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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Barrel break-in

Posted: 2/12/2021 11:13:22 PM EDT

When you guys purchase a new barrel do you typically follow a break-in process? Is it actually needed?

Posted: 2/12/2021 11:37:15 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
When you guys purchase a new barrel do you typically follow a break-in process? Is it actually needed?

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Step 1: Take to range
Step 2: Shoot
Step 3: Clean when back home
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3.

Posted: 2/12/2021 11:38:07 PM EDT

[#2]

Shoot it.

Posted: 2/13/2021 12:07:56 AM EDT

[#3]

Only gun i ever bought that said anything about break in was my Howa.
It had very specific break in instructions that i followed to the letter.
It is the most accurate rifle i own and the most accurate rifle I've ever shot.
I can't not hit shit at 300 yards with it. It just hits everything its aimed at.

Posted: 2/13/2021 12:14:29 AM EDT

[#4]

Personally, ill see if the manufacturer has a break-in recommendation or not. If they do, ill do it. If they don't, I dont. That being said, it seems your higher end barrel manufacturers have break in procedures where your "shooter grade" companies dont

Posted: 2/13/2021 12:26:42 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Personally, ill see if the manufacturer has a break-in recommendation or not. If they do, ill do it. If they don't, I dont. That being said, it seems your higher end barrel manufacturers have break in procedures where your "shooter grade" companies dont

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Same here, Satern has their specific break-in procedures.

Some do.. some don't.

Posted: 2/13/2021 1:04:17 AM EDT

[#6]

here is John Krieger of Krieger Barrels on his recommendations for barrel break-in.

Posted: 2/13/2021 4:03:13 AM EDT

[#7]

Pay homage to the barrel gods with clean-1-clean-1-clean-3-clean-5-clean. Use a non-brass jag or loop. Preferably use a more copper biased solvent. If not ammonia based like Sweet's 7.62, let it soak for a minute. Check the patches for blue/green. If barely a trace, shoot it.

If the color is rather saturated, you'll want to clean the bore more often than if it wasn't coppering. Stainless will likely smooth out after about 200 rounds; you may shoot-clean with less frequency til the color subsides. Chromelined/nitride may never - shoot it and clean more often.

Posted: 2/13/2021 4:19:06 AM EDT

[#8]

Clean it
Shoot it
Be happy

Proper Barrel Break-in Procedure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRRahHX9Zkg

Posted: 2/13/2021 9:40:11 AM EDT

[#9]

Thanks guys

Posted: 2/13/2021 11:10:01 AM EDT

[#10]

Unless a manufacturer as a specific break in procedure, I run mop with cleaning solution, then a soft brush then patch before shooting it. This is to get out a dirt, manufacturing crude in the barrel. Then I shoot it some 5 round groups while sighting it in and a few verifying groups. After 40 round I pull a wet then dry patch through and then just shoot the gun.

Posted: 2/13/2021 12:00:42 PM EDT

[#11]

Shoot it! I am convinced that some custom makers have a break in procedure just so they can ask you if you followed their break in procedure when their barrel doesn't shoot up to expectations. If you didn't, lie

Posted: 2/13/2021 12:09:28 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Shoot it! I am convinced that some custom makers have a break in procedure just so they can ask you if you followed their break in procedure when their barrel doesn't shoot up to expectations. If you didn't, lie

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This. Most accurate rifles I have encountered were a Swedish Mauser Sporter and my K-31. Both have military barrels and I'm sure they weren't treated specially for first rounds.

Posted: 2/13/2021 3:45:08 PM EDT

[#13]

I broke a 6.5G barrel in with ~3 to 5-round bursts on a FA lower...

As above, if manufacturer recommends something I'll do it but haven't really noticed a difference.

Posted: 2/13/2021 4:24:17 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
This. Most accurate rifles I have encountered were a Swedish Mauser Sporter and my K-31. Both have military barrels and I'm sure they weren't treated specially for first rounds.

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Man, you're in for a shock the moment you try a modern precision rifle. Those milsurps are generally 1 MOA guns at their absolute best.

Posted: 2/14/2021 11:13:43 PM EDT

[#15]

Definitely clean prior to first shot as I seen a lot of crap in new barrels.

If you want to feel better then boar snake it a couple times after each shot the first 5 or 6 rounds.

Stainless barrels I'd say give it the break in treatment.

Posted: 2/15/2021 3:09:52 PM EDT

[#16]

I haven't because I honestly haven't built a "precision" AR. Matter of fact, I don't have anything dedicated to precision.

