Re: Breaking in a BArrel
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gugubica</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The reason that people tell you to clean after every shot actually makes sence.
A new barrel, in particular factory barrels, have minute tool marks in them. When you send a projectile through them, these burs/imperfections are smoothed out or bent over. Copper can get trapped in the recesses created by doing this. Cleaning every shot or so, keeps this to a minimum.
A barrel will break in everntually with just firing (a couple hundred rounds). By this point, all the imperfections will be smoothed out. The break in process is intended to reduce the amount of crap stuck underneath these areas, period.
If you are worried about that, then follow a break in procedure. If you are not, then don't. I do not personally think it will hurt if done properly, but it is a huge pain in the ass.
On a factory tube, I personally will use Tubbs Final Finish. In essence what it does is speed up the "couple hundred round smoothing process"
On a custom tube, I just shoot it. There are not as many or as severe imperfections in custom tubes.
But really, this is all theory and in the real world, probably does not offer much benifit. </div></div>
Yes and i really dont believe in the shoot one shot and clean for this many rounds either. Every single barrel is gonna be different even if just slightly. But I shoot one and check if its coppered real bad i clean it and shoot another. If not bad then i shoot two and try. Usually with every barrel and very very few exceptions they will copper up fairly bad for the first 10-30 rounds. I dont know if there is a hugh difference in keeping it clean alot or not during the break in but just to be on the safe side. I do it just to make cleaning the barrel easier after its all said and done.
Another trick that my old man showed me was to take some 400 grit lapping compound on a patch on a brush that is a caliber or 2 smaller then the bore and work the throat for about 5-10 strokes. Then take some JB or Issoi on a patch the same way for about 5-10 as well. Then flush it out of the bore with some Kroil or some solvent and it really help make the barrel last longer before you get copper fouling. Really i dont know how most of the people on this site get 500 rounds down before the run into accuracy problems. The barrel should carbon foul way way sooner then that. I guess letting it sit and taking it back out after a week or two just blows the extra junk out of the barrel. I would at least run a few patches of bore cleaner every 75-100 rounds just to cut the powder fouling out of it.... Just my .02
