I've read conflicting reviews on on the concept of breaking in a barrel. It would seem to me that if the barrel is properly lapped after the rifling process and the chambering process that breaking in the barrel is unnecessary because the chamber and the bore should be free of tool marks. It would seem to me that only reason to clean between firings when the barrel is new is to make sure that your bore is properly lapped and thus not fouling heavily when fired and thus wearing improperly. Are there other reasons to break in the barrel?
Does Breaking In Really Do Anything?
- Thread starter ConnorExum
- Start date
Connor
A barrel is lapped after rifling but not after chambering. So there are tool marks as a result. Barrel break-in on a custom match grade barrel actually addresses the throat area only. It's been my experience that breaking in a factory barrel is a waste of time, they will either foul or they won't. Fire lapping would be a better remedy for a factory barrel. JMHO
Ray
A barrel is lapped after rifling but not after chambering. So there are tool marks as a result. Barrel break-in on a custom match grade barrel actually addresses the throat area only. It's been my experience that breaking in a factory barrel is a waste of time, they will either foul or they won't. Fire lapping would be a better remedy for a factory barrel. JMHO
Ray
Connor,
I agree with what Cheechako said about breaking in a factory barrel being a waste of time. Look into a factory barrel with a bore scope and it will be apparent. I personally break-in my match grade barrels the proper way for the following reasons:
1) It does no harm to the barrel other than putting 50 additional
rounds down the bore as part of the break-in process and
gives me piece of mind.
2) There are quite a few arguments, from knowledgeable people,
that suggest there is a benefit with regard to reducing
fouling and polishing out the reamer marks in the throat.
That being said, there are just as many knowledgeable people,
who say it is a waste of time on a match quality barrel. Gale McMillan wrote a rather convincing piece that circulates on various web-sites that say it is a waste of time. There is a famous east coast Hall of Fame gunsmith who has made the same statement. I do know that a reamer will leave cylindrical tooling marks in the throat area of the bore before the rifling. The general consensus among those that advocate barrel break-in is that you are removing these tooling marks when you break a barrel in.
I agree with what Cheechako said about breaking in a factory barrel being a waste of time. Look into a factory barrel with a bore scope and it will be apparent. I personally break-in my match grade barrels the proper way for the following reasons:
1) It does no harm to the barrel other than putting 50 additional
rounds down the bore as part of the break-in process and
gives me piece of mind.
2) There are quite a few arguments, from knowledgeable people,
that suggest there is a benefit with regard to reducing
fouling and polishing out the reamer marks in the throat.
That being said, there are just as many knowledgeable people,
who say it is a waste of time on a match quality barrel. Gale McMillan wrote a rather convincing piece that circulates on various web-sites that say it is a waste of time. There is a famous east coast Hall of Fame gunsmith who has made the same statement. I do know that a reamer will leave cylindrical tooling marks in the throat area of the bore before the rifling. The general consensus among those that advocate barrel break-in is that you are removing these tooling marks when you break a barrel in.
Preacher
Gold $$ Contributor
My new Pac-Nor SS/SM 3 groove 6br barrel cleans up quick as a whistle, but my Hawkeye shows the throat is almost 98% free of reamer mark.
I always shoot once and clean until the throat looses all the tooling marks and by then the barrel starts to clean up quick.
I don't run any particular number of bullets for the breakin, just enough to clean that throat up.
Most all factory barrels have tooling marks from one end to the other and I don't as a rule fool with them as far as a major break in period is concerned. I have been know to JB paste the tar out of them for a few thousand passes when I'm really bored in the winter. I think my factory 7mmSAUM shoots as good as it does because of it, and it still takes a while to get the copper out, whereas the Pac-Nor has yet to see a blue patch come out of it, and will clean up in about 6 passes.
I always shoot once and clean until the throat looses all the tooling marks and by then the barrel starts to clean up quick.
I don't run any particular number of bullets for the breakin, just enough to clean that throat up.
Most all factory barrels have tooling marks from one end to the other and I don't as a rule fool with them as far as a major break in period is concerned. I have been know to JB paste the tar out of them for a few thousand passes when I'm really bored in the winter. I think my factory 7mmSAUM shoots as good as it does because of it, and it still takes a while to get the copper out, whereas the Pac-Nor has yet to see a blue patch come out of it, and will clean up in about 6 passes.
I do a break-in on every new match barrel simply because the first 6 or 7 shots out of my Kriegers usually copper-foul a bit. I won't try and explain why they copper foul because I don't know. I shoot one shot and clean for about 6 or 7 shots, then clean after every three shots. I shoot about 3-three shot groups and call it good. After doing this, those Kriegers seem to NEVER copper foul until they get about 2500 rounds through them. Doing this break-in gives me peace of mind as well which alone is worth doing the break-in.
Jake Hayes
Jake Hayes
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Every bullet that goes down the barrel wears it out. I don't break one in. I just shoot it.
