Barrel Break-In

[DenverDave]

People seem to have differing opinions on how to break in a barrel, and the effectiveness of dealing going through such a process. I recently picked up a model 10T in 6.5 CM. I have fired 1 box of A-Max ammo through it, not following any break in procedure so far. Do users recommend a break in method they have had success with? Having already fired 20 shots through my rifle, will following a break in process be advantageous at this point?

Thanks,
Dave

[LongRange]

It's broke in now just shoot it.

[darkker]

Break-in, as it gets done, is Bogus.
The theory, I have no problem with. But unless you use a borescope and actually know what you may, or may not, be dealing with; OR how well your method is working..... You aren't "fixing" anything.

If your car pulls to the right, but you refuse to get out of the car. Do you immediately drive to a tire house, and demand they change the tire?? Not likely, and for the same reasons.

Shoot the thing. Enjoy and be merry.

[Damon555]

No amount of "break-in" will break the barrel in any better than just shooting it. Don't waste your time, money and ammo.

[SlowTrigger]

This is interesting. Most if not all the replies in this thread are basically stating there's no need for barrel break-in. At least that's how I've interpreted the answers. I don't have a problem with it, but I remember not that long ago there was a similar thread on the forum and in that case some of the folks on the forum were advocating for barrel break-in procedures - some stricter than others. I'm no expert in barrel breakin procedures but it makes me wonder why I see so many people breaking in their barrels.... :confused:

[Hector]

No amount of "break-in" will break the barrel in any better than just shooting it. Don't waste your time, money and ammo.
I thought the whole idea of 'break-in' was to smooth a freshly cut barrel and it's chamber.
Shoot a couple shots, knock down some burrs, clean out the copper that the burrs collected and so on until the barrel doesn't copper so bad.
I realize quality barrels do not need this, but I think mass produced rifles may and sometimes do.

[jpx2rk]

Just about every gun/shooting forum has a similar thread, with varying opinions, some posters are obsessive, others, not so much. LOL. Whatever you think will work for you is the important method to follow.

[foxx]

I don't bother any more. But I am confident Savage factory barrels tend to shoot better after 100-200 rounds, no matter how you clean the barrel between shots.

Also, they have a reputation for not needing heavy cleaning. Don't be too concerned about copper fouling. It seems copper fouling tends to fill some of the imperfections. Just shoot it, pay attention to how it performs and round count, and clean when accuracy falls off. You might find light cleaning to remove/prevent carbon build up around 50-100 shot intervals will be all you need.

[earl39]

The ins and outs of barrel break in are something that can be talked about and argued about till the end of time because no two barrels are alike. The biggest thing with barrel break in is getting you in the habit of cleaning your barrel.

[Newsshooter]

Just shoot it, then clean it when the accuracy drops off, I usually go about 300 rounds.

[Dave Hoback]

Kelly McMillan, of McMillan barrels said "this barrel break-in processes keeps us in business. This shoot and clean, shoot and clean every round or few rounds break-in process only damages your new match barrel and/or significantly decreases the barrel life."

Yeah, I like what he says. I'll not do that.

[darkker]

Just shoot it, then clean it when the accuracy drops off, I usually go about 300 rounds.

Yep, Painless is about 500. Some rifles are more like 300. Just depends.

[RC20]

I don't buy that you war out barrel cleaning them, a brush and patch going down the barrel is not going to be anything like a bullet at 2500 fps+

So run 100 bullets through at that speed and even a steel rod is going to wear out a barrel with 5 strokes?

Nice smooth steel rod is not a file, and a file is hard enough to get to take down steel (of any hardness)

Most of us use a coated rod and clean from the back, pretty much kills any of that me thinks

Damaging the crown with a steel rod cleaning from the front you might. You have to wonder if its no more than an urban legend.

No one has sat down and done a scientific study on this, its all opinion (conjecture).

I forget the term, but its like the Moon comes up and no one hits you. Moon goes down, get into a crash. Ah hah, its the MOON!

You read each barrel mfg, each has their own take, all are different, some pretty much say a bit of cleaning and fire away.

I will clean the new barrels every 5 shots or so, but in the HOPE it may help, not because I think it does. Maybe get a feel for the barrel.

