Why "Barrel Brake In's" Are A Waste Of Time

[billt]

http://www.6mmbr.com/GailMcMbreakin.html

Good, sound common sense.  Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

 Bill, I have spent over 20 years in metal working, 6 years at T/C including chambering, and other operations in barrel making.
First off, breaking in carbine or utility rifle is a waste of time as they are not designed to produce the type of accuracy that would benefit from this.
Precision rifles are a different story. No matter HOW sharp your tooling, (even lasers ) ALL machining operations raise a burr. This will be smaller, finer, and less securely attached the sharper the tools, but it will still be there. If you are trying to shoot one hole groups this type of "deburring operation" can not hurt and most probably WILL help.

[PegLeg45]

I'm mixed on the matter to an extent.
I've posted links (Lilja, Shilen) several times to several premium barrel makers who have differing opinions. One says it needs to be done, one says it doesn't and is a waste, and several say it's not needed but you might as well because it can't hurt.

I feel it all depends on who made the barrel and whether it is factory or after-market.....best thing is to check with the manufacturer.




How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?
Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal. All our stainless steel barrels have been hand lapped as part of their production, as well as any chrome moly barrel we install. Hand lapping a barrel polishes the interior of the barrel and eliminates sharp edges or burrs that could cause jacket deformity. This, in fact, is what you are doing when you break-in a new barrel through firing and cleaning.
Here is our standard recommendation: Clean after each shot for the first 5 shots. The remainder of the break-in is to clean every 5 shots for the next 50 shots. During this time, don't just shoot bullets down the barrel during this 50 shot procedure. This is a great time to begin load development. Zero the scope over the first 5 shots, and start shooting for accuracy with 5-shot groups for the next 50 shots. Same thing applies to fire forming cases for improved or wildcat cartridges. Just firing rounds down a barrel to form brass without any regard to their accuracy is a mistake. It is a waste of time and barrel life.

http://www.shilen.com/faq.html#question10


Lilja
I have not seen any real reason to use a dry lubricant on bullets as an effort to reduce fouling. With a proper barrel break-in, a top quality lapped barrel, and normal cleaning procedures, fouling just does not appear to be a major problem. We have now available some excellent bore cleaners that do a great job of removing the powder and jacket fouling that does accumulate. My personal favorite is Butch's Bore Shine.

It is important to break-in a barrel though. The jacket material must be removed after every shot during the initial few rounds. If this isn't done the areas of the barrel that fouled will tend to pick up more fouling and it will build on itself. It is important to get a layer of powder fouling on top of the lands & grooves. This hard deposit will prevent the copper from stripping off the bullets. However, if the internal finish of the barrel is too rough the barrel will never be completely broken-in and fouling will always be a problem. Some barrels can't be broken-in.

A similar phenomonon can exist if the shooter uses an abrasive-type cleaner too often. The abrasives are very effective at removing all traces of both powder and jacket fouling. I mentioned that a barrel can be too smooth. The abrasives can get a barrel too clean as well and in effect the shooter is rebreaking-in the barrel again every time he cleans. This can end up in the dog-chasing-his-tail scenario. The shooter thinks the barrel is a fouler, as evidenced by the copper accumulations in the barrel. He works hard at removing the copper, resorting to using an abrasive cleaner. But when he does he removes the desirable layer of carbon fouling left by the powder and exposes fresh steel ready to grab some more copper off the bullet on the next shot. The cycle repeats itself. Like the dog the best way out is to go lay down and take a nap.

http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/barrel_making/barrel_fouling.htm

[Badgersmilk]

"Waste of time"!  

I'll refrain from remark on that one...  But read this.  

http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/RapidCat/catalog/pagetemplate.cfm?template=/RapidCat/common/viewPage.cfm&PageId=2558&CompanyId=1246

It talks along the same lines as Tom, just more in depth.  Ruger, Savage, Kimber, Remington, Magnum Research, Smith & Wesson, DPMS, are among the manufactures who recommend break in procedures for their better firearms.  But, what do they know.  

Yes, it's a HUGE pain in the butt to do it right.  So if your just to lazy to do it completely, & properly, don't bother at all.  Just never whine, make excuses, or bitch about being disappointed in the rifle when you didn't do your part.  

[billt]

The late Mr. McMillan does have a point, in that it is always barrel manufacturers who recommend barrel "brake in's". More shots down the bore equates to more barrels sold, no matter how you look at it.   Bill T.

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

Latest American Rifleman has an article about this also.  Seems to be a popular topic along with how often is barrel cleaning reguired.

One of their points, is that no one has conducted a direct test of barrel breakin.   If anybody wants to buy 200 barrels from the same lot and tool, then test 100 with breakin and 100 without, it would be a daunting task.

[mx451]

Latest American Rifleman has an article about this also.  Seems to be a popular topic along with how often is barrel cleaning reguired.

One of their points, is that no one has conducted a direct test of barrel breakin.   If anybody wants to buy 200 barrels from the same lot and tool, then test 100 with breakin and 100 without, it would be a daunting task.

I volunteer to be the guy who shoots 100 rounds without cleaning the barrel. 

[tombogan03884]

 There would be fist fights over who get that job 

[TAB]

There would be fist fights over who get that job 

depends on the chambering...

I tell you what, I'm a nice guy, you can do all the testing for the 458 lott

[tombogan03884]

depends on the chambering...

I tell you what, I'm a nice guy, you can do all the testing for the 458 lott

That's just because you want to hog all the .577 shots.