This is how I break mine in lol
How NOT to clean your rifle bore - WARNING! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! - YouTube
How NOT to clean your rifle bore - WARNING! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! - YouTube
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Barrel Break In - How Important is it?
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Lol is that Rex?
*Edit: Yup thats him lol guess I coulda just gone to the youtube page. Shits hilarious!
*Edit: Yup thats him lol guess I coulda just gone to the youtube page. Shits hilarious!
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Here is the link in reference to Gale McMillans comments on barrel break-in.
Barrel break-in (Gale McMillan)
I rolled through that entire Rex video a couple months ago. His channel is awesome, though I coulda done without 8 straight 40:00 videos on bore erosion and bore dynamics but you can't argue with his results.
This man knows. This is what I do as well. Only I run a bore snake through it after every shooting session. Cheers paindoc.
My 260 barrel went 4068 rounds, no break in, my 308 has close to 9000 rounds, no break in, I simply clean when accuracy falls off, I understand the theory of break in, but the proof is has yet to show itself, if I sold barrels I would recommend break ins, if I sold cars/trucks I would recommend 7500 mile oil changes, if I sold computers I would not sell Macs, I fix 737s, I shoot on my time off, I got better things to do that don't conflict with actually shooting.
A. No, this topic will never end.
B. Barrel break-in really means "bore smoothing" to get rid of machining or hammer forging marks.
I have two .300 Win. mag. rifles.
-> The first is an HS Precision rifle made on a stainless Remington long action I sent them. THAT bore damn well better be hand lapped and "broken in" at the factory. (It is.)
-> The second is a Browning A-Bolt stainless stalker. I used a NECO kit and FIRE LAPPED the barrel with 35 rounds of bullets that I rolled in 3 grades of grit to smooth the barrel. I followed NECO's directions and got a bore that needs far less copper removal than when in factory condition. And yes, gentle shooters, that is the best way for an amateur to "break-in" a previously non-lapped barrel. It also does a bit of rounding off of the land corners to create a better gas seal, sorta like most 5-R rifling.
I'm now going to Fire Lapping on a Green River .22 LR octagonal barrel to open it up a bit in preparatioin for re-chambering it to .22 WMR. According to rimfire acuracy experts that cartridge "needs" a slightly larger bore for best accuracy when using jacketed bullets, whereas .22 LR rounds use only copper guilded bullets. That new octagonal barrel will go on my Ruger 96/22 lever gun,. then a custom Wenig stock.
)
B. Barrel break-in really means "bore smoothing" to get rid of machining or hammer forging marks.
I have two .300 Win. mag. rifles.
-> The first is an HS Precision rifle made on a stainless Remington long action I sent them. THAT bore damn well better be hand lapped and "broken in" at the factory. (It is.)
-> The second is a Browning A-Bolt stainless stalker. I used a NECO kit and FIRE LAPPED the barrel with 35 rounds of bullets that I rolled in 3 grades of grit to smooth the barrel. I followed NECO's directions and got a bore that needs far less copper removal than when in factory condition. And yes, gentle shooters, that is the best way for an amateur to "break-in" a previously non-lapped barrel. It also does a bit of rounding off of the land corners to create a better gas seal, sorta like most 5-R rifling.
I'm now going to Fire Lapping on a Green River .22 LR octagonal barrel to open it up a bit in preparatioin for re-chambering it to .22 WMR. According to rimfire acuracy experts that cartridge "needs" a slightly larger bore for best accuracy when using jacketed bullets, whereas .22 LR rounds use only copper guilded bullets. That new octagonal barrel will go on my Ruger 96/22 lever gun,. then a custom Wenig stock.
)
My current procedure is to start by hammering an over-sized bore brush as far into the barrel as I can, this sometimes requires the use of a tungsten punch rod and a 4 pound maul (especially if I'm cramming a 12ga brush into the barrel of a .308). I then load up the hottest round I can get my hands on and I shoot the embedded brush out of the barrel.
For final cleaning I soak some bore swabs in camping fuel and push them into the barrel to plug it, then spray some starter fluid in the chamber and seat a round as fast as possible to hold the starter fluid in (sort of like the chamber on a potato gun). Then fire the rifle to burn out any fouling or copper residue.
My dream is to engineer a system by which I could shoot a projectile that tows a bore snake through the barrel behind it (picture a smaller MCLC). Maybe I should contact the company that recommended the procedure to the OP and see if they could design that system for me? Maybe a bore snake with flaming sand paper wrapped around it?
Seriously though, there's a great Sticky at the top of one of the forums where a guy that's apparently pretty smart, talked to a bunch of other guys that are apparently pretty smart, and they came to the conclusion that the VAST majority of barrel "break in" procedures are unnecessary and in many cases cause more harm than good.
For final cleaning I soak some bore swabs in camping fuel and push them into the barrel to plug it, then spray some starter fluid in the chamber and seat a round as fast as possible to hold the starter fluid in (sort of like the chamber on a potato gun). Then fire the rifle to burn out any fouling or copper residue.
