LOCK EASE AND BARREL BREAK IN

[dave in wyo]

OK FELLAS IAM ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. IVE READ ALITTLE ABOUT BREAK IN USING LOCK EASE. WHATS YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS AND IF I GO WITH THIS PRODUCT HOW SHOULD IT BE USED? THAT IS REALLY SOAK THE BARREL OR USE AMODERATE AMOUNT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS IN ACARRIER THAT EVAPORATES. THIS IS A NEW KREIGER BARRELL AND IWOULD HATE TO DAMAGE IT. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP DAVE

 

[BoydAllen]

As an alternative, I suggest that you call Greg Tannel of Gre-Tan rifles. He has an inexpensive product, that is graphite based, that has a well proven record for expediting barrel break in. It works.

 

[jonbearman]

+2 on greg tannel and if you could get ahold of tony boyer,he is the fella I believe who popularized the method.

 

[WyleWD]

OK FELLAS IAM ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. IVE READ ALITTLE ABOUT BREAK IN USING LOCK EASE. WHATS YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS AND IF I GO WITH THIS PRODUCT HOW SHOULD IT BE USED? THAT IS REALLY SOAK THE BARREL OR USE AMODERATE AMOUNT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS IN ACARRIER THAT EVAPORATES. THIS IS A NEW KREIGER BARRELL AND IWOULD HATE TO DAMAGE IT. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP DAVE

Not any of my business since it is your barrel, but with the cost of barrels and rechambering these days, I'd DEFINATELY break it in according to Kreiger's recommendations. Or contact Kreiger and ask them if they recommend using the lock ease or other such "stuff". It has been some of my aquaintances experience that when it is not broken in according to their directions...... if it is damaged or don't shoot.... you're entirely at their mercy. Just my experiences for what it is worth to ya. WD

 

[SS427]

I second WyleWD's opinion.

 

[BoydAllen]

FWIW I was told about the break in product that I referred to in my previous post over ten years ago by George Kelbly . Name ring a bell? He was shooting a brand new barrel, at a benchrest match in Visalia, without any break in and no fouling problems. He told me that they used it on all of their personal barrels, and also on those of customers that requested it. Based on that information and some additional information that I got from Stan Buchtel, I wrote an article that appeared in Shooters News that was the first time this piece of inside information ever hit print. After I wrote that article, Greg Tannel started using it for his barrel jobs, and eventually became the source. I believe that that was over ten years ago. While I appreciate the thought of being cautious about what you put in your barrels, this is hardly new or unproven, just little known. It is not Lockease. If you want the straight scoop, give Greg a call. A friend who does his own barreling, and who has a bore scope, has tried the material with excellent results.
Boyd Allen

 

[WyleWD]

To the original poster here is a link to Kreiger's recommended break in proceedure.

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm

I read and took to heart in your original post that you "wouldn't want to damage" the new barrel. Not knowing your level of expertise is why I would cling to my comments in my first post regarding following the manufacturer's recommendations.

With all due respect for Mr. Allen, Mr. Kelby, and Mr. Tannel (all of whom I have respect for, and are highly skilled in the shooting sports)..... I doubt that they would fund a new barrel & chambering for ya if something went awry with using some method other than that recommended by the manufacturer. FWIW. WD

 

[dreever]

I treat barrel break in as a simple thing. Here's what I do:

I first give it a good cleaning.
Then i load up half a dozen rounds using new brass starting low then going up in .2-.3 grain increments.
I mic the new case, then fire and then mic again at the web to measure case head expansion. I then clean and proceed with the next higher powder charge mic again, clean, proceed. etc. until I see case head expansion exceeding .001 on a new case. By this time I've gone through five or six rounds of one shot and clean. I back off the load below .001 case head expansion now I consider the barrel broken in and proceed with chronographing loads and shooting groups, tweaking the load till I'm satisfied.
This system has always worked for me.
As far as using Lockeze available from NAPA auto parts it's always the last patch I run thru the barrel before I put the rifle away. One patch is all you need. Be sure to buy the squeeze bottle not the aerosol.

Danny

 

[dave in wyo]

GENTLMEN I WOULD LIKE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR REPLIES. I CONTACTED KRIEGER AND THEIR C.S. DEPT. BASICLLY SAID IT REALLY DIDNT MUCH MATTER AS LONG AS THE BARREL WAS CLEAN BEFORE THE FIRST SHOT BUT TO PUT SOME OIL OR LUB OF SOME SORT IN THE BARREL JUST NOT TO OVER DO IT. I WILL CONTACT GRE TAN RIFLES SOON.THANKS DAVE

 

[1shot]

The product referred to be Boyd and several others is called colloidal graphite. It is 100 time more refined than the graphite in lock-ease. (or so I’m told) I do all my bbl. break-ins with it and have never had a failure. Greg T. can give you the particulars on the product, but it along with a few other tricks have produced some really outstanding bbls. for me. Now would they have shot as well for the same period of time without the process?? Well I guess we won't ever know because I know this method works for me.
I hope this helps,
Lloyd

 

[doc gordon]

1 shot,is colloidal graphite sold at NAPA ?

 

[BoydAllen]

The only place that I know that sells the stuff that we have been talking about is from Greg Tannel. I did a whole lot of looking around and calling a few months back and that is it. Here is a link to Greg's web page.
http://www.gretanrifles.com/products/main.jsf

 

[1shot]

Doc,
I have no idea, I got mine from Greg T.
Lloyd

 

[kjcpoint]

Boyd,

Could you direct me to that article? Ive been using it for a couple years.

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[jo191145]

Lock Eaze is colloidial graphite. Graphite mixed/suspended in any carrier is by definition colloidial graphite.
Wether Tannels product is better for barrel break in I'm not sure.
I use graphite on factory barrel break ins. Mostly Lock Eaze but have dabbled with others and made my own.
On custom handlapped barrels I'd rather not. I want to know from the start if theres anything wrong causing excessive coppering.
On a decent barrel with good chambering job I usually fire 5-10 shots and thoroughly clean. Most times thats all it takes for break in.

The key to any foreign object in a barrel be it graphite, oil,ATF is go lightly. Any liquid in a barrel can cause hydraulic damage. Perhaps hydraulic is the wrong word but damage is correct.

 

[BoydAllen]

As was mentioned earlier in this thread, the difference is particle size. The company that makes the product is Acheson Colloids and the material was not something that you could get anywhere else, unless they were a stocking dealer, and I didn't know of any. I can't swear that it was this exact material, but it was very similar.
http://www.silmid.com/Products/Lubricants/Acheson-Colloids/Acheson-Dag/DAG58085KG.aspx
The good about what Greg sells, is that the size of the bottle is appropriate to what we are doing. George Kelbly told me that they milled a piece of treated barrel and there was penetration below the surface. Now that is fine!

The article was published in Shooters News. I think that it was around '99. The way that the material is used is that an unfired barrel is thoroughly cleaned and degreased....bone dry, and a sloppy wet patch is used to thoroughly wet the bore, after which it is allowed to dry completely. At that point, a couple of patches and solvent are used to remove any residue, and what is left is an inky black bore that is resistant to the adherence of jacket material, but which will shoot just fine. The color stays for a long time, through shooting and conventional cleaning.