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Correct barrel break in?


elynch2007

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I read all the time " this barrel had correct break in " What is correct barrel break in and what is the best way to break in a barrel. In the past I have shot a few rounds and cleaned then shoot a few more and repeated for a box of shells. I have a new stainless ar that I need to start out right. My plan was to do the same, clean after 5 rounds a couple of times then start running high cap mags of ammo at matches. Is there a better way to do it?

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A while back, I talked to Mike Rock (Rock Creek Barrels) about break-in procedure. His response was "shoot it". Just make sure it doesn't get too hot within the first 50-100 rounds or so, but otherwise he seemed to think that there was no appreciable difference between "breaking in" a barrel and just shooting it. He said the typical "shoot a few shots, clean, then shoot a few more" was only having the real affect of allowing the barrel to cool in between.

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I have a Mike Rock barrel on my sniper rifle (GA Precision) and I can tell you there IS a procedure to follow but if you ask 10 guys you'll get 10 different answers.

I listened to George Gardner (gunsmith that made the GA rifle) and did the shoot then clean then shoot then clean procedure.

It worked.

You will get to a point all of a sudden where the barrel will clean much easier than it did for the previous shots. Wha that # will be for YOUR barrel?

I can;t tell you.

If it is a factory barrel I CAN tell you it wll probably take more rounds than for a custom barrel that has been lapped.

JK

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I normally shoot 5 clean with Kano and JB then shoot another 5. Repeat the process 5 times and again after 200 rounds. So far so good, still get sub MOA when I do my part. +1 on not getting the barrel too hot at first.

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Like the others have said, ask 10 people and you will get 10 different responses. The key is not getting hot. Because then the cleaning part is less fun.

On my SS AR barrel from Wilson, I did the following:

shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 clean, shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 clean,shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 clean,shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 clean,shoot 1, clean, shoot 1 clean

Let it cool. I brought along my hunting rifles and shot a couple through them to make sure they were still zeroed.

Next, I did the following : shoot 5, clean, shoot 5 clean, shoot 5, clean, shoot 5 clean. Like it was mentioned, it cleaned much easier on the last 5 than the first 5.

Then, after letting it cool, I shot for group. I have a box of Fed GM Match for this. It was < 1" @ 100 so I figured it was OK.

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So many of the rifle barrel break-in procedures seem like voodoo. Ask ten people and get ten different answers? hell ask 100 and get 150 different answers!

Edited by TMC
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If you just shoot it, and afterwards clean it real well, after 10 times of range practice you will have done the exact same thing as shoot one clean, shoot one clean, and you will have had all the extra practice, and none of ther frustration. I was told by a really good barrel maker that if you want to "break one in" go ahead it won't hurt a thing, but after I micro-polish it before it leaves here, all you are doing is waisting your time. KURTM

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My process is one of those 10 diffrent ones. I installed it then cleaned it. It took about 5 rounds to get a fifty yard zero. Then I shot at a 100 yd target 5 or 6 times and the 300 yd gong a couple of times. Then I took it to a match. I cleaned it when I got home. Sometime later we shot some groupes with it, it shot about a .5 and a inch and 3/8 at three. I clean it when it has 30 or 40 rounds thur it or after every match. It has about 3000 rounds thure it now and will still shoot a inch and a half at 300 yds. I think its broke in.-------------Larry

Edited by Larry White
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+1 on the request for details on how to clean. I like bore snakes for other work, is this too lazy? I'm thinking I'll get a new bbl one day soon, so I'd like to know. If the primary issue is heat, the bore snake might be too fast too cool off. If it is polishing, then I don't think a soaked snake will do that. And of course, you can't read how clean a bbl is unless you follow the snake with some patches.

KurtM, Care to share the bbl makers name?

Opinions?

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Hart and Schneider both have said this as did Krieger up untill about 4 years ago. I have never been disappointed by just shooting and cleaning real well after I was done shooting for the first 4 or 5 outings. I will say this however, and this comes from barreling all sorts of firearms from bolts to M-14 to ARs...if it doesn't shoot pretty darn good right from the start, don't F#$K around and try final finish, J.B. and excommunication chants etc. yank irt off and get a different one! It will save you days of frustration and grief! KurtM

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I agree with Mike Rock just shoot it. The only rifle I have that was broken in is my JP-CTR02 that was broken in according to the instructions that came with the gun including the use of JB Bore Paste. I can't tell the difference in that barrel and two Wilson bareels that were just shot to break in. I did not let any of them get very hot for the first 100 rounds.

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"Breaking in a barrel"...is really only prematurely wearing a barrel out. What you are really only doing is smoothing out the rough spots so it won't 'foul out' as fast. As a barrel fouls, it gets less accurate.

Now that all being said......what price accuracy? Meaning, when do you lose accuracy? Whats your game? If you are a BR shooter.....you'll be cleaning your barrel after every string you shoot (5 or 10 rounds). If you shoot High Power, you'll clean before the 600yd leg (typically). If you are shooting 3 gun.....well, once or twice a year.

