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Is there some basic break-in procedure that should be followed when using a rifle for the first time? I just purchased a Mark II -BTV the other day and I have yet to fire it. Just wondering if there is anything special that needs to be done as this is my first new rifle.
Thanks,
Dan
This is a big can of worms. Everyone has there opinion on what to do. I say just shoot it. I can't find any scientific prof, that barrel break in procedures actually works.
Shoot one shot, ,,,,, Dance to the god of winds
Shoot another shot,,,,,, kneel to the god rain
shoot another shot,,,,,,,pray to the god of fire
shoot another shot,,,, bow to the god of thunder
shoot another shot,,,,,, kiss the range masters @$$
shoot another shot,,,,,, Broke in!!!!
This must be all done when singing the "Hokey Pokey" song.
1. Shoot one shot. Then put your left leg in.
2. Shoot another shot. Then put your left leg out behind you.
3. Shoot another shot. Then put you left leg in again and shake it all about.
4. Shoot another shot. Put your elbows at your sides with your hands at shoulder height and do the Hokey Pokey while turning clockwise in a circle and alternately raising your hands a few inches.
5. Stop turning and clap your hands while singing, "That's what it's all about!"
Repeat steps 1-5 and your done.
Sorry about the humor, but that's how I do it. Seriously.
Any scientific proof that your breakin works better than mine? Yours looks funner ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by louthedog
Thats great!Quote:
Originally Posted by outlawkyote
No scientific proof yet. Still working on it. Sure draws a crowd at the range though.Quote:
Originally Posted by outlawkyote
All you need to remember is it's a rimfire, clean it real good then just shoot it and it'll be broke in after a few bricks.
ok that leads me to my next question. What's the best way to clean the barrel? What products do you recommend that I use or others that I should steer clear of? Is there any reason to stay away from bronze brushes? Any tips or tricks? Any help would be great.
Dan
Again another can of worms with many opinions. Get a bore guide from possum hollow, and use a good one piece rod. Bronze brushes are a must for cleaning any firearm. A lot of rimfire shooter use shooters choice, lead remover solvent.
thanks, I will definitely look into it. Any good sources for a good one piece rod? What material should it be made of? Who sells Shooter's Choice? Thanks for the quick replies.
Dan
I use nothing but a patchworm and butches bore shine on all my rimfires.
http://patchworm.com/
Good 1 piece rod, J DeweyQuote:
Originally Posted by supr78nova
Shooters choice is sold at the same store that sell ammo listed in your other post. Also MC Sporting goods use to sell. it and many local stores as well.
I use the same method on all of my rimfires as recommended by custom barrel manufacturers around the globe. "Use of any metallic brush will void any warranty, only swabs are to be used."
After the initial cleaning, the only time I ever clean 22 LR guns is if I take them out in the rain/mud/snow etc., drag them through some muck (like the gun that goes on the 4 day canoe trips) or accuracy falls off for some strange reason.
When you change ammo types/brands be sure to shoot at least 50 rounds through it before you begin to make an opinion on whether it is "good" or "bad" ammo for your rifle. The lube on rimfire bullets varies a lot and you have to let them settle in when you change brands/types.
When I got the gun home last week, I cleaned the bore first with a bronze brush, followed by some saturated patches, then some dry patches and then proceeded to oil it. Is it possible that I did some damage to the bore or crown of the barrel in doing this?
I checked the website for the Possum Hollow bore guide and I can't find a part number that corresponds to a savage 22 rimfire. Any help on that would be great.
The patchworm looks like a good idea and seems like it would work pretty well. I guess if using brushes is really that bad of an idea I will have to look further into this.
Would it be ok to use patches on a jag or is that a no-no as well?
Why would the use of a metallic brush that is softer than the steel barrel void the warranty?
To put it simply, and I feel most will agree ;D The only way a bronze or brass brush will ever hurt a steel barrel is if it were to be constantly rubbing together for years on end, maybe not that long, but you get the picture. There is nothing wrong with using a bronze or brass brush, I believe 99% of the damage will come from being to aggressive with cleaning.
