Do you really need to break-in chrome moly barrels? The RRA factory Rep. Say's Quote " Our barrels require no break-in period." What is your opinion? I know chrome moly is supposed to be more accurate and that chrome lined is supposed to be more durable, But what is the cold hard truth.

I no longer have a clue as to what the cold hard truth is !!

About a year - maybe a little more - FN came out with their "FN Police Special" rifle with the chrome lined barrel - retail at the time $1000. During independent tests that rifle was more accurate than three (3) other rifles costing $4000 + !!

I'm the mod for the AR-10 & AR-180 Forum and many ArmaLite AR-10A4 owners report sub MOA results with their AR-10A4 rifles with chrome lined barrels.  Sooo, I've decided that I don't understand all that I don't know regarding chrome lined barrels and accuracy !!

There ain't no cold hard truth, and that's the cold hard truth [:D].

This whole thing about unlined barrels being more accurate than lined barrels got started years ago; probably about the time that Springfield Armory (the original govt. one) decided that they could build accurate barrels for the National Match M14s more easily if they didn't have to worry about controlling the uniformity of plating.  This attitude has persisted to this day, despite the fact that millions of hard chrome plated barrels are shooting excellent groups all over the world.

As far as I am concerned, whether a barrel is plated or not is the very least important factor in dtermining its accuracy, but one of the most important in terms of its longevity. The site members who use the tag line "Go chrome or go home" may be overstating the case a bit, but the point is well taken [:D]

Agreed.  

(And you can feed it mil-surp without remorse or guilt !)

Here's a different perspective.

Highly accurate target barrels are made to extremely close tolerances by their makers. Something like .0001" or .0002" in the bore. They are hand lapped to meet this spec, and those that do not wind up as fence posts!

In the past, it was impossible to industrial hard chrome plate an object and hold this kind of tolerance because 1) the technology just did not exist, 2) the process is a relatavely expensive one for the small low volume maker to experiment with improving, and 3) there was little to no demand for an expensive barrel that couldn't be made to equal or better the existing standard. Add to this the fact that the available hard chromed barrels were already acceptable for their most important use (the military) and you can see why no real development was done on them for decades.

This has all changed with the new process developed by FN and first used in small arms on their LMG's. The SPR barrels were .30 cal MG barrels taken from the line and shortened and profiled for the police rifle. As I understand it this is a very expensive new process that FN has come up with, and I suppose that they own it and any potential user would probably have to pay licensing fees or royalties to use it. My safest guess is that we'll just have to wait and see how this shakes out in the future.

I believe that the Springfield story is just that. Our military teams have been using custom barrels, first CM then SS, for decades. The old star gage and then air gauged NM Springfield barrels have not been used by our military MUs since the 1950's.

So, to break-in or not? First, I would advise to strictly follow the barrelmakers reconmmendation not only on break-in proceedure but also on what cleaners, etc. to use. Lacking that information, if the barrel is CM or SS break it in! Do a search and you'll find several good methods, just choose one that suits you. If you've got a new chromed bore barrel, go ahead and shoot it as is. The hard chrome is harder than anything that you're about to put through it anyhow.

The reasons for break-in on machined metal surfaces are a subject for a completely new thread. Don't get me started, please;-))

I think chrome-lining is a bit overrated. Most people will never wear a barrel out in one lifetime anyway. As far as the break-in procedure is concerned, I think it is all a crock of shite started by companies who produce cleaning products. I have personally read on manufacturers websites where they state that there is no necessary break-in procedure for any of their  rifles. I have never "broken-in" any of barrels, and I am sure my gun is just as accurate as anyone else's.

If I can afford enough ammo to wear out a barrel, I can also afford a new barrel when it does wear out.

Here is some advice from Jim Owens High power web site.

http://www.jarheadtop.com/article_gfbreakin.shtml

[url]http://www.loadyourown.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000087.html[/url]

"Gale McMillan
Senior Member
posted September 25, 1999 10:10 AM

The break in fad was started by a fellow I helped get started in the
barrel business. He started putting a set of break in instructions in
every barrel he shipped. One came into the shop to be installed and I
read it and the next time I saw him I asked him "What was with this
break in crap?". His answer was "Mac, My share of the market is about
700 barrels a year. I cater to the target crowd and they shoot a
barrel about 3000 rounds before they change it. If each one uses up
100 rounds of each barrel breaking it in you can figure out how many
more barrels I will get to make each year." If you will stop and think
that the barrel doesn't know whether you are cleaning it every shot or
every 5 shots and if you are removing all foreign material that has
been deposited in it since the last time you cleaned it what more can
you do? When I ship a barrel I send a recommendation with it that you
clean it ever chance you get with a brass brush pushed through it at
least 12 times with a good solvent and followed by two and only 2 soft
patches. This means if you are a bench rest shooter you clean ever 7
or 8 rounds . If you are a high power shooter you clean it when you
come off the line after 20 rounds. If you follow the fad of cleaning
every shot for X amount and every 2 shots for X amount and so on the
only thing you are accomplishing is shortening the life of the barrel
by the amount of rounds you shot during this process. I always say
Monkey see Monkey do, now I will wait on the flames but before you
write them, Please include what you think is happening inside your
barrel during break in that is worth the expense and time you are
spending during break in."


I found this some time ago on another thread here.

TT [wave]

The only break in I have done on any gun I have ever owned was some fluff and buff on a kel-tec sub 2000. The barrel had some burrs along a section of the rifling. I cleaned it after the first 20 rds to see if just shooting it would fix the problem. It did, and I just blasted away.

The warranty card included with my RRA rifle specifically stated that their barrels were lapped from the factory and require NO break-in. Good enough for me...

That I don't agree. If you shoot 80~100 rounds a week with your AR15, I'm sure it will totally wear out in several years?