Barrel Break-in during freezing temps

[46and2]

Getting a barrel ready to install and I usually do my shoot/clean, shoot/clean routine but it's going to be 25°.
Boretech Eliminator will most likely freeze in the barrel before it starts to work. IME solvents work better in warmer temps anyway.

Should I just fire form 20 rounds or so then just clean at home?
Does anyone even do barrel break-in anymore anyway?

 

[David Christian]

Your barrel will heat the cleaner sufficiently to not freeze. Yes, barrel break in is extremely important for some shooters and their expectations of that barrel. Removing copper from the start will set your barrel up for easier cleaning down the road.

With a brand new barrel I will fire one round then scrub with a nylon brush and patch until all signs off copper are gone. Then fire another round and repeat the cleaning. See pic. Took 26 patches and a bunch of scrubbing for the copper signs to disappear the first time, then 12 patches for the second go. Undetectable copper amounts thereafter.

 

[D-4297]

I shoot break-in with all of my new barrels , regardless of manufacture . I follow the recommended Kreiger process , and it makes them easier to clean and maintain . Many of the F-class shooters I know still do break-ins . Some do not . Personal opinion is that I think the barrel will last longer if it is properly shot-in / cleaned during the process . Correct break-in with any mechanical device will make it last longer if properly maintained .

 

[T-shooter]

Some people recommend shooting 1 shot, then clean, for the first 10, them maybe 3 and clean for another 15 shots or so. There isn't that much in contaminates in the bore from even 3 shots and the barrel will be warm enough for a few minutes anyway. Then take it home and give it a good cleaning.

 

[Ned Ludd]

 

[Perk]

What solvent is best for break in cleaning? Perk

 

[Ned Ludd]

What solvent is best for break in cleaning? Perk

The idea of a barrel break-in procedure is relatively straightforward. You are primarily removing copper (and other gunk) that will be generated during firing due to small imperfections in the bore such as tooling marks, rough spots, etc. Such materials will be quickly deposited and accumulate in any depressions/indentations as well as the grooves of the barrel. The idea is to clean on a shot-by-shot basis to remove such materials before they accumulate to any significant degree, and at the same time the imperfections/rough spots are being lapped (smoothed) out by the bullets being fired through the bore.

At a minimum, any solvent that contains a decent copper remover could be used, one having other additives to promote removal of carbon will facilitate its effectiveness. There are many choices, which is why such a question typically elicits a wide range of answers; i.e. everyone lists their favorite. As long as the chosen solvent contains a copper removing agent (at a minimum), and possibly something to enhance carbon removal, it will work for the break-in process.

 

[T-shooter]

This is one procedure that was on Savage Firearms. There are many different opinions and even no break-in. I always break in a new barrel. I figure it may help and can't hurt if you clean it properly. It may be a little overdone.

Although there may be different schools of thought on barrel break-in, this is what Precision Shooting Magazine recommends:

STEP 1 (repeated 10 times)

• Fire one round
• Push wet patches soaked with a powder solvent through the bore
• Push a brush through the bore (5 times in each direction)
• Push dry patches through the bore (2 times)
• Push wet patches soaked with a copper solvent through the bore
• Push a brush through the bore (5 times in each direction)
• Push dry patches through the bore (2 times)
• Push a patch with 2 drops of oil through the bore

STEP 2 (repeated 5 times)

• Fire a 3 shot group
• Repeat the cleaning procedure from STEP 1 after each group

STEP 3 (repeat 5 times)

• Fire a 5 shot group
• Repeat the cleaning procedure from STEP 1

They recommend the use of a patch with 2 drops of oil after the cleaning so that you are not shooting with a dry bore. It is also advisable to use a powder solvent and copper solvent from the same manufacturer to be sure they are chemically compatible.

 

[wedgy]

Just got a new Savage 10 .308W for my girl to shoot and figured I'd take a peek with the Hawkeye to see how bad the tooling marks were but was surprised to see copper streaks all the way to the muzzle. No carbon though... do they shoot then patch it at the factory ? Glad I looked.

 

[ridgeway]

Iosso the throat and go out and shoot. Break in is overrated...

 

[T-shooter]

Just got a new Savage 10 .308W for my girl to shoot and figured I'd take a peek with the Hawkeye to see how bad the tooling marks were but was surprised to see copper streaks all the way to the muzzle. No carbon though... do they shoot then patch it at the factory ? Glad I looked.