My factory Savage I just cleaned it when it came in and then shot it, clean4ed it when I got home. As noted it took about 200 rounds before it settled down.

Lot of reports on rough Savage barrels, mine was as smooth as glass.

[darkker]

The "issue" with cleaning wear, isn't from the brush so much. It's from people grinding away on the throat area with the steel rod. You don't have to "wear away" the rifling. You just have to knock-down the edges, thereby causing gas by-passing; and further accelerating the wear from the combustion gasses.

The hard metal particles in the fouling, typically from the primer but also the Tin/Bismuth in "cleaner" powders, or the hard carbon which is a side effect of Coated extruded(Extreme) powders. Those are the large wear components.

[Ryfulman]

Just shoot it, then clean it when the accuracy drops off, I usually go about 300 rounds.
There is much wisdom in this post. I agree completely.

[Ryfulman]

The "issue" with cleaning wear, isn't from the brush so much. It's from people grinding away on the throat area with the steel rod. You don't have to "wear away" the rifling. You just have to knock-down the edges, thereby causing gas by-passing; and further accelerating the wear from the combustion gasses.

The hard metal particles in the fouling, typically from the primer but also the Tin/Bismuth in "cleaner" powders, or the hard carbon which is a side effect of Coated extruded(Extreme) powders. Those are the large wear components.

Yep
imagine uber hot gases pushing the equivalent of sand down the bore and you've just described every time a shot is taken. When it comes to break in what we are really after is smoothing over the chatter marks in the throat. A hand lapped barrel won't have chatter marks unless your smith chambers the barrel.
So shoot then clean with a wet snake to remove the powder fouling so the copper can layer onto clean copper. After 4-5 shots like this the throat has been smoothed over and copper has eliminated any inconsistencies.
However that isn't achieving copper equilibrium. CE happens when each shot removes as much copper as it leaves behind. It's at this point that you get your hoghest velocities because the bullet is as tight and gases are sealed as good as they ever will be sealed,thus more speed.
Consistency will also improve because now each shot is taking copper and leaving some behind whereas before equilibrium was achieved more copper was being left behind than was being removed,so the bullets flight would be inconsistent. Once equilibrium is reached each shot should fly consistently when leaving the barrel.
It's why I almost never clean copper anymore. Because it will take a while to put that copper back which defeats the purpose of removing it,doesn't it.
So until equilibrium is achieved again the gun won't print consistently as in the last outing prior to cleaning.
So now I'm a minimalist. And I've never shot as consistently as I do now.
Which tells me I'm on to something. For me application anyway.
There are guys here that shoot ,I have better than I do and they will have their voodoo ways as well. I just thought I'd share ,y experiences just so a new shooter doesn't get all hung up if he didn't clean after an outing or 2 and he is worried about damage.

[RC20]

The "issue" with cleaning wear, isn't from the brush so much. It's from people grinding away on the throat area with the steel rod. You don't have to "wear away" the rifling. You just have to knock-down the edges, thereby causing gas by-passing; and further accelerating the wear from the combustion gasses.

The hard metal particles in the fouling, typically from the primer but also the Tin/Bismuth in "cleaner" powders, or the hard carbon which is a side effect of Coated extruded(Extreme) powders. Those are the large wear components.

Hunters only may clean with steel rods. How many of use do?

Again I think its overblown. Hard steel is hard enough to cut with a file or blade designed to do so, smooth steel rod (and far more generally aluminum) hmmm.

[Damon555]

I thought the whole idea of 'break-in' was to smooth a freshly cut barrel and it's chamber.
Shoot a couple shots, knock down some burrs, clean out the copper that the burrs collected and so on until the barrel doesn't copper so bad.
I realize quality barrels do not need this, but I think mass produced rifles may and sometimes do.

So why won't just shooting the gun accomplish the same thing?....Where does the need for all the extra cleaning come from?

[RC20]

That puzzles me as well. Its not like copper is building up in deep layers in the groves.

And if it is cleaning does not help, you need copper solvent.

Actually what you probably need is one of the lapping bullets as if you get all the copper off a rough barrel then you just plate it again next time.

[Hector]

So why won't just shooting the gun accomplish the same thing?....Where does the need for all the extra cleaning come from?
You are right. Don't do it.