No, it will not damage your crown or chamber, unless you dropped it on concrete. That does damage the barrel, I know.
How people clean their firearms is a personal as asking the best way to wax your car, DON'T ANSWER THAT :P It comes down to what you prefer and what makes you feel most comfortable. I know people who clean their rifles every ten shots, I know other people who have 50,000 rounds and have never cleaned it.
The only thing I will say to NEVER use is steel cleaning equipment, ever. I personally use the Otis Rimfire kit. It works just like a rod but is a cable so it is much more compact, it even comes with a pack. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=254748 I also have one for my 243.
on rimfires your not breaking in the barrel. you are breaking in the chamber. the chamber will be rough were the bullet meets the lands. that is what you are breaking in. some will take very few shots others may that a 1000 to smooth out. it all depends on how rough it the chamber is when you get the rifle.
as for cleaning allow the gun to tell you.
That answers a lot...thanks guys, I really appreciate the help.
Dan
Just give them a call, they have hundreds of bore guides that are not in their catalog, or have part numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by supr78nova
What Barrel manufacture is this ? This is the first time I have ever heard such a thing. Then again what kind of warranty does any barrel maker offer?Quote:
Originally Posted by shelbyfan
Volquartsen has it on it's information. I really don't know why they have it. But I rarely ever need a brush anyway. Only on dirty barrels or barrels that have been mistreated.Quote:
Originally Posted by 82boy
VQ's website.
Also, you are not just breaking in the chamber. On a new barrel there is a lot of slag and burrs on the rifling that come off with usage. I go around this by using bore paste and polishing the barrel, chamber and rifling before it ever gets shot.Quote:
We recommend a pull through type cleaning kit for all Volquartsen barrels. We always recommend breech to muzzle cleaning. Failure to do so with void any factory warranty.
I clean my rimfires every 10 years whether they need it or not. Well not every 10 years but close. Seriously I didn't clean a Marlin Model 60 for 11 years after I bought it. I didn't clean it until it started having feeding issues. I cleaned it once and waited another 6 years before I cleaned it again. It still shoots perfect after 21 years of ownership. Rimfires can go a LONG time between cleanings. The only time I ever cleaned that Marlin often was when I bought a brick of Remington Thunderbolts. I had to clean that rifle 3 times and I only shot about 200 rounds of that stuff through it. I shot the rest through a Stevens 15-A which is a single shot, bolt action rifle from the early 50's. I actually had to clean it 3 times because the bolt would barely move.
I do run a rod through my rimfires once in a while. But to actually take it apart and clean it is just something that is overrated. I don't run a brush through the bore that often either really. I only do it when I start noticing some affect on shooting. I've cleaned my new MkIIFV a few times because the chamber is tight (that's how you get a super accurate gun) and any buildup will cause ejection problems.
To be honest I don't use patches on rimfires because every brush I've ever bought was too big to go through the bore if you wrap a single layer of a patch around it. So I just use a brush. It hasn't hurt either of my older rimfires. I've had the Stevens for 31 years and it was my dad's for 15 years before that and my neighbor owned it before that and nobody every cleaned it on a regular basis. And it will still drive tacks any day.
I do take care of my guns. I clean my shotguns every time I shoot them. But shotguns are a different animal completely. I clean my centerfires too but not too often. I generally clean them after about 200 rounds except for my handguns which I clean pretty much every time I shoot them. I keep everything oiled where it should be oiled and I keep things clean that need to be clean. But rimfires don't really need to be cleaned all the time. If I cleaned one every 10 rounds I don't think I'd ever get it fouled enough to shoot accurate. And if you want to shoot a rifle without letting it get fouled you'd have to clean it more often than every 10 rounds IMO. It takes about 25 rounds for a rifle to settle in for accurate shooting after a good cleaning in my experience. That number might be smaller as the cartridges get bigger but I know that's about how my 110 in .30-06 works. People talk about shooting a fouling shot. I think it takes a box of ammo to get a centerfire barrel fouled enough to shoot consistently.
