barrel break-in

[rattfink]

+1 I agree with this. The Marines don't do anything special to break in a barrel, just tune the action to the stock and the load to the barrel.

Actually I am pretty sure every barrel I have ever been issued was broken in by at least a dozen jarheads before me firing off as many 5.56 tracers as quickly as possible in order to not have to turn in ammo after the range is shut down for being on fire at the end of every fiscal year.

So if I was going to recommend a break in procedure, that would be it. Why mess with a winning formula?

[LoneWolf]

I was stationed at PI for 4 years. Used the same rifles the recruits did. Even the weapon I had to set the sights 27 clicks to the left (note: M16 A-2 sights only get about 30 in each direction) Shot expert without issue. Probably 100,000 round through most of those barrels easy. Not to mention all the blanks and other garbage they have done to them on a regular basis. Recruits would break an anvil if you gave them one!

[rattfink]

I was stationed at PI for 4 years. Used the same rifles the recruits did. Even the weapon I had to set the sights 27 clicks to the left (note: M16 A-2 sights only get about 30 in each direction) Shot expert without issue. Probably 100,000 round through most of those barrels easy. Not to mention all the blanks and other garbage they have done to them on a regular basis. Recruits would break an anvil if you gave them one!

Yep. I shoot about the same every year. The only bad rifle I ever had was in MCT, and the upper was visibly more aged and very pitted. The upper wobbled wildly on the lower. It was ridiculous.

Enough thread highjack though. Suffice to say, I have yet to see anything that would convince me there is any value to a barrel break in procedure. I hear plenty of anecdotes both ways but I have never seen anything remotely resembling a scientific test with an experiment and control group. It makes me wonder what companies recommending this or that break in procedure are basing their recommendations on.