Breaking in a new pistol...how?

[halfpipe88]

I bought a XDm 3.8 compact that I'll be shooting on Saturday, but I want to know if there is a break in process for a pistol like there is for a rifle. Shoot once, clean it.  Shoot twice, clean it.  Etc.  For spending the money for a match grade barrel, I want to make sure I get the best accuracy out of my pistol and do it right.  Thanks for your help.

[Heredoggydoggy]

I just shoot the SOB!  With a Semi-auto, it's not the barrel you need to worry about braking in, it's the action.  Every Owner's Manual should have a statement that Kahr puts in their Manuals warning that it might take 200 rounds to make the gun function reliably every time. 

[uplandhunter870]

not sure about springfields but when i bought my kimber years ago it had a slip in the case with break in recommendations. it said to fire 500 rounds of ball ammo (this is a 45acp) and clean after each 100 rounds and repeat until 500 rounds was reached by clean they meant field strip and clean not detail strip.

[Mongo Hunter]

I bought a XDm 3.8 compact that I'll be shooting on Saturday, but I want to know if there is a break in process for a pistol like there is for a rifle. Shoot once, clean it.  Shoot twice, clean it.  Etc.  For spending the money for a match grade barrel, I want to make sure I get the best accuracy out of my pistol and do it right.  Thanks for your help.

Run the piss out of it! lol

[coop2424]

I bought a XDm 3.8 compact that I'll be shooting on Saturday, but I want to know if there is a break in process for a pistol like there is for a rifle. Shoot once, clean it.  Shoot twice, clean it.  Etc.  For spending the money for a match grade barrel, I want to make sure I get the best accuracy out of my pistol and do it right.  Thanks for your help.

Run the piss out of it! lol

X2

[chrisb]

IMO you should strip it down first and clean it up good to get any heavy oil deposits off. Then I'd run it through a "normal" range session and give it a good thorough cleaning afterwards.

My XD9 is a workhorse and has seen many a range trip without being cleaned afterwards. The only time I ever had problems was with bad/dirty factory reloads that i bought at the fun show. It even shot Wolf steel cased well

[halfpipe88]

Thanks.  I did strip and clean it up a couple nights ago.  Sounds like the key to breaking it in is to just shoot it...I like that.

[Mongo Hunter]

Thanks.  I did strip and clean it up a couple nights ago.  Sounds like the key to breaking it in is to just shoot it...I like that.

Shooting stuff is fun!

Tell you the truth most of the new polymer pistols don't really have a break in time. granted its good to clean them and run a couple hundred rounds through just to make sure some dork at the factory didn't screw something up but its pretty safe.

[Heredoggydoggy]

What I like most about the XD's is that they will take ANYTHING you feed them. Jacketed factory ammo, JHP factory, Ball,
 Reloaded Hollow points, Cast, Plated Cast--  It eats them all, and spits them out.  Definitely not a finicky handgun! 

[NW-GSP]

I would agree with cleaning the inside of the barrel before shooting it.
Glocks come ready to shoot

[aaronoto]

Plastic pistols need no break in. Clean it before shooting it for the first time and then clean it once a year thereafter   Glocks and XD's will eat anything and everything and run dirty as heck and still function fine. Enjoy!

[kilgeze]

I have the xdm 40 I just shoot the hell out of it. I havent had one problem and never cleaned it. I put about a 1000 rounds threw it so far and not a single problem.

[Heredoggydoggy]

I have the xdm 40 I just shoot the hell out of it. I havent had one problem and never cleaned it. I put about a 1000 rounds threw it so far and not a single problem.

There's no doubt about it--XDs and Glocks are the Work Horses of the pistol world.  Like John Cameron Swazey used to say about Timex Watches:  "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"  I often wondered how many watches they went through before they got one to stay on that outboard motor propeller...   

[FALFire]

Barrel break-in is over-rated, shoot the crap outta the darn thing or sell it I say!! 

[300rum]

You should rarely (if ever) have to clean a barrel on a pistol unless you are shooting uncoated lead bullets.  If there isn't any build up in the barrel and your accuracy hasn't gone haywire, there isn't any reason to run anything through it. 

Schuemann barrels are some of the best and they recommend not cleaning them.  Chamber, yes it should be cleaned out every 5k or so just to make sure everything will feed right.  After awhile you will get to know your gun and what it likes/doesn't like.