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Posted: 5/12/2009 12:21:30 PM EDT
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Hello Everyone:
I have a .308 chrome moly LAR-8 that I have about 700 rounds thru. Unfortunately, I did not break in the barrel. By contrast I also have a .223 stainless Krieger barrel that I did break in properly. I went shooting yesterday and shoot about 45 rounds of .308 thru the chrome moly and 60 rounds through the stainless. As I was cleaning the barrels the chrome moly had bad copper fouling whereas the stainless had no copper fouling. I did a thorough de coppering with sweets on the chrome moly barrel before I went shooting. Is there a way that I can re break in the chrome moly barrel? Does a chrome moly barrel naturally foul more? A gunsmith that I spoke to said to get all the copper that I could out of the barrel and and do a break in again. I just don't know If that is correct. Thank you! |
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never heard of a "re-break in." Those barrels shouldn't need a break in anyway, shoot em, clean em, repeat.
be careful with Sweets 7.62, that's some strong shit, don't let it sit too long in the barrel and be sure to get it all out and follow up with CLP or some other preservative. |
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Did the gunsmith elaborate on any sort of procedure?
Break-In generically means to develop a good wear pattern between the parts when they first start to wear. Once the wear pattern has started, you usually can't change it without creating even more wear. That's also assuming that you can do anything to effect the wear pattern, which is why people will tell you in most cases barrel break-in is BS. Its NOT only barrels, car engines, you name it, people constantly debate what to do to produce a proper break-in. More often than NOT you see the most enlightened advice is to just use the equipment like normal, avoid the harsh and stressful use until after break-in, and that will produce the best break-in, NOTHING SPECIAL REQUIRED. I guess the Gunsmith is assuming doing another break-in procedure may smooth the metal in the bore better and prevent as much copper fouling taking root as before. BUT, again that's assuming a break-in procedure would smooth that bore any more than just shooting normally, which plenty will tell you, it won't. You very well may find the fouling is from the barrel NOT being broken in yet, that just shooting and cleaning like normal will end up with less copper fouling in the future. |
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Breaking in a barrel can't hurt unless you don't clean it carefully ie use a bore guide.
This makes sense: BREAKING IN A RIFLE BARREL Machining marks which can fill up with copper when the gun is shot are left during the manufacture of rifle barrels. The purpose of breaking in a rifle barrel is to polish or peen these imperfections smooth with the barrel. When a bullet is fired over these marks, it tends to polish the machining marks, but at the same time, copper is caught in the ridges. If you continue to fire bullets down the barrel without cleaning, the barrel will continue to foul (collect copper). Fouled barrels do not shoot as well as clean barrels. |
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On a mass produced non lapped barrel you arent going to get a whole lot of improvement
Breaking in just puts more rounds down the barrel which is more wear and tear. You are doing the same thing by periodically cleaning it anyway. Over cleaning increases the chance of damage Like I said in the original post there is no way a off the shelf rock river barrel will be anywhere near as smoothe or clean as easy as the krieger If you really want to smoothe it out you could try something like tubbs final finish(I think that is what it is called) but I have no experience with it. Just shoot it 
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