Got a question for you guys. I've been reading a lot about barrel break-in procedures and also about cleaning barrels. Some of the post here and on other forums have mentioned that you can damage a barrel by cleaning it too much. So my question is, wouldn't that go along with barrel break-in. While breaking in a barrel, is it not the goal to get all the copper out prior to shooting your next shot. This has me confused, because if you're cleanning a barrel to much, you are essentially getting rid of all the copper fouling. Please educate me!
- Thread starter Hawkeye2005
- Start date
Re: Barrel Break-In
Not scientifical but I just shot 67 rounds over a chronograph. And the gunsmith testfired 2 rounds.
This was a brand new factory barrel....not saying it is correct but I don't think my groups tomarrow will be horrendus.
Oh yeah...the barrel has yet to have a patch run through it.
If you search on the subject you will find lots of methods and opinions. My opinion is to go out and shoot it, when you think of it.....then it is time to clean it. Like I said I may be in the wrong but it has worked for me so far.
Not scientifical but I just shot 67 rounds over a chronograph. And the gunsmith testfired 2 rounds.
This was a brand new factory barrel....not saying it is correct but I don't think my groups tomarrow will be horrendus.
Oh yeah...the barrel has yet to have a patch run through it.
If you search on the subject you will find lots of methods and opinions. My opinion is to go out and shoot it, when you think of it.....then it is time to clean it. Like I said I may be in the wrong but it has worked for me so far.
Re: Barrel Break-In
Everybody has an opinion on this.
Most high end builders recommend cleaning after each shot for 100 rounds, then after 5 shots for 200 rounds, keeping the barrel as cold as possible (spacing shots).
From what I understand it is to allow the surface of the throat to rifling and barrel rifling to set, polish, and help surface hardening. So each bullet has a clean running surface, (first 100).
I follow what each recommends for their product even though it is a major pain, but years of testing by them to find what works should speak for something. I use the time to determine cold bore shots and do basic load development for a new gun.
Everybody has an opinion on this.
Most high end builders recommend cleaning after each shot for 100 rounds, then after 5 shots for 200 rounds, keeping the barrel as cold as possible (spacing shots).
From what I understand it is to allow the surface of the throat to rifling and barrel rifling to set, polish, and help surface hardening. So each bullet has a clean running surface, (first 100).
I follow what each recommends for their product even though it is a major pain, but years of testing by them to find what works should speak for something. I use the time to determine cold bore shots and do basic load development for a new gun.
Re: Barrel Break-In
Just shoot it
It is fouling badly clean it up
Think about it, if your barrel life is 1000 rounds, and your running a copper brush/jag and patch up the barrel hundreds of times, with the potential for a cleaning rod to also contact the rifling... How much of that 1000 round barrel life have you just used up by sticking to a meticulous cleaning regime?
And then what happens when you rebarrel? Same thing over again?
I just shot the living balls out of my factory barrel and it shoots fine. If it needs to be cleaned then i clean it
I treat my barrels with smooth-kote and bp2000 to assist in cleaning as well.
Just shoot it
It is fouling badly clean it up
Think about it, if your barrel life is 1000 rounds, and your running a copper brush/jag and patch up the barrel hundreds of times, with the potential for a cleaning rod to also contact the rifling... How much of that 1000 round barrel life have you just used up by sticking to a meticulous cleaning regime?
And then what happens when you rebarrel? Same thing over again?
I just shot the living balls out of my factory barrel and it shoots fine. If it needs to be cleaned then i clean it
I treat my barrels with smooth-kote and bp2000 to assist in cleaning as well.
Re: Barrel Break-In
Search function and stickies........
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1562996#Post1562996
Search function and stickies........
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1562996#Post1562996
Re: Barrel Break-In
I very rarely use a caliber size brush, just hoppies for carbon and sweets 7.62 for copper. Also LSA oil which will dissolve any carbon I missed in tight corners, after a couple of days dry patch the LSA out and re-oil with LSA, you won't believe what will come out on that dry patch.
If you wet the barrel and chamber area down with LSA oil right after shooting while the weapon is hot it will be easier to clean.
Will once in a while I will use rem. 40-X if I have a bad powder residue deposit that won't break down with the solvents.
I do use an undersized worn pistol brush as a jag wrapped with a patch usually one stroke wet and one stroke dry.
I very rarely use a caliber size brush, just hoppies for carbon and sweets 7.62 for copper. Also LSA oil which will dissolve any carbon I missed in tight corners, after a couple of days dry patch the LSA out and re-oil with LSA, you won't believe what will come out on that dry patch.
