Barrel break in? Fact or fiction?

[ghosthunter]

So with a new rifle on the way. Someone asked how I was going to break in the barrel?

Well never gave it a thought. Had several new guns over the years, never really did a barrel break in.
Just shot them. Can’t say I ever had one I wasn’t happy with.

Owners manuals never had anything on barrel break in.

You tube videos seem to be pro and con.

What say you. Break in or not?

[Hilltop123]

 

[Jonathan_S]

My barrels seem to speed up after ~100 rounds. I only do a "break in" process if copper fouling is bad and the break in process does help that IME.

That's totally anecdotal but there ya go

[grundy53]

I've never broke one in. Just shot them.

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[Jonathan_S]

I've never broke one in. Just shot them.

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That's how you break them in 😂

[actionshooter]

If 20 people respond, your going to get 20 different expert opinions...  I do it on the "expensive" rifles, cause it can't hurt... for the most part I don't bother

[Magnum_Willys]

The theory is that the first few shots are on a rough barrel that pulls a lot of copper off the bullets so clean it after 1st, 4th, 7th and 20th shot or therabouts and it should be smooth enough by then to clean whenever.   No reason not to on a long range rifle.  On a hunting rifle u mite never clean it and still kill stuff.

[BULLBLASTER]

Ill usually clean a new barrel after the first couple range sessions. Sometimes its 10 rounds sometimes more. My last new barrel i sent 60+ through before it was cleaned.

[Duckslayer89]

After a ton of research with the custom rifle I ordered I basically heard the same thing. Custom barrels are hand lapped and all the imperfections taken out of them and smoothed out so they don’t build up copper and fouling like a factory barrel would. So decide what you want to do from there. I don’t clean my barrel

[hogslayer]

I have tried it both ways.  Like has been said.  You don’t want copper to build up on copper because it will cause accuracy issues and he hard to remove.  Both work.  Just need to get the copper out.  I went and fired 20 rounds on a new barrel this weekend.  Cleaned it down to bare steal. Then went back and shot 15 more.  Copper came out easy and I’ll continue on.  I have found that cleaning every 20 rounds helps the barrel speed up.  Some are done around 50-75 rounds.   Some take 100, some
Don’t ever speed up.  I believe it has to do with lapping finish. I’ll be doing the same thing on a new 300 Rum next weekend.  It’s important you take velocity measurements in the beginning so you know when it speeds up.  Otherwise you will be circling back around once it does. 

[dreadi]

I just follow the Manufacturer’s recommendations and move on with my life.

[b23]

It's not really the barrel per say that needs any kind of "break in" but rather the throat.  There can be a certain amount of roughness left in the throat area that'll smooth out over the course of a few shots.  Generally, it's more prevalent in factory chambered barrels than it is in custom barrels chambered by good gunsmiths.

[jasnt]

Never done a break in.  Though I have shot a hundred rounds of cheaper bullets before starting load work just because I was fire forming brass and getting that speed to even out in the process.  Imo not needed. If it makes you more confident then do it

[Karl Blanchard]

I think the only impoetant thing is to strip that initial copper out of there. How you go about it is far less important. I've done it every way imaginable and never noted a single difference in the end result.

[Stein]

I do it because I find the process an enjoyable way to spend the day at the range and I've never heard anyone say it could do harm.  It may help, maybe not, I'm not smart enough to know.  I do know that with my rifle, I did the most involved process I found, stripping copper after every shot to 5 shots, then every 3, then every 5 and now the factory rifle has shot sub 1/2" when I have a good day and only takes 3 patches to clean it once a year.

[KFhunter]

I don't typically buy hand lapped custom high end barrels that are already super smooth, with factory cut barrels they could use some smoothing up but I don't do anything special.   

I just shoot it and clean it a lot more than I would an older well shot in barrel, and I use copper remover 

[magnanimous_j]

I suspect that breaking in a barrel is something that was a lot more important way back when, but modern manufacturing has probably removed most of the necessity.

[KFhunter]

I suspect that breaking in a barrel is something that was a lot more important way back when, but modern manufacturing has probably removed most of the necessity.

unless its a new remington

[magnanimous_j]

I suspect that breaking in a barrel is something that was a lot more important way back when, but modern manufacturing has probably removed most of the necessity.

unless its a new remington

Very true.

What a shame. I thought the R-51 was the coolest looking pistol I'd seen in a long time. I think the general consensus in the gun community is that you'd be better off dropping one in a sock and using that as a weapon. 

[buckfvr]

So my thought is like this.  You're getting a new rifle and it should be thoroughly cleaned before firing, even pulling the action out of the stock and wiping down everything and inspecting.  If you don't have an inch lbs torque driver, get one.  Actions need to be torqued to spec and I  say this because I know you mentioned you are getting a Savage.  I also just got a new Savage and have cleaned it 3 times in the first 20 rounds.

So barrel speed up.  My way of thinking is that once your barrel is shot in and cleaned up and you experience an uptick in speed, then consider it broke in.  For me at least, speed up is more noticeable with factory barrels.  I do have a Benchmark barrel, custom match, and speed up was to a lesser fps than I have noticed on the last few factory barrels I paid attention to.  I think the better the barrel is to start with, the faster it shoots in and picks up a bit of speed, and this is where you should collect data if you intend to load your own.

