I saw this and knew I had to post it here.  I am new to the AR world and know that there are many mixed feelings about breaking in barrels.  I am going to break in my SS 1:8 barrel per Krieger Barrel instructions but I know everyone, even the break in followers will get a laugh out of this guys "break in" proceedure.

www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976462577.htm

"Excellent condition less than 500 rounds fired. Cleaned after every shot first 100 rounds, every 5 rounds to 200 and after every 20 rounds since."

He's sure to have more damage from the cleaning rod than the shooting. What an idiot.

The guy probably put more wear on the barrel by cleaning it that much than he would've had he just shot the thing.

Just did the math, bore's been "cleaned" 135 times in 500 rounds.

now, that's hardcore...

Damn

 Should make a nice shotgun.

Quoted:  Should make a nice shotgun.

Quoted:  Should make a nice shotgun.

sounds a little excessive, but I've read similar things elsewhere.  Here's what Armalite recommend for their match barrels:

Tech Note


February 5, 2003

TECHNICAL NOTE 28, Breaking in Match Barrels

PURPOSE: To instruct purchasers of ArmaLite® match rifles of proper break in procedures.

BACKGROUND:  All new rifle barrels suffer from internal machine marks that can scratch passing bullets.  Bullet jacket metal can foul the pores of the new barrel.  Leading competitive shooters believe that breaking their barrels in properly can lead to better accuracy and longer life.  

ArmaLite® has consulted with several barrel manufacturers.  All with whom we have spoken advise us that breaking a barrel in with an abrasive of any sort reduces the accurate life of a barrel.  This matches ArmaLite’s own observations:  normal firing serves as a satisfactory break-in process if the barrel is properly cleaned during the process.  We therefore no longer recommend the use of any abrasive for breaking in a barrel.

BREAK IN:  ArmaLite® Match Rifle barrels are produced from a custom, target grade blank. For optimum accuracy and improved life expectancy, it MUST be properly broken in. We recommend the following procedure:

Remove any existing copper fouling from the barrel by using a high-quality copper-removing solvent like Hoppe’s No. 9.

Fire 11 single shots, each followed by about 20 strokes of a tight fitting patch bearing bore cleaner. Use a Parker Hale or other wrap-around style jag rather than a slotted jag. From 12 to 30 shots, clean after each 3 shots. From 31 to 50 shots, clean after each 5 shots. Clean thoroughly with a high quality bore cleaner every 10 shots until 100 shots. This time-consuming process will allow the barrel to smooth out without an accumulation of copper fouling in the pores of the steel. The barrel should thereafter be cleaned every 20 rounds for best match accuracy. Accuracy continues to improve for several hundred rounds.

ArmaLite® recommends the use of Black Hills moly coated .308 Win Match ammunition for both break-in and competition.  We have believe that Black Hills moly coated ammunition reduces the break in period by half and lengthens the period between cleaning in matches. ArmaLite® stocks Black Hills brand ammunition.

VIRTUALLY EVERY ACCURACY PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY FAILURE TO CAREFULLY BREAK THE RIFLE IN, FAILURE TO USE HIGH GRADE MATCH AMMUNITION, OR POOR MARKSMANSHIP.

DPMS has a pretty stringent requirement for their .308s, but nothing like the guy on ebay's.  

Quoted: VIRTUALLY EVERY ACCURACY PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY FAILURE TO CAREFULLY BREAK THE RIFLE IN, FAILURE TO USE HIGH GRADE MATCH AMMUNITION, OR POOR MARKSMANSHIP.

Looks like that about covers everything

I don't understand why you need to break in your Krieger.  Premium barrels like those are hand lapped at the factory.

Breakins will only get you to an optimal consistancy in accuracy faster, but not breaking in will get you there as well only you haven't burnt of the total round count capacity of the barrel wasting shots or potentially damaging your barrel from cleaning.  Personally, I would only break in a barrel if I were a serious benchrest competitor so my accuracy wouldn't change as I shot the early matches.  Otherwise I wouldn't waste my shots on it.

That kind of break in procedure is fine for non-chrome lined match barrels on a gun built for accuracy, but a total waste of time on the gun he has for sale.