If you wet the barrel and chamber area down with LSA oil right after shooting while the weapon is hot it will be easier to clean.
Will once in a while I will use rem. 40-X if I have a bad powder residue deposit that won't break down with the solvents.
I do use an undersized worn pistol brush as a jag wrapped with a patch usually one stroke wet and one stroke dry.
Re: Barrel Break-In
Several years ago I got a barrel for my 10/22. The company stated that by using a cleaning rod I'd void the warranty. What they suggested was to tie a cleaning patch on one end of fishing line or a string, and a thin weight on the other. Drop the weight down and pull the patch through. Good or bad, thats what I've been doing with all my rifles for the past several years.
Several years ago I got a barrel for my 10/22. The company stated that by using a cleaning rod I'd void the warranty. What they suggested was to tie a cleaning patch on one end of fishing line or a string, and a thin weight on the other. Drop the weight down and pull the patch through. Good or bad, thats what I've been doing with all my rifles for the past several years.
Re: Barrel Break-In
This is a topic that i dont think will ever have a scientific answer accepted by everyone. i dont know if it has any benefit or not but i shoot 100 rounds with running a rod throught after each shot. it helps me get familar with the rifle if nothing else.
This is a topic that i dont think will ever have a scientific answer accepted by everyone. i dont know if it has any benefit or not but i shoot 100 rounds with running a rod throught after each shot. it helps me get familar with the rifle if nothing else.
Re: Barrel Break-In
I know GA precision recommends that you break in their match grade barrels. The US Military also recommends it. I've gone through the process and you end up with a barrel that fouls very little and cleans easy. Its not such a bad process with a match grade barrel, you don't need any where close to 100 rounds of cleaning after each shot. That would be far too much of a pain in the rear. With a match grade barrel, fouling should drop off rapidly after 5 or so rounds of shoot clean and then clean every 5 shots or so for the next 25 shots. It varies with each barrel. With a CZ I went through break in and gave up after many attempts. The fouling definitely was reduced but never completely went away. You have to use a real copper remover like Sweets and you need to follow directions, not leaving it in the barrel for too long or mixing it with another solvent like Shooters Choice. I cleaned first with Shooters Choice, cleaned that out with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, then worked on the copper fouling with Sweets and cleaned finally out the Sweets with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
I know GA precision recommends that you break in their match grade barrels. The US Military also recommends it. I've gone through the process and you end up with a barrel that fouls very little and cleans easy. Its not such a bad process with a match grade barrel, you don't need any where close to 100 rounds of cleaning after each shot. That would be far too much of a pain in the rear. With a match grade barrel, fouling should drop off rapidly after 5 or so rounds of shoot clean and then clean every 5 shots or so for the next 25 shots. It varies with each barrel. With a CZ I went through break in and gave up after many attempts. The fouling definitely was reduced but never completely went away. You have to use a real copper remover like Sweets and you need to follow directions, not leaving it in the barrel for too long or mixing it with another solvent like Shooters Choice. I cleaned first with Shooters Choice, cleaned that out with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, then worked on the copper fouling with Sweets and cleaned finally out the Sweets with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
Re: Barrel Break-In
Ok... One more time... Barrel break-in is a process that was completely made up by a custom barrel maker for the sole purpose of selling more barrels...FACT!!! Undisputable, undeniable, plain and simple FACT! Why must people waste their time debating this! Just google it and read what Gale McMillan of McMillan Brothers wrote.
Ok... One more time... Barrel break-in is a process that was completely made up by a custom barrel maker for the sole purpose of selling more barrels...FACT!!! Undisputable, undeniable, plain and simple FACT! Why must people waste their time debating this! Just google it and read what Gale McMillan of McMillan Brothers wrote.
Re: Barrel Break-In
I think thats more of a conspiracy theory. If I made custom barrels I can only hope that I would not need to rely on the minor effect of inproper brake in cleaning to: make my product shoot like shit, reduce its shity life, and hope that the customer is dumb enough to do it again by buying another from me.
I have posted on this topic before and can't seem to convince the simple minded folk of the facts. But I will try again.
I do not have a doctrine in Metalurgy but I am approaching a degree in Physics. As an avid shooter I have spent alot of time resarching this topic. I have many custom rifles barreled with different manufacturers barrels. Shilin, Mike Rock, Schnieder, Krieger, and Wilson are the brands I have used Thus far. Every one from the gunsmith to the manufacturer Seems to have a different take on the subject.
