Breaking in a new barrel

[lsystems]

I just had my Bushmaster Carbine rebarreled with a White Oak Stainless barrel (never been fired) and want to be certain that I get the best accuracy with it. Is there a recommended process to breaking in such a barrel? I Would appreciate some advice here ... thanks in advance.

[Dan Sierpina]

All kinds of variations are out there concerning break in. For an AR, just don't get the thing too hot for the first time, ie, don't burn through a couple 30 round mags in a row. I just finally got a chance to shoot a new Lothar Walther barrel. I shot 20 rounds, 5 at a time, then cleaned it. It cleaned very quickly.

[JKSNIPER]

MY Break in procedure:

Shoot one round..clean rifle.

Do this for 5 rounds

Then shoot 3 rounds....clean rifle.

Do this 5 times.

Then shoot 5 rounds ...... clean rifle.

do this 5 times.

Shoot 10 rounds...clean rifle.

At some point in the cycle you should notice that the barrell becomes very easy to clean.

More so than when you started.

The barrell is then "broken in".

Then shoot that rifle!

Clean after ever 100-120 rounds or after a days firing is over.

Barrell should last quite a while.

JK

[ShooterSteve]

Don't forget to clean the barrel before you start the break in procedure, as many shops lube the barrel to prevent corrosion after the manufacturing process.

[edgerat]

FWIW, clean the barrel when it arrives and make sure you are getting clean patches out of it then just shoot it. I give no quarter to a new barrel, I have never seen a difference in accuracy or longevity on a barrel from different break-in procedures.

Isaac

[Big Bore]

Here is a little different take on barrel break in.

[JimmyZip]

"You always want to get one witha bull barrel on it. Alot of guns come with a cow barrel, you want a bull one"

Gotta go out to the shop and see if I have a cow barrel on mine.

[caspian guy]

Not trying to start a holy war and I am by no means the most experienced rifle shooter in this group (not even close).

However I offer the below links for your consideration:

http://www.noveskerifleworks.com/barrel_break-in.pdf (The note that came with the barrel I used for my current 3 gun rifle).

http://yarchive.net/gun/barrel/break_in.html (Gale McMillan's comments on break-in)

http://www.whiteoakprecision.com/info-faq.htm#breakin (The instructions from the guy that built your barrel).

The upshot of all this seems to be that if the barrel is built from a good high quality blank and was chambered with care minimal, to no break-in should be required.

Peter Adams

FY-39604

[kgunz11]

Here is a little different take on barrel break in.

Yeah, Larry is quite "eccentric". While what he does seems to work for him, or so he claims, it's not the route I would take. I don't remember him ever posting any shots of accuracy groups or anything.

The above post by JKSNIPER is the same approach I take. I tend to err on the side of better safe than sorry. My rifles seem to shoot "ok".

[dt1]

Lots of different opinions on barrel break in, but I agree with you Pete. Especially with an AR-15 barrel, they're made to fill the air up with bullets, not to shoot bench rest matches.

I use to be of the mind that even if it doesn't help, I should break it in anyway (shoot/clean, shoot/clean, shoot/clean..........) just in case it does. When I got my last JP upper I just went to the range and shot it, then shot it some more. I clean it every now and then. It started off a 1/2 minute rifle and still is a 1/2 minute rifle 4000 rounds later.

I know this is heresy to the compulsive cleaners out there but range time is a prescious commodity and I don't to waste it cleaning a barrel.

As mentioned earlier, don't get it overheated right away and you'll be fine.

David

[Boats]

Keep it clean but don't make a fetish out of it. All that barrel cleaning stuff is largely a spill over from Boot Camp were it was an instrument of discipline, and very bad for the rifles that were scrubbed to death. You should have seen my boot camp M 1's worn muzzle

Let the solvents work and minimize scrubbing is my advice.

Boats

[photog]

Follow the manufacture's advice. They are the ones that would have to warranty it if it shoots like poop!

[uscbigdawg]

Clean

1 x 5 Clean after each 1

3 x 5 Clean every 3

5 x 5 Clean every 5

Done.

Rich

[Viggen]

I do about like jksniper or uscbigdawg.

My guess is that it may affect the more "factory" barrels that most of us run while the high zoots barrels already come with a nice interior.

Personally, I think the barrels worked up a bit are easier to clean when I get around to cleaning them.

I do it my way, I'm OK with anybody doing it their way, or not.