My dream is to engineer a system by which I could shoot a projectile that tows a bore snake through the barrel behind it (picture a smaller MCLC). Maybe I should contact the company that recommended the procedure to the OP and see if they could design that system for me? Maybe a bore snake with flaming sand paper wrapped around it?
Seriously though, there's a great Sticky at the top of one of the forums where a guy that's apparently pretty smart, talked to a bunch of other guys that are apparently pretty smart, and they came to the conclusion that the VAST majority of barrel "break in" procedures are unnecessary and in many cases cause more harm than good.
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I'm busting a damn gut and my wife is pissed because I'm interrupting her movie!!!! maybe pack the barrel and bore with c4 and use a blasting cap?
If someone is concerned with smoothing out the machine marks in their new barrel, shoot a few of the TUBBs final finish and get on with life. When I was new to shooting, I did the whole barrel break-in thing, one shot and clean, then 3 shots and clean, then 5 and clean, etc. I NEVER noticed any difference in accuracy, barrel life, ease of cleaning, nothing but a few hundred dollars worth of wasted components and time. Now I get a barrel spun on and shoot it like I stole it.
I know I've posted on this thread once, but I thought I'd post the info from FM 23-10, Chap 2-3, Para C, Sec 17:
d. Barrel Break-in Procedure. To increase barrel life, accuracy, and reduce cleaning requirement the following barrel break-in procedure must be used. This procedure is best accomplished when the SWS is new or newly rebarreled. The break-in period is accomplished by polishing the barrel surface under heat and pressure. This procedure should only be done by qualified personnel. The barrel must be cleaned of all fouling, both powder and copper. The barrel is dried, and one round is fired. The barrel is then cleaned again using carbon cleaner and then copper cleaner. The barrel must be cleaned again, and another round is fired. The procedure must be repeated for a total of 10 rounds. After the 10th round the SWS is then tested for groups by firing three-round shot groups, with a complete barrel cleaning between shot groups for a total of five shot groups (15 rounds total).
The barrel is now broken in, and will provide superior accuracy and a longer usable barrel life. Additionally, the barrel will be easier to clean because the surface is smoother. Again the barrel should be cleaned at least every 50 rounds to increase the barrel life.
***** Of course the above was specifically for the M24, maybe other weapons would be in need of another procedure, if any. In my experience, the US Army has a few experts, along with a couple of rifles to experiment with, the above procedure was put in the FM for a reason-my guess is repeatable improvement. I've posted this for what it is worth. It doesn't tout any "special cleaner", or super bore brush etc., it is not pushing a product for sale. Far too many "special procedures" are put forth by "experts", that so often have a commercial interest in you buying X from them in order to be able to do it, I'm just saying.....
d. Barrel Break-in Procedure. To increase barrel life, accuracy, and reduce cleaning requirement the following barrel break-in procedure must be used. This procedure is best accomplished when the SWS is new or newly rebarreled. The break-in period is accomplished by polishing the barrel surface under heat and pressure. This procedure should only be done by qualified personnel. The barrel must be cleaned of all fouling, both powder and copper. The barrel is dried, and one round is fired. The barrel is then cleaned again using carbon cleaner and then copper cleaner. The barrel must be cleaned again, and another round is fired. The procedure must be repeated for a total of 10 rounds. After the 10th round the SWS is then tested for groups by firing three-round shot groups, with a complete barrel cleaning between shot groups for a total of five shot groups (15 rounds total).
The barrel is now broken in, and will provide superior accuracy and a longer usable barrel life. Additionally, the barrel will be easier to clean because the surface is smoother. Again the barrel should be cleaned at least every 50 rounds to increase the barrel life.
***** Of course the above was specifically for the M24, maybe other weapons would be in need of another procedure, if any. In my experience, the US Army has a few experts, along with a couple of rifles to experiment with, the above procedure was put in the FM for a reason-my guess is repeatable improvement. I've posted this for what it is worth. It doesn't tout any "special cleaner", or super bore brush etc., it is not pushing a product for sale. Far too many "special procedures" are put forth by "experts", that so often have a commercial interest in you buying X from them in order to be able to do it, I'm just saying.....
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Excellent Idea!!!! As I currently have basically an endless supply of C4 these days I explained your idea to one of my guys and told him to get working on it. His one "issue" with the idea was that it was going to take too long to break off little bits of C4 and tamp them down the barrel, thereby negating all the positive effects of the C4 Barrel Break-In. We discussed building a big pile of C4 (with the wrapper off) and then hammering the rifle into it, but again, more work than we wanted to for a "simple" procedure.
We've now moved on to the next completely logical step and are going to use a strand of DetCord down the barrel. It's practically purpose-built for this.
