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Posted: 3/10/2005 2:33:58 PM EDT
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Hey guys what's up? Just want to know and this may sound stupid but what is the correct way to break in your barrel? Hope to get some good answers. Thanks Joe.... |
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You might want to post in the AR forum or the Armory. Read this thread. www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=142139 |
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Off the Armalite web site..... 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. ã 2003, ArmaLite, Inc®. |
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If you have anything but a target/varmint rifle....just shoot the hell out of it! I will now put on my flame retardant suite  Honestly though....I have did the "clean after each round" for the first 10, then after every 3 rounds, etc......I really haven't seen any different in accuracy....especially in a carbine style rifle. Don't know what you have, but I think it's alot ob B.S. Wait, it's almost on......o.k.....flame on 
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Gotta use the search button Some say its a myth others swear by it. I am in the same boat as you and will probably break mine in just to be safe. Like one of the wise elders said"better to do it right now than have problems with it later" For those of you anwering: Some say they shoot 5 and clean after every shot. So do you shoot 5 and then clean it or shoot 1 clean shoot 1 clean. Everybody abbreviates and I dont know how to do it. Can someone give a complete walkthough/ |
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Speaking for bolt-guns and "precision" autos: I don't know about any specifics in accuracy but, there is a noticeable difference in the amount of swabbing required to clean the bore as you perform the break in procedure. There was a pretty in-depth article I read where a bore scope was used comparing imperfections as the break-in procedure was practiced. It showed smoothing of imperfections and less copper fouling thoughout the process. My gut feel is that it is worth it although I can't prove it. Giving the cost of a accurate rifle, I will lean on the side of caution and perform the procedure. I swab with copper solvant untill no fouling is seen for the first 10 rounds, then every 3 rounds for another 20. By then, that is about enough range time as it's a timely procedure. Or pick up cleaning every three the next time out. If you get to a point where you can't seem to get a clean patch, use some WipeOut bore cleaner. FWIW: Most accurate rifles I have shot seem to "tighten up" after the bore gets alittle fowled. I can totally clean the bore and see the grouping open back up a bit. |
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Pour some MadDog 20/20 on the barrel and let it sit. Wave a chicken feather over it. Then, light a match and blow it out quickly, let the smoke filter over the barrel and hopefully into the muzzle. Dance around in a circle three time while standing on your left foot only. Hoot like and owl for 30 seconds without stoppind and then clap your hands. PRESTO! Barrel is broken in. |
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I don't break in engines either. I crank up a freshly built engine, make sure oil pressure is good (Oil Pressure, Engine Temp, if these are in the green, all is right with the world) and run it the hell out of it. There is nothing you can do with the throttle that will hurt an engine. What hurts is overheating and insufficient lubrication. Ditto your firearms! |
| The benchrest shooting community has determined the "barrel break in" thing to be a trendy farce that uses up barrel life. They throw away a barrel after it reaches the 1500 round mark because it can no longer shoot 0.10 inch groups needed to be competitive. Those guys don't think twice about dropping $500 for a new barrel and may buy 2-3 barrels a year. |
| Although we can go overboard I choose to coat a barrel with Militec-1 and rub untill the barrel is warm. That will be up to 20 swipes of the militec swabbed patch. I fire a round, then one swab ob militec. Then 3 rounds and another swab of militec. Then fire 10, swab with militec one more time and then fire a complete mag. |
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With my AK's the procedure is..... 1) load magazines 2) insert magazine 3) Keep shooting until the sparks go away.. I can't see how running a swab up and down the barrel is going to be effective, and if you are really trying to get rid of copper fouling etc, then you would be doing a full cleaning inbetween shots with a brush and so on. |
| There is an interview with Gale Mcmillan on Sniper Country. He's the guy that made Mcmillan sniper rifles for the Navy Seals, McMillan stocks ETC. He says barrel break in is a bunch of horse pucky. He said the whole thing was started by a barrel maker that was selling barrels to bench rest shooters who figured he could sell more barrels. He also says if you use JB bore paste in one of his barrels the warranty is void. Now that is really interesting because when I bought my Armalite AR-10 the manual called for using JB in their break in procedure, I see by the post above they no longer recommend that. |
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