Butch
Butch
Jake said:
But have you ever shot a Krieger without breaking it in? Perhaps the breaking in process would occur naturally after shooting it for say 100-200 rnds using a normal cleaning after every 20-50rnds proceedure. Personally, I'm not sure that cleaning a rifle barrel unless it really needs is a benefit.
I have gone both ways on this "barrel break-in" thing. I have took new Hart, Krieger, and Broughton barrels and shot 50-75 rounds through them before cleaning, and I have also done the break-in on the same brands, all I can say the difference was, was that the barrels that were "broken-in" were easier to get clean during the first 100 rounds or so, after that I can't say there has been any difference in accuracy or fouling
JeffT said:
that's pretty much what I figured would happen...
"Because the lay of the finish is in the direction of the bullet travel, very little is done to the bore during break-in, but the throat is another story. When your barrel is chambered, by necessity there are reamer marks left in the throat that are across the lands, i.e. across the direction of the bullet travel. In a new barrel they are very distinct; much like the teeth on a very fine file. When the bullet is forced into the throat, copper dust is released into the gas which at this temperature and pressure is actually a plasma. The copper dust is vaporized in this gas and is carried down the barrel. As the gas expands and cools, the copper comes out of suspension and is deposited in the bore. This makes it appear as if the source of the fouling is the bore when it is actually for the most part the new throat. If this copper is allowed to stay in the bore, and subsequent bullets and deposits are fired over it; copper which adheres well to itself, will build up quickly and may be difficult to remove later. So when we break in a barrel, our goal is to get the throat polished without allowing copper to build up in the bore. This is the reasoning for the "fire-one-shot-and-clean" procedure."
I copied this from a barrel makers web site.It sounds logical to me. I break in all my barrels.
Jeff
I copied this from a barrel makers web site.It sounds logical to me. I break in all my barrels.
Jeff
Why do I break in my barrels, I do if for the same reason I go to mass on Sundays, I am afraid not to.
Several years ago, I had two new Hart barrels on a couple of 700's that I was going to shoot PD's with in South Dakota.
I had the time to get one barrel broken properly before the trip, the other one did not have a single round down it.
Once out there, the shooting was so good that I ended shooting both 22-250's an equal amount only stopping to switch to the clean one when the accuracy fell off do to the heat or the bore being fouled.
I accepted the fact, that I might have ruined the 22-250 barrel that was not broken in properly. That was not the case, when I got home, I continued to shoot both barrels and did not see any difference in accuracy or ease of cleaning.
Both barrels shot well as expected for high round count 22-250's
I do not shoot a lot of rounds down a barrel to break it in now because I do not have the patience I used to have.
After 20 shots I let her rip..
Several years ago, I had two new Hart barrels on a couple of 700's that I was going to shoot PD's with in South Dakota.
I had the time to get one barrel broken properly before the trip, the other one did not have a single round down it.
Once out there, the shooting was so good that I ended shooting both 22-250's an equal amount only stopping to switch to the clean one when the accuracy fell off do to the heat or the bore being fouled.
I accepted the fact, that I might have ruined the 22-250 barrel that was not broken in properly. That was not the case, when I got home, I continued to shoot both barrels and did not see any difference in accuracy or ease of cleaning.
Both barrels shot well as expected for high round count 22-250's
I do not shoot a lot of rounds down a barrel to break it in now because I do not have the patience I used to have.
After 20 shots I let her rip..
Any decent barrel maker or gunsmith who chambers a barrel will give the throat a polish when they are done anyway and it is only the tiny bit of the leadin that has contact with the bearing surface of the projectile anyway.
When i start a new barrel i am useually fireforming cases anyway so fire a few and wipe it out and fire some more i am one of these people who dosen`t use Bronze brushes have been known to use an undersized Nylon brush with a patch around it to lightly oil the barrel.
My latest Barrel the 30BR PAC-NOR i jsut wipe it out after i have finished shooting a match spray some G96 in the bore and give it a wipe out when i get home i have used WIPE-OUT and Bore tech eliminator but get no colour the barrel is a shiny as a new pin.
When i start a new barrel i am useually fireforming cases anyway so fire a few and wipe it out and fire some more i am one of these people who dosen`t use Bronze brushes have been known to use an undersized Nylon brush with a patch around it to lightly oil the barrel.
My latest Barrel the 30BR PAC-NOR i jsut wipe it out after i have finished shooting a match spray some G96 in the bore and give it a wipe out when i get home i have used WIPE-OUT and Bore tech eliminator but get no colour the barrel is a shiny as a new pin.
>>>>My new Pac-Nor SS/SM 3 groove 6br barrel cleans up quick as a whistle, but my Hawkeye shows the throat is almost 98% free of reamer mark.
I always shoot once and clean until the throat looses all the tooling marks and by then the barrel starts to clean up quick.
I don't run any particular number of bullets for the breakin, just enough to clean that throat up.
Most all factory barrels have tooling marks from one end to the other and I don't as a rule fool with them as far as a major break in period is concerned. I have been know to JB paste the tar out of them for a few thousand passes when I'm really bored in the winter. I think my factory 7mmSAUM shoots as good as it does because of it, and it still takes a while to get the copper out, whereas the Pac-Nor has yet to see a blue patch come out of it, and will clean up in about 6 passes.<<<<
Well put, thats the best way I've seen it put...Good advice!