Seriously, My view of accuracy is how accurate is my fouled out barrel?? If I am in a match, I will not be cleaning my rifle till the match is done. And myt last stage may be the long distance stage. So I want to know how accurate is my rifle after shooting 100 or 200 rounds without cleaning. ANd ya know what? I still hold 1 MOA 10shot groups.....way more than you need to play this game.

Also, I did take my JP barrel.....sighted it in, then shot a match with it. Never 'broke it in'. This last weekend, I shot Jarmo's rifle, which I know has not been cleaned for at least 600 rounds and nailed the plates at 300yds first shot each time during the course of fire.

Personally, breaking a barrel is not a bad thing to do....but really isn't required for this game. Maybe for National Match, definitely for BR shooters.

As for heat?....I also like to know sustained accuracy....where it shoots cold as to where it shoots hot. Thats why I will shoot a 10 shoot group in about 30 to 45 seconds. And then try to shoot 2 or 3 more. Just to see is my point of impact moves. For me....my barrel does not change more than a 1/4 MOA. ANd yes, mine is Cryo'd.

And then there is the whole issue of 'how and what you should clean your barrel with'......again.....for this game and my rifle? I use a bore snake, and when I think about it, I run a little solvent on it. I used to be really anal about the cleaning and used dewy rods and never touched my bore with a brush....but after 8,000k+ rounds......if my barrel is bad now, it aint because of the way I broke it in or cleaned it, it's because the barrel should probably be looked at being replaced at that point. OH, and by the way.....it's still shooting 1 MOA 10 shot groups off a bi pod.

Edited by TRUBL
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A crusty old dude once told me shoot it till it starts to disappoint you, then clean it real good, and see if it doesn't return to old habits. If it doesn't then get rid of it, but then he doesn't know much,...............I think his name is Chris Mueller, or something like that?????????????

As for shoot one and clean, I think the heat theory has more to do with that than anything. I've never followed the "recommended break in" period for any barrel and I've not been disappointed yet, but I'm quite happy with patterns instead of groups :roflol:

Seriously how much accuracy do YOU need. and how much TIME and MONEY, are you willing to spend, every shooting sport I've played was easily done with 2moa, that includes Practical Long Range Rifle (out to 1000).

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Barrel Break in? I usually set the Barrel in a bucket of ice, snap the tab on top and insert the tap. :cheers:

I have never done any other type of barrel break in. All my AR's shoot pretty darn good too. Just load em up and shoot-em.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm in the shoot & clean group from the Cooley Camp.

1 x 5 Cleaning after each round

3 x 5 Cleaning after each 3rd round

5 x 5 Cleaning after every 5th round

Done.

As for barrels, my 18" is a cut down 20" from Oly Arms. 1:8 SS and it'll shoot under .5 MOA all day (.25 with my 69 grain load). After that, I'm partial to JP barrels (as it's what's on the new 16" middy I built) and DPMS barrels (particular their 1:9, non chrome lined for a "burner" barrel with great accuracy for the $$$).

Rich

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Like break in .......cleaning during and after break in is another "arcane " subject that only seems clear after consulting the ouija board and throwing the bones.

2 prominent gunsmiths lectured LE/Mil snipers at a conference I attended and said "You guys clean your rifle too dam much"

Both recommended shooting until around 100-130 rounds THEN cleaning.

Both also said those #s only apply if you get to shoot at least once a week-10 days. Otherwise crud starts to become attracted and possibly rust forming. If not going to shoot again for a while both said to clean.

Both said guys are too impatient when cleaning and don't let the solvents do their work for them.

Both said the brush is used way too much. (Some guys were saying they brush 10X for every round fired....YIKES!)

One gunsmith brought sections of a customers barrel with him.

The customer wanted to get his great shooting rifle REALLY clean so he used a stainless steel brush on it.

He experienced a severe drop off in accuracy and then brought the rifle to my pal, Charlie< for him to see what was wrong with it.

Helen Keler could have told you what was wrong with it.

The barrel looked like it was cleaned with diamond rocks.

There was NO rifling visible just jagged canyons and peaks that looked like the rocky mountains.

Another set of pics showed the bore of another customer's rifle that used a "really tight patch because he wanted to get all the stuff out".

There was NO rifling in the middle of the bore. It had been abraded away by the bowing of the cleaning rod as this guy tried to shove a huge patch through a small hole.

Don't combine solvents...that mixing can cause bad juju in the bore.

Whatever you use ( I use Hoppes #9) don't put it in and then wait 30 seconds and start the brushing routine.

I use the hoppes because its forgiving if I get called away from the cleaning bench or distracted and don't get back to the rifle for a while.

Can't do that with all the solvents out there.

when you're finished ?

Leave the barrel in cold clean and dry condition.

After your cleaning routine spray gunscrubber down the bore flushing out anything left in there.

Hang it to dry. Now the barrel is cold clean and dry and cold bore shots will be consistent that way.

Good luck.

JK

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