Looks like this? They seem to copper up quickly when new. Try Wipe-Out / Patch Out (it may take several applications allowing each to sit 20-30 minutes) to remove the copper and then always run an oily patch through the barrel followed by a couple dry one. The light coating of oil will help to prevent copper buildup after cleaning.

 

[Homerange]

KG-12

 

[wedgy]

Looks like this? They seem to copper up quickly when new. Try Wipe-Out / Patch Out (it may take several applications allowing each to sit 20-30 minutes) to remove the copper and then always run an oily patch through the barrel followed by a couple dry one. The light coating of oil will help to prevent copper buildup after cleaning.

Yes, but it was very intermittent streaks, probably getting stripped off on the rough spots. I use various cleaners when I'm continuously working on the gun and Wipeout overnight or when I'm back and forth doing something else. It's clean now, I was just surprised how much was in a "new" gun.

 

[1911nut]

Butch’s bore shine, whatever cleaning frequencies the spirts devolve.
Worthwhile or not you’ll get trigger time

 

[Paddyd]

Depends on the barrel. The purpose of cleaning between shots is to keep the grooves and burs created during chambering free of copper and carbon so the bullet can iron and burnish them out. You could just shoot 20 then go home and clean it, but the burnishing will drastically decrease after a few shots and won't begin to be effective till it is cleaned again. In short you won't get it broken in till you've expended a decent portion of "good" barrel life. When I break in a barrel I use a copper erasing powder like CFE223 or one of the IMR Enduron powders. This really helps with the cleaning since just a couple passes with a brush and patches with some regular bore solvent will keep the carbon and copper from building in those tiny crevasses left by the reamer and really speeds things up since I don't need to wait for a copper solvent to dissolve a bunch of copper. Really, if you have a really decent custom barrel like a Kreiger it will break in in about 5 shots or even less. I have a factory Savage barrel that even though after over 2,000 rounds through it it still coppered up like crazy, but will shoot groups into the 2's.. I think some people get too overly obsessed with breaking in a barrel.

 

[Rsadams]

I did a break in on a Savage 10 in .308 and it really helped smooth it out.... On a rough factory barrel I can't see that it's gonna hurt plus you get to go shooting.... On a hand lapped nice barrel maybe not so much in my opinion but hey you get to go shooting... I use Butch's or foaming bore cleaner myself but that's all personal preference , just like the barrel break in...

 

[Fotheringill]

Joe R or anyone- a side question, if I may

I had to take high school chemistry twice and did not do it for the simple joy of the subject for me.

Boretech Eliminator- combo copper and carbon cleaner.

Boretech c4 and Boretech Carbon cleaner- are they just concentrated/dedicated undiluted (if that is the correct term) of Eliminator?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Fotheringill,
I'm kind of old school on some things, so I like to talk to people. In my conversation with the Bore Tech customer service rep he told me that the all their cleaners have copper remover blended in the products. He started talking up Chameleon Gel on me as new better barrel cleaner, but for me C4 and occasionally Eliminator do the job so I'm not going to fix it with something that introduces a polishing compound, a new unknown/unproven variable.

Joe

The chameleon gel is the only product they have now that i like. It works very well at carbon and what its designed to do- detect carbon. I have taken barrels that seem clean but still have the carbon in the grooves everybody misses and one patch of the gel shows its there. A couple more according to their directions and its gone- verified again with a borescope. Not sure what it does on copper or even what it claims it does, but it actually works on carbon very well

 

[Ned Ludd]

Joe R or anyone- a side question, if I may

I had to take high school chemistry twice and did not do it for the simple joy of the subject for me.

Boretech Eliminator- combo copper and carbon cleaner.

Boretech c4 and Boretech Carbon cleaner- are they just concentrated/dedicated undiluted (if that is the correct term) of Eliminator?

Boretech C4 is the carbon cleaner, CU+2 is the copper remover. They do not even remotely contain the same ingredients as Eliminator, so Eliminator is not simply a "mixture" of C4 and CU+2. You can do a Google and search for the MSDS of each product, which will identify the components.

 

[Fotheringill]

I may pick up some of the chameleon gel for my 8500 shot old barrel, but it looks suspiciously like the Chameleon gel I have used in the past to take paint off model railroad cars. BTW- that [product did not harm or melt plastic.