CaleR
I always shoot once and clean until the throat looses all the tooling marks and by then the barrel starts to clean up quick.
I don't run any particular number of bullets for the breakin, just enough to clean that throat up.
Most all factory barrels have tooling marks from one end to the other and I don't as a rule fool with them as far as a major break in period is concerned. I have been know to JB paste the tar out of them for a few thousand passes when I'm really bored in the winter. I think my factory 7mmSAUM shoots as good as it does because of it, and it still takes a while to get the copper out, whereas the Pac-Nor has yet to see a blue patch come out of it, and will clean up in about 6 passes.<<<<
Well put, thats the best way I've seen it put...Good advice!
CaleR
I figure Kreiger knows more than I do so I follow their break in procedure pretty much. Those first few rounds I'm getting the scope on target,seeing what the chronograph says, and checking the fired brass for pressure signs and case head expansion as I bump the load up anyway. By the time I'm happy with all of the above the barrel is broken in and I'm satisfied with the results.
Works for me.
Danny
Works for me.
Danny
Somewhere read that a barrel maker posted a barrel break-in procedure on his website because he kept being asked for a break-in procedure.
On another occasion asked a barrel maker about the effect of break-in procedure after a couple of hundred rounds, he thought a moment and said "none".
Supposedly Tony Boyer after fireforming twenty cases, his next rounds are at targets in registered competition. Says barrel life is too short as it is.
So goes...
...............................................
The lady was preparing a ham for dinner. Her husband came into the kitchen. He watched her cut both ends off the ham before placing it in the pan. He asked her why she did it. She said she wasn't sure, but that her mother always did it that way.
They became curious and called her mother. Her mother said she had always cut both ends off the ham before placing it in the pan. She said that her mother,grandmother of the first wife) had always done it that way.
So both of them called the grandmother, who replied, "Oh, I haven't cut the ends off a ham since your grandfather got me a bigger pan years ago."
So goes....
Origin unknown
On another occasion asked a barrel maker about the effect of break-in procedure after a couple of hundred rounds, he thought a moment and said "none".
Supposedly Tony Boyer after fireforming twenty cases, his next rounds are at targets in registered competition. Says barrel life is too short as it is.
So goes...
...............................................
The lady was preparing a ham for dinner. Her husband came into the kitchen. He watched her cut both ends off the ham before placing it in the pan. He asked her why she did it. She said she wasn't sure, but that her mother always did it that way.
They became curious and called her mother. Her mother said she had always cut both ends off the ham before placing it in the pan. She said that her mother,grandmother of the first wife) had always done it that way.
So both of them called the grandmother, who replied, "Oh, I haven't cut the ends off a ham since your grandfather got me a bigger pan years ago."
So goes....
Origin unknown
Don't know if "breaking in" does anything... but here is my experience with my barrels.
- Clean before shooting to get any dirt/grease out. Just a couple of wet patches with boreshine and dry with patches.
- Shoot the first round, clean with wet/dry patches... little bit of powder fouling, what you would expect for one shot.
- Shoot 5 shots,group is horrible). Clean with wet/dry patches. Some powder fouling but a lot of copper comes out.
- Shoot 10 shots,group still sucks). Clean with wet/dry patches. Noticable copper fouling, some powder fouling.
- Shoot 20 shots,groups become better). Clean with wet/dry patches. Powder fouling, almost no copper.
- Shoot 20 shots,groups are good). Clean with brush and wet/dry patches. Powder fouling, no copper.
The same pattern of fouling appeared in almost all of my barrels,lot of copper the first few strings, then fades to no copper fouling). I don't know how the barrel would behave in terms of copper fouling should I just screw on the barrel and shoot 50 rounds with it before cleaning. As this "breaking is" is only a few minutes of work, I just do it to be sure and I can keep track of where the barrel is,no more fouling means I can start concentrating on shooting groups).
- Clean before shooting to get any dirt/grease out. Just a couple of wet patches with boreshine and dry with patches.
- Shoot the first round, clean with wet/dry patches... little bit of powder fouling, what you would expect for one shot.
- Shoot 5 shots,group is horrible). Clean with wet/dry patches. Some powder fouling but a lot of copper comes out.
- Shoot 10 shots,group still sucks). Clean with wet/dry patches. Noticable copper fouling, some powder fouling.
- Shoot 20 shots,groups become better). Clean with wet/dry patches. Powder fouling, almost no copper.
- Shoot 20 shots,groups are good). Clean with brush and wet/dry patches. Powder fouling, no copper.
The same pattern of fouling appeared in almost all of my barrels,lot of copper the first few strings, then fades to no copper fouling). I don't know how the barrel would behave in terms of copper fouling should I just screw on the barrel and shoot 50 rounds with it before cleaning. As this "breaking is" is only a few minutes of work, I just do it to be sure and I can keep track of where the barrel is,no more fouling means I can start concentrating on shooting groups).
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