy barrel." Mark Spicer-SAS sniper and instructor (ret), author of British army's marksmanship manual (and other "sniper books").
 
I was always told to never reverse the direction of a brush while it was in the bore. Maybe it doesn't mater on a plastic brush???
 
I dont do the break in thing. I use a copper solvent patch and run a bore snake a couple times a year. I used to do this after each shoot but now take a more relaxed approach. After shooting my 90 yr. old grandfathers 40+yr old Rem 700 .270 which to my knowledge has never had a cleaning rod ran through it, will still shoot around 1" groups with factory ammo. I also have a Mosin Nagent that the inside of the barrel looks very rough, but it is one of my most accurate guns while wearing iron sites. I bought a brand new Savage 30.06 this summer and I cant get anything better than 2" groups with it. They either shoot or they dont.
 
Originally Posted By: nmleonQuote:What do the "experts" recommend so the average Joe doesn't screw things up with his ignorance in cleaning his rifle.

Always use the proper bore guide.

Always use a one piece rod that spins freely.

Always (when possible) clean from the breach.

Never use a brass brush or jag when using a copper solvent (what's brass made of..DUH).

Be careful when using different solvents, some don't mix well.

Don't let your jag or brush come out of the muzzle.
Don't overclean. Let your rifle tell you when it needs to be cleaned.

"A dirty barrel is a happy barrel." Mark Spicer-SAS sniper and instructor (ret), author of British army's marksmanship manual (and other "sniper books").


Do you push a jag with a patch in and back again without taking the patch off??? I was always told to pull the patch off, then pull the rod back through.

I was also under the impression you shouldn't pull a brush back through without pushing it all the way out, otherwise the brissels stay canted back when you pull it back through, this can cause them to wear uneven and in some cases break...?

I ask because I wish to find the correct answer, not to try and discredit your methods.
 
Any barrel manufacturer that tells you to follow a "break in" procedure, is really, having you finish the barrel for them, at your expense.
 
Never have done the barrel break in thing. Put some ammo in it and shoot. Good enough for me and everyone else I know.
 
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