Quoted: "Excellent condition less than 500 rounds fired. Cleaned after every shot first 100 rounds, every 5 rounds to 200 and after every 20 rounds since."

WOW!  How many trips to the range did it take to get through the first 100 rounds?

My break in procedure for my RRA HBAR barrel:


1. Go to range.
2. Put 500 rounds of surplus through it.
3. Run boresnake down barrel until satisfied that it is clean.
4. Pack up, go home.

Guess he wont shoot any 800 agg. matches.




I think he needs to keep that rifle and I need to find out what he is cleaning with so I can buy stock.

My break in procedure for my Oly arms carbine, (similiar to the MadProfessors)  Get home from the gun store, run bore snake through barrel, grab and load every available AR mag, walk out to backyard range empty all mags, repeat as nescesary until satisfied that the neighbors know i bought a new gun.

Question, how does the military "break in" their barrels, if at all?  

Quoted: My break in procedure for my Oly arms carbine, (similiar to the MadProfessors)  Get home from the gun store, run bore snake through barrel, grab and load every available AR mag, walk out to backyard range empty all mags, repeat as nescesary until satisfied that the neighbors know i bought a new gun.

I like this guy

I just bought an Armalite M15A2 National Match and yes, I did/am following the break-in....And yes, it fscking sucks! I figured I'd do it by the manual. However, I have learned a valuable lesson...Don't buy match grade barrels unless you're gonna compete with 'em. Too much time to break it down after every shot to clean. I'm thinking a Bushy Varminter next...Wonder is break-in is as rigorous?

Quoted: Question, how does the military "break in" their barrels, if at all?

The one and only time I was around any tottaly new weapons is when my unit got new M4's. I don't know if we were supposed to "break them in" in any special way, but all we did was shoot them, and shoot them, and shoot.....you get the picture.
MASTER BLASTER

Join Army Special Forces! Ask me how.

well I didn't follow the instructions exactly tonight but I cleaned after every 20 rounds or so.  It wasn't a big deal to do it this way so I'll stick with this for the next 100 rounds and then be done with "break in".   I think this is a reasonable break in proceedure.

Hand lapped barrels are already rifling unified by hand lead slug lapping, hence broken in by hand and do not require fire form lapping to unify the lands/grooves.  

It will shoot it's best from the start, then deteriorate in accuracy over it's life span.

How much you want to bet that this is total bullshit? I bet he broke it in the same way I did mine. I emptied about 400 rounds down the pipe.
I've got that same barrel, and that break-in procedure is pointless on a chrome lined barrel.

If you are going to do a tedious break-in at the range, I suggest getting a bore snake. Most don't have the time and/or patience to do a patch and brush the proper way. High volume shooting and match grade precision shooting rarely go together.
-Steve

On my AR-10(T) with the Ss match barrel, I was on one hand wanting to follow the armalite breakin procedure just because they did build the rifle, but on the other hand, from reading many posts from people who claim it's pointless or possibly even just accelerates the end of the barrel's life, I didn't want to.  I ended up compromising, I cleaned (fairly thoroughly with copper solvent) after every round for the first ten rounds (that took one whole range day for me, about 4-5 hours, because of the constant cease-fires at the range and no handling of the firearm during).  Then on the next trip I did 10 more rounds as 3/3/4 between cleanings, and the next 10 as 5/5.  Next trip I did 10, clean, 10, clean.  And now I just clean it once when I get home from the range, which is usually 20 or 40 rounds.

On another note, if you're going to bother with some semblance of breakin cleaning, get an Otis cleaning kit.  You can clean your barrel with it (in the correct direction, everything going the same direction the bullets do) without breaking the upper/lower receiver apart, because of the flexible cable instead of a real cleaning rod.

Quoted: My break in procedure for my Oly arms carbine, (similiar to the MadProfessors)  Get home from the gun store, run bore snake through barrel, grab and load every available AR mag, walk out to backyard range empty all mags, repeat as nescesary until satisfied that the neighbors know i bought a new gun.

If you're ever in Virginia the beer's on me!