If the barrel is of the custom hand-lapped type then some say that th bore is smooth and free of tooling marks, and that no brake in is necessary. They are wrong and a little right. When the barrel is chambered new tooling marks are made at the lands and tiny buhrs are raised. When the first several shots are fired the bullet jacket strikes these rough spots with extreeme pressure. The heat produced transformes the copper removed from the bullet into a gas like state that travels and sticks down the bore. This is why you can sometimes see copper fouling with a flash light at the muzzle.
All that is recomended is a simple shoot and clean with copper solvent until the patches stop showing a blueish color. There is no set amount that needs to be fired. This whole 50 or a 100 shots thing is nonsence.
Shoot one, clean with copper solvent, then rinse it out with some other less harsh solvent. No brass brushes, use the nylon type. Then shoot twice, repaet cleaning. Shoot three, reapeat. And right about There is where the patches stop showing blue in most cases. Thats it. About 3 or 4 cleanings and 6 or 10 rounds. Done!
Why bother? If you decide not to do this then What? Well the most copper that will ever be deposited in the bore will happen Within these first several shots. If you decide to leave it in then the rifle will perform one way untill you eventually clean it, then it will perform another way. Better or worse the fact is that once you clean that large amount of copper out it will never have that much again and will shoot consistantly from that point forth. So why prolong the illusion of good or bad performance that will change.
For those that argue that no difference can be seen I will say that it is physically impossible to achieve the same frictional coefficent between a bullet over bare steel and a bullet over copper coated steel. This value determines velocity and thus trajectory. Every gun is different and not every one is trying to shoot .1 MOA or less. So the Science says one thing and some ones personal experince shooting at cans is another.
AS far as cleaning I clean about every 150 to 250 rounds. This other myth about needing to clean every 10 or 20 shots is even worse. Excess cleaning will harm you barrel.
Here is why. Some say that because brass is softer than steel it will not harm the bore. Well they are right about the brass being softer than steel but wrong about it not harming the bore. The carbon found in a diry bore is harder than steel and when it sticks to a brass brush being stroked back and forth over the surface of the bore; that is lapping not cleaning. The less times you pass any thing other than a bullet over the leading edge of a crown the better. This is where the bullet is finally "told where to go". If it is not perfectly symetrical you will never shoot with precision.
When you clean let the solvents do the work for you. Let them sit a minute. Then use a nylon brush to help get the larger deposits free. The most common state of a bore is with some fouling in it. So why fight it. Zero it this way and shoot alot with out worry.
I think thats more of a conspiracy theory. If I made custom barrels I can only hope that I would not need to rely on the minor effect of inproper brake in cleaning to: make my product shoot like shit, reduce its shity life, and hope that the customer is dumb enough to do it again by buying another from me.
I have posted on this topic before and can't seem to convince the simple minded folk of the facts. But I will try again.
I do not have a doctrine in Metalurgy but I am approaching a degree in Physics. As an avid shooter I have spent alot of time resarching this topic. I have many custom rifles barreled with different manufacturers barrels. Shilin, Mike Rock, Schnieder, Krieger, and Wilson are the brands I have used Thus far. Every one from the gunsmith to the manufacturer Seems to have a different take on the subject.
If the barrel is of the custom hand-lapped type then some say that th bore is smooth and free of tooling marks, and that no brake in is necessary. They are wrong and a little right. When the barrel is chambered new tooling marks are made at the lands and tiny buhrs are raised. When the first several shots are fired the bullet jacket strikes these rough spots with extreeme pressure. The heat produced transformes the copper removed from the bullet into a gas like state that travels and sticks down the bore. This is why you can sometimes see copper fouling with a flash light at the muzzle.
All that is recomended is a simple shoot and clean with copper solvent until the patches stop showing a blueish color. There is no set amount that needs to be fired. This whole 50 or a 100 shots thing is nonsence.
Shoot one, clean with copper solvent, then rinse it out with some other less harsh solvent. No brass brushes, use the nylon type. Then shoot twice, repaet cleaning. Shoot three, reapeat. And right about There is where the patches stop showing blue in most cases. Thats it. About 3 or 4 cleanings and 6 or 10 rounds. Done!
Why bother? If you decide not to do this then What? Well the most copper that will ever be deposited in the bore will happen Within these first several shots. If you decide to leave it in then the rifle will perform one way untill you eventually clean it, then it will perform another way. Better or worse the fact is that once you clean that large amount of copper out it will never have that much again and will shoot consistantly from that point forth. So why prolong the illusion of good or bad performance that will change.
