Breaking in a new 9mm Trubor

[Hi-Power Jack]

I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my last post, asking what type of 9mm race gun I should buy.

Got lots of comments - split between the Dawson Trubor and a custom gun - I couldn't wait long enough (all the great gunsmiths everybody recommended are busy and will take 4-6 months to get me a new gun), so I ordered the Dawson Trubor - hope to have it soon:))

Anyway, here's the question:

I plan on stripping the new gun, cleaning and lubeing it, and then

firing 100 rounds thru it - repeat the cleanign/lube part, and fire

another 300-500 rounds. Clean & lube again, and shoot more

rounds.

Any other suggestions as to how you would "break in " a new gun

like this - Dawson is going over the gun and mags for me, first.

Thanks,

Jack

[al503]

I tend to shoot the gun wet. Can't use too much oil when you're breaking it in.

I will also run about 75 rounds through it as quickly as possible and then let it cool down completely x2. (heat cycle.)

[HSMITH]

Jack, clean it and oil it, then shoot the snot out of it without getting it all that hot. If you can't hold your hand to the slide for a 5 count let it sit a bit. I like to put at LEAST 500 through a new gun before I clean it, and usually 1000 rounds. I pull it down, clean it up, look for any unusual wear patterns or marks, lube it up and shoot it some more.

Don't worry about breaking in the barrel, or breaking in the gun. It doesn't really do anything but take your time to do it. Just go shoot!

[Kingman]

yep, as Howard says, shoot it as normal for the most part. You would not get any precision instrument super hot on purpose, so why do it to your new open gun. yes it does happen, but not on purpose.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Howard, thanks for all the advice - when you say "pull it down", do you mean more than the usual

dissassembly of the top, barrel and bottom?

At what point do you try to keep the barrel unfouled with copper? Do you recommend shooting some lead thru the barrel to help "condition it"?

How often do you soak the gun in a cleansing solution?

Any recommendations for lubes or cleaning agents?

Jack

Jack, clean it and oil it, then shoot the snot out of it without getting it all that hot. If you can't hold your hand to the slide for a 5 count let it sit a bit. I like to put at LEAST 500 through a new gun before I clean it, and usually 1000 rounds. I pull it down, clean it up, look for any unusual wear patterns or marks, lube it up and shoot it some more.

Don't worry about breaking in the barrel, or breaking in the gun. It doesn't really do anything but take your time to do it. Just go shoot!

[HSMITH]

Jack, I mean just field strip it at 500-1000 rounds. Every couple thousand rounds pull the hammer, sear, disconnector out and clean a little deeper.

I don't put anything but bullets down the barrels, I don't believe in cleaning bores in these guns. I just shot an Open gun over a rest that has 14-15K rounds through it and has never had the barrel cleaned, it still shoots way under an inch at 25 yards. You will have to clean the chamber, just twist a dry brush a couple times and that is all it will take. Depending on the bullet you use you will have to scrape the crud out of the comp once in a while, but not more than every 8-10K rounds using good jacketed bullets.

I don't ever soak the gun, I just clean them normally.

I use cheap solvent if I have it or oil and a toothbrush, anything that will cut the carbon is fine. Mobil 1 will cut carbon surprisingly well. In warm weather I use Slide Glide and if you paint it on ALL of the surfaces inside the frame and slide you can clean the gun completely with a paper towel and nothing more. The grease keeps the fouling soft. You can do the same with oil in colder weather, but have to put more oil on regularly or the fouling will start to stick.

[ipscbob]

Shoot the gun as you would on a stage. No more than 20-30 rounds at a time before taking a break to let it cool a bit. I ALWAYS keep my open guns pretty wet with synthetic oil. If the gun is built tightly and you run it without sufficient lubrication, it will loosen up prematurely. I clean all of my guns between matches or range sessions, when the gun is clean it is more reliable.

[G-ManBart]

As Howard mentioned, shoot at least several hundred rounds through it after the initial stip and clean.

Cleaning guns for reliability and accuracy is overrated.

I'm not going to say that cleaning guns is bad for them, but squeaky clean guns don't run any better than reasonably clean guns and often, worse.

If the firing pin and extractor (and the holes for them in the slide) aren't really gunked up and if the chamber is reasonably clean, the gun should run. Generally you don't get enough buildup anywhere else that it will keep the gun from running. Most of the fouling that looks ugly (i.e. buildup on the feed ramp) doesn't hurt anything.

I'll clean my gun before a big match, but shoot at least 100 rounds through it before the match to make sure everything is working right. Other than that I only clean them when they get really dirty and really need it. A couple thousand rounds between cleanings isn't a problem, and my guns run. I think Benos talks about how many rounds he put through his guns after starting to use SG and it's an impressive number considering they were running fine. In between real cleanings I'll sometimes lock the slide back, wipe off the feed ramp and surrounding area and then knock off any buildup on the breach face and head of the extractor, but that's about one minute and I'm done.

[BSeevers]

I usually just go to the range, grip it and rip it

[Carlos]

I don't put anything but bullets down the barrels, I don't believe in cleaning bores in these guns. I just shot an Open gun over a rest that has 14-15K rounds through it and has never had the barrel cleaned, it still shoots way under an inch at 25 yards. You will have to clean the chamber, just twist a dry brush a couple times and that is all it will take. Depending on the bullet you use you will have to scrape the crud out of the comp once in a while, but not more than every 8-10K rounds using good jacketed bullets.

Big +1. Will Schuemann feels the same. Works on my Glocks too.

RE break in: when Rudy Waldinger lived around here, he once told me that with new Glocks, just use LOTS of your favorite gun oil on rails/slide for first 500 to 1000 rounds.

I've used that advice on 2011s & 1911s and I believe its good advice for other brands as well.

Edited November 14, 2007 by Carlos

[jostein jensen]

Keep the gun oiled as normal and just shoot it as normal.