The only issue we've found is that certain thicknesses of sandpaper wrapped around the DetCord make it too thick to make it down the bore. SO, I have another guy using a blowtorch to melt the plastic coating off of the DetCord to make it thin enough to get down the bore of some of the smaller rifles.
Once we get the charge/sandpaper combination perfected I'll let you know so you can post it somewhere as THE method for barrel break-in and we'll see how many people do it just because it's "recommended".
When it's all said and done, I'm pretty confident that our DetCord method will cause less damage to the bore than the method that started all this lunacy. I may even offer the DetCord/Sandpaper kit for sale on the "accessories" forum, do you think LowLight would let us SH brand it?
Awesome idea to use Det Cord. Love it. Whatever you do, please post pictures so we can compare with not breaking the barrel in. Thanks!
Unbelieveable. What are you thoughts on foaming cleaners. Have any of your clients reported good or bad experiences.
Seen more barrels damaged from improper cleaning techniques / over cleaning then being shot out in the pistol world.
The common break in procedure was founded on need, a long time ago the alloys/steel used was not the quality of the material we receive from the mills now. The older materials (a long time ago) was filled with voids and or inclusions in the substrate. Shooting the old break in method helped to fill these voids and thus smooth your bore, once you cleaned it with a brush and heavy solvents you could remove most of the outer layers in the bore. Your next shot could then have a shift or cold bore adjustment.
Current materials from quality barrel manufacturers, to my knowledge, do not have inclusions, at least not our material. It passes a NDT inspected before it leaves the mill. No voids to fill = no break in procedure.
Anytime you use any solvents in your bore be sure to neutralize then and recoil them. They can and will continue to etch your barrel long after your cleaning . The chemicals and brushes can damage the bore if used improperly.
i only use the Otis System or a Bore Snake in my barrel (which is not very often), this keeps from any directional force being applied by a cleaning rod which can also damage bore/throat. I not only preferr to rarely use a brush in my guns, I actually snip a few bristles from the bore snake before I put it in my bag.
My main cleaning method is to use oil and patches with the Otis pull system until clean.
It is hard for people to stop the old break in procedure that is no longer valid since they think they are doing the "right thing". Different materials/manufacturing methods/heat treating may alter your cleaning method so consult with your barrel maker.
http://www.schuemann.com/Portals/0/Documentation/Webfile_Barrel_Cleaning.pdf
My 2 cents worth........after all I stayed at a holiday inn last night!
The common break in procedure was founded on need, a long time ago the alloys/steel used was not the quality of the material we receive from the mills now. The older materials (a long time ago) was filled with voids and or inclusions in the substrate. Shooting the old break in method helped to fill these voids and thus smooth your bore, once you cleaned it with a brush and heavy solvents you could remove most of the outer layers in the bore. Your next shot could then have a shift or cold bore adjustment.
Current materials from quality barrel manufacturers, to my knowledge, do not have inclusions, at least not our material. It passes a NDT inspected before it leaves the mill. No voids to fill = no break in procedure.
Anytime you use any solvents in your bore be sure to neutralize then and recoil them. They can and will continue to etch your barrel long after your cleaning . The chemicals and brushes can damage the bore if used improperly.
i only use the Otis System or a Bore Snake in my barrel (which is not very often), this keeps from any directional force being applied by a cleaning rod which can also damage bore/throat. I not only preferr to rarely use a brush in my guns, I actually snip a few bristles from the bore snake before I put it in my bag.
My main cleaning method is to use oil and patches with the Otis pull system until clean.
It is hard for people to stop the old break in procedure that is no longer valid since they think they are doing the "right thing". Different materials/manufacturing methods/heat treating may alter your cleaning method so consult with your barrel maker.
http://www.schuemann.com/Portals/0/Documentation/Webfile_Barrel_Cleaning.pdf
My 2 cents worth........after all I stayed at a holiday inn last night!
Also the cleaning video redneck is a complete moron, anyone that knows how to clean a barrel knows for fact, that the drill motor is way under size for a rifle barrel
Okay, so I've completed the DetCord break-in process and have a pic. Problem is that I STILL can't manage to get a pic to upload. If someone would like to help me out on that I'll get the post-detcord picture up.
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Okay, I think I figured out posting pics. We'll see if this works. Unfortunately I forgot to take a "before" picture of the detcord down the barrel, but like a pregnant woman I can't
UN-F@#K a rifle:
![](http://I think ya'll will agree that the barrel is "broken in" now.)
UN-F@#K a rifle:
Rifle Barrel Break-In Break In Procedures Hoppe's Bore Snakes JB Bore Compound
Believe it or not, this is the prescribed barrel break in procedure for Accuracy Systems Inc!
Personally, I think breaking in a barrel is a bunch of bull. Shoot it and don't clean it too often. That's my break-in procedure.
Believe it or not, this is the prescribed barrel break in procedure for Accuracy Systems Inc!
Personally, I think breaking in a barrel is a bunch of bull. Shoot it and don't clean it too often. That's my break-in procedure.