Clean the shipping oils out, function check the rifle, clean barrel at home.

Posted: 4/3/2021 6:13:27 PM EDT

[#17]

Take it to the range and shoot it and repeat untill the build up of crud causes a malfunction, continue shooting until the Ammo is gone . Go home ,,, pissed that I have to clean it.. Clean it then start over.

Posted: 4/3/2021 6:15:34 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

Step 1: Take to range
Step 2: Shoot
Step 3: Clean when back home
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
When you guys purchase a new barrel do you typically follow a break-in process? Is it actually needed?

Step 1: Take to range
Step 2: Shoot
Step 3: Clean when back home
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3.

I skip step 3 until accuracy falls off.

Posted: 4/3/2021 6:37:15 PM EDT

[#19]

Clean it, shoot it, clean it, store it.

Posted: 4/4/2021 4:22:32 PM EDT

[#20]

My Noveske barrel had break-in instructions if I recall correctly. The whole MEGA 308 build was the most expensive rifle I ever owned so I followed the instructions because I didn't know any better. I suppose they include instructions to provide a perceived value in it. IF they didn't, I'm sure MANY people would call & email asking what the break-in instructions are. So to eliminate that nonsense and to appease the layman, they simply include that BS.

Posted: 4/4/2021 10:36:24 PM EDT

[#21]

I do WOA’s suggestion which is super simple and similar to what many have posted

Posted: 4/5/2021 6:36:16 PM EDT

[#22]

Rack grade barrels need no break in. Shoot.

Nitride barrels usually can't be broken in, as the hardening process just about makes it impossible to smooth out anything with bullets.

Match grade barrels may benefit by break in by following barrel maker's recommendation.

Break in is not about the bore or rifling. Its not about improving inherent accuracy as much as about copper buildup.

Break in is about smoothing out reamer marks left by the chamber reamer. Those marks are in the throat before the bullet contacts the rifling.

Smoothing out those reamer marks might help avoid bullet yaw during the jump, but mostly removing them is about reducing their ability to strip copper from the bullet and cause copper build up. Reducing copper build up means less cleaning is needed. You can maintain inherent accuracy longer before it degrades and cleaning needed.

Posted: 4/5/2021 6:41:09 PM EDT

[#23]

Imo, go with what the manufacture states. If there is no recommendations, then just go shoot it. But normally if it's not a precision grade barrel, then u just go out and shoot it.

Posted: 4/5/2021 7:11:58 PM EDT

[#24]

If a manufacturer wants break in, I'll follow it....sort of. If I buy a premium barrel from someone like Obermeyer, Krieger, Schneider, etc, they make the inside of their barrels exactly like they want them to be.

It would be the height of arrogance for me to think I could do anything to improve on a barrel made by someone like Boots Obermeyer, by going through some break in process I came up with.

Manufacturers don't need to do any empirical testing to see if break in is a myth or useful. Doing really scientific testing would be very expensive and the manufacturers simply don't need to prove anything to anyone, so truly empirical, scientific testing to see whether break in helps or not simply isn't done. Break in does help wear out barrels faster because of the extra ammo run through the barrel. And that means consumers might have to buy another barrel sooner.

While I am unlikely to do break in, I don't mind if anyone else wants to go through some process. I do think that proper lapping of a barrel may smooth out some machine marks.

Posted: 4/5/2021 7:23:20 PM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:
If a manufacturer wants break in, I'll follow it....sort of. If I buy a premium barrel from someone like Obermeyer, Krieger, Schneider, etc, they make the inside of their barrels exactly like they want them to be.

It would be the height of arrogance for me to think I could do anything to improve on a barrel made by someone like Boots Obermeyer, by going through some break in process I came up with.

Manufacturers don't need to do any empirical testing to see if break in is a myth or useful. Doing really scientific testing would be very expensive and the manufacturers simply don't need to prove anything to anyone, so truly empirical, scientific testing to see whether break in helps or not simply isn't done. Break in does help wear out barrels faster because of the extra ammo run through the barrel. And that means consumers might have to buy another barrel sooner.

While I am unlikely to do break in, I don't mind if anyone else wants to go through some process. I do think that proper lapping of a barrel may smooth out some machine marks.

View Quote

Except for the reamer marks in the throat. They are still there even with hand lapped match barrels.

Here is Lilja's reasoning supporting break in of their barrels:

https://riflebarrels.com/support/centerfire-maintenance/