In the end, I run a snake through my barrels every 20 rounds or so and clean when they tell me to.  If the gun sits for a while, I run a patch of conditioner oil through it a couple times and then pull the snake.  Just make sure to clean it before firing as you will be shocked how dirty the bore is and if you wipe everything else down with a near clear light oil you will see how much gunk wipes off.  Its not like cosmoline but Im sure they put a bit of preservative inside and out so they don't rust in the box before they sell.

 

[Magnum_Willys]

Don’t get the $49 borescope on Amazon or you will be cleaning much more often !

[Jason]

This subject always reminds me of my nitro RC car days. Some of us would break our new engines per the manufacturers guidelines, others would just run it like they stole it..lol
I’m not sure if there was ever a difference in the end but I always followed what the book said. New barrels I clean after after every shot for the first 10 shots. Other than that do what makes you sleep better at night.

[Bushcraft]

The problem with determining whether it's fact or fiction is that there is a seemingly endless array of variables that, in aggregate, can wildly skew one's conclusion.

Types of steel, types of bullets, heat, pressure, bullet design, chamber design, throat design, type of powder, button vs. cut vs. broach, type of rifling, rate of twist, bullet bearing surface, velocity, etc.

Some of the variables, such as throat and barrel quality and wear, are easily measured assuming you have a Hawk Eye bore scope and some very expensive test tools.

The rest of them are probably outside the realm of what 99.99% of shooters can replicate in very controlled environments.  (It's a rare tester indeed who has a big-ass vice, a pile of identical barrels and ammo components, lab-grade precision reloading equipment, and an environmentally controlled 1,000 yard tunnel.  )

Bottom line...if it makes you feel better (and thereby gives you more confidence), do it.  There's no harm in it IF you are cleaning it correctly. (That's a whole other thread!)

Otherwise, barrels are like tires...they are only good for so long.  Just go have fun and shoot...while stopping to clean the carbon ring build-up every now and then.



 

[jasnt]

The problem with determining whether it's fact or fiction is that there is a seemingly endless array of variables that, in aggregate, can wildly skew one's conclusion.

Types of steel, types of bullets, heat, pressure, bullet design, chamber design, throat design, type of powder, button vs. cut vs. broach, type of rifling, rate of twist, bullet bearing surface, velocity, etc.

Some of the variables, such as throat and barrel quality and wear, are easily measured assuming you have a Hawk Eye bore scope and some very expensive test tools.

The rest of them are probably outside the realm of what 99.99% of shooters can replicate in very controlled environments.  (It's a rare tester indeed who has a big-ass vice, a pile of identical barrels and ammo components, lab-grade precision reloading equipment, and an environmentally controlled 1,000 yard tunnel.  )

Bottom line...if it makes you feel better (and thereby gives you more confidence), do it.  There's no harm in it IF you are cleaning it correctly. (That's a whole other thread!)

Otherwise, barrels are like tires...they are only good for so long.  Just go have fun and shoot...while stopping to clean the carbon ring build-up every now and then.



 

i couldn’t agree more

[Matth]

The problem with determining whether it's fact or fiction is that there is a seemingly endless array of variables that, in aggregate, can wildly skew one's conclusion.

Types of steel, types of bullets, heat, pressure, bullet design, chamber design, throat design, type of powder, button vs. cut vs. broach, type of rifling, rate of twist, bullet bearing surface, velocity, etc.

Some of the variables, such as throat and barrel quality and wear, are easily measured assuming you have a Hawk Eye bore scope and some very expensive test tools.

The rest of them are probably outside the realm of what 99.99% of shooters can replicate in very controlled environments.  (It's a rare tester indeed who has a big-ass vice, a pile of identical barrels and ammo components, lab-grade precision reloading equipment, and an environmentally controlled 1,000 yard tunnel.  )

Bottom line...if it makes you feel better (and thereby gives you more confidence), do it.  There's no harm in it IF you are cleaning it correctly. (That's a whole other thread!)

Otherwise, barrels are like tires...they are only good for so long.  Just go have fun and shoot...while stopping to clean the carbon ring build-up every now and then.



 

i couldn’t agree more

This is great. some knowledge laid upon us by folks that shoot alot more than me. Shoot the dang thing, and when it wont shoot any more get a new one.

[grundy53]

I've never broke one in. Just shot them.

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That's how you break them in 😂

What I meant is I've never followed a set protocol. 🤣

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[KFhunter]

On a new rifle I check zeros more often and do find some creep

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[hunterofelk]

Last two rifles I've bought I broke in the barrels by cleaning after one shot for five shots, then after three, then after five and finish the box.  The patches come out clean a lot quicker then my older rifles which I just started shooting.

[The scout]

I never broke in a barrel till I built a custom through benchmark, I just follow there break in, don’t think it makes a diff in accuracy but I do think it helps with cleanings in the future. And I like to get atleast 50 rounds through it before I start load development anyway so why not.