Also, you are not just breaking in the chamber. On a new barrel there is a lot of slag and burrs on the rifling that come off with usage. I go around this by using bore paste and polishing the barrel, chamber and rifling before it ever gets shot.
if you are buying a top notch match grade rimfire barrel they are already hand lapped when you get them. the burs have been removed already from the barrel. same goes for centerfire. so relapping isn't needed. i order shilens and lilja barrels myself for my rimfire match rifles. i just have to break in the chamber and they are ready to go. i have bore scoped every one of my new barrels. none of them had burs in the bore. they did have a few very tiny burs at the end of the chamber.
my mcgowan barrel for my .308 needed lapping baddly when i got it in. after lapping and a propper breaking in i have no problem cleaning it at all. the copper and crud comes out of it very fast now.
basically if you stick with a upper end barrel maker who laps thier barrels before you get it you'll be better off.
he's talking about a savage rifle so the barrel won't be hand lapped. some lapping would be the first thing i would do.
here is what shilen says about thier barrels and this is why i stay with thier barrels.
How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?
Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal. All our stainless steel barrels have been hand lapped as part of their production, as well as any chrome moly barrel we install. Hand lapping a barrel polishes the interior of the barrel and eliminates sharp edges or burrs that could cause jacket deformity. This, in fact, is what you are doing when you break-in a new barrel through firing and cleaning.
Here is our standard recommendation: Clean after each shot for the first 5 shots. The remainder of the break-in is to clean every 5 shots for the next 50 shots. During this time, don't just shoot bullets down the barrel during this 50 shot procedure. This is a great time to begin load development. Zero the scope over the first 5 shots, and start shooting for accuracy with 5-shot groups for the next 50 shots. Same thing applies to fire forming cases for improved or wildcat cartridges. Just firing rounds down a barrel to form brass without any regard to their accuracy is a mistake. It is a waste of time and barrel life.
The easiest way to clean any barrel I've found is the Boresnake. Put whatever cleaner you use, pull it through both ways about 4 times and it will be sparkling clean.
That is just a big load of crappolla that unfortuneately half decent people invented to show their really bad undecent side with. I even wrote Jeff Quinn on Gunblast last week and asked him if he had heard of a break in procedure for a new rifle barrell. Supposedly some brain surgeon scam artist cam out with special barrel breakin bullets.....I am betting it was the PT Barnum bullet company. I trust Jeff Quin about anything that makes a bang when you pull the trigger. He said no. Just do not overheat a new rifle. I agree. I do fire about ten rds and run an oily patch through or shoot a squirt or two of Mobile One synthetic motor oil down the bore.It makes a fantastic muzzle flash and will help clear any loose debri. I DO think it is importat to clean a new bore real good before fireing it because it could have packing grease or fine debris of some kind tha could score it if it were shot through the bore.
They do make bore cleaning bullets specifically for breaking in new barrels. However, they are basically a waste of money as the bullet is coated and the coating comes off nearly immediately when it enters the barrel. Also, they are a big fat waste of money. A small tube of JB Bore Paste runs about 11 bucks and it will last a very long time.
big dave,
i tend to agree to a point. the bullets that you reload to help clean a barrel up don't sound like a good ideal to me either. the truth is if you have ever bore scoped a new factory rifle barrel you'll wonder how it would even hit the side of a barn. they are rough and not very uniformed. they have rough edges, burs and many have misformed rifling. the braking in helps to clean the edges up, remove burs, but the misformed rifling will still be there.
that is the reason i use high end barrels on everything. the companies who make them know that we target shooters are a demanding crowd. they handlap them and when you bore scope them they are perfect. the only thing you have to clean up is when the new chamber is reamed. there will be tiny burs from that process.
another thing the more uniform the barrel is in the rifling and chamber area the easier they are to clean. i have had many top grade barrels on rimfires and centerfires. i wouldn't dream of using the tubs bullets for cleaning up a top notch barrel or a ugly factory barrel. i'd lap a ugly factory barrel then see how it went from there.