For those that argue that no difference can be seen I will say that it is physically impossible to achieve the same frictional coefficent between a bullet over bare steel and a bullet over copper coated steel. This value determines velocity and thus trajectory. Every gun is different and not every one is trying to shoot .1 MOA or less. So the Science says one thing and some ones personal experince shooting at cans is another.
AS far as cleaning I clean about every 150 to 250 rounds. This other myth about needing to clean every 10 or 20 shots is even worse. Excess cleaning will harm you barrel.
Here is why. Some say that because brass is softer than steel it will not harm the bore. Well they are right about the brass being softer than steel but wrong about it not harming the bore. The carbon found in a diry bore is harder than steel and when it sticks to a brass brush being stroked back and forth over the surface of the bore; that is lapping not cleaning. The less times you pass any thing other than a bullet over the leading edge of a crown the better. This is where the bullet is finally "told where to go". If it is not perfectly symetrical you will never shoot with precision.
When you clean let the solvents do the work for you. Let them sit a minute. Then use a nylon brush to help get the larger deposits free. The most common state of a bore is with some fouling in it. So why fight it. Zero it this way and shoot alot with out worry.
Re: Barrel Break-In
This is from FM 23-10:
"d. Barrel Break-in Procedure. To increase barrel life, accuracy, and reduce cleaning requirement the following barrel break-in procedure must be used. This procedure is best accomplished when the SWS is new or newly rebarreled. The break-in period is accomplished by polishing the barrel surface under heat and pressure. This procedure should only be done by qualified personnel. The barrel must be cleaned of all fouling, both powder and copper. The barrel is dried, and one round is fired. The barrel is then cleaned again using carbon cleaner and then copper cleaner. The barrel must be cleaned again, and another round is fired. The procedure must be repeated for a total of 10 rounds. After the 10th round the SWS is then tested for groups by firing three-round shot groups, with a complete barrel cleaning between shot groups for a total of five shot groups (15 rounds total).
The barrel is now broken in, and will provide superior accuracy and a longer usable barrel life. Additionally, the barrel will be easier to clean because the surface is smoother. Again the barrel should be cleaned at least every 50 rounds to increase the barrel life. "
This is from FM 23-10:
"d. Barrel Break-in Procedure. To increase barrel life, accuracy, and reduce cleaning requirement the following barrel break-in procedure must be used. This procedure is best accomplished when the SWS is new or newly rebarreled. The break-in period is accomplished by polishing the barrel surface under heat and pressure. This procedure should only be done by qualified personnel. The barrel must be cleaned of all fouling, both powder and copper. The barrel is dried, and one round is fired. The barrel is then cleaned again using carbon cleaner and then copper cleaner. The barrel must be cleaned again, and another round is fired. The procedure must be repeated for a total of 10 rounds. After the 10th round the SWS is then tested for groups by firing three-round shot groups, with a complete barrel cleaning between shot groups for a total of five shot groups (15 rounds total).
The barrel is now broken in, and will provide superior accuracy and a longer usable barrel life. Additionally, the barrel will be easier to clean because the surface is smoother. Again the barrel should be cleaned at least every 50 rounds to increase the barrel life. "
Re: Barrel Break-In
From: <span style="font-style: italic"> TC 23-14 Sniper Training & Employment</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Section 3-16, paragraph i. </span>
<span style="color: #FF6666">To understand the effects of humidity on the strike of the bullet, one must realize the higher the humidity the denser the air.</span>
The USMC also has this written in their original databooks...
so just because the military says it, doesn't make it right.
From: <span style="font-style: italic"> TC 23-14 Sniper Training & Employment</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Section 3-16, paragraph i. </span>
<span style="color: #FF6666">To understand the effects of humidity on the strike of the bullet, one must realize the higher the humidity the denser the air.</span>
The USMC also has this written in their original databooks...
so just because the military says it, doesn't make it right.
Re: Barrel Break-In
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">From: <span style="font-style: italic"> TC 23-14 Sniper Training & Employment</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Section 3-16, paragraph i. </span>
<span style="color: #FF6666">To understand the effects of humidity on the strike of the bullet, one must realize the higher the humidity the denser the air.</span>
The USMC also has this written in their original databooks...
so just because the military says it, doesn't make it right. </div></div>
I love that part, its in the FBI manual too......
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lowlight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">From: <span style="font-style: italic"> TC 23-14 Sniper Training & Employment</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline">Section 3-16, paragraph i. </span>
<span style="color: #FF6666">To understand the effects of humidity on the strike of the bullet, one must realize the higher the humidity the denser the air.</span>
The USMC also has this written in their original databooks...
so just because the military says it, doesn't make it right. </div></div>
I love that part, its in the FBI manual too......
Re: Barrel Break-In
Anymore for me breaking in a barrel consists of putting a few down it to get it on paper, clean it, then shoot as normal and leave it fouled if I'll be shooting it in the near future.
Anymore for me breaking in a barrel consists of putting a few down it to get it on paper, clean it, then shoot as normal and leave it fouled if I'll be shooting it in the near future.
Re: Barrel Break-In
I'd have to say your procedures for breaking in a barrel, if at all, and cleaning, depend on your entire approach to reloading and accurate shooting. I was introduced to centre fire shooting around 15 years ago now, following rimfire and shotguns, and some woukd say fortunate, some unfortunate, started straight into benchrest. My views therefore are, and I admit myself, quite obsessive, I apply the same thinking and attention to my 22lr's, 44magLR as I do my PPC and 308!
Anyway, my procedures -
To break in (a new barrel, no need for a second hand), patch thhrough with slight cleaner such as KROIL, fire one round. leave for 24hrs, having been patched or sprayed with bore foam or similar. Patch out, and fire a round. Do this 7 times (one week). This clears out any imperfections on the rifling, and is reccommended by my local barrel builders (Borders).
To clean (every time you shoot!), use a none metal brush, with solvent. patch out with wet (solvent drops) and then dry patches, repeat until patches come out clean. This can take, for 20 rounds, 4 brushes, 10 wet patches and 30 dry patches. (borders have their own procedure on site)
I have done this for all rifles I have owned, the barrels are literally immaculate, and you must therefore take into consideration where your shot will go on a clean barrel.
I'd have to say your procedures for breaking in a barrel, if at all, and cleaning, depend on your entire approach to reloading and accurate shooting. I was introduced to centre fire shooting around 15 years ago now, following rimfire and shotguns, and some woukd say fortunate, some unfortunate, started straight into benchrest. My views therefore are, and I admit myself, quite obsessive, I apply the same thinking and attention to my 22lr's, 44magLR as I do my PPC and 308!
Anyway, my procedures -
To break in (a new barrel, no need for a second hand), patch thhrough with slight cleaner such as KROIL, fire one round. leave for 24hrs, having been patched or sprayed with bore foam or similar. Patch out, and fire a round. Do this 7 times (one week). This clears out any imperfections on the rifling, and is reccommended by my local barrel builders (Borders).
To clean (every time you shoot!), use a none metal brush, with solvent. patch out with wet (solvent drops) and then dry patches, repeat until patches come out clean. This can take, for 20 rounds, 4 brushes, 10 wet patches and 30 dry patches. (borders have their own procedure on site)
I have done this for all rifles I have owned, the barrels are literally immaculate, and you must therefore take into consideration where your shot will go on a clean barrel.
Re: Barrel Break-In
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ukshooter308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd have to say your procedures for breaking in a barrel, if at all, and cleaning, depend on your entire approach to reloading and accurate shooting. I was introduced to centre fire shooting around 15 years ago now, following rimfire and shotguns, and some woukd say fortunate, some unfortunate, started straight into benchrest. My views therefore are, and I admit myself, quite obsessive, I apply the same thinking and attention to my 22lr's, 44magLR as I do my PPC and 308!
Anyway, my procedures -
To break in (a new barrel, no need for a second hand), patch thhrough with slight cleaner such as KROIL, fire one round. leave for 24hrs, having been patched or sprayed with bore foam or similar. Patch out, and fire a round. Do this 7 times (one week). This clears out any imperfections on the rifling, and is reccommended by my local barrel builders (Borders).
To clean (every time you shoot!), use a none metal brush, with solvent. patch out with wet (solvent drops) and then dry patches, repeat until patches come out clean. This can take, for 20 rounds, 4 brushes, 10 wet patches and 30 dry patches. (borders have their own procedure on site)
I have done this for all rifles I have owned, the barrels are literally immaculate, and you must therefore take into consideration where your shot will go on a clean barrel. </div></div>
HOLY CRAP....one shot a day for 7 days....I'll stick to my method and the money I save on patches I can get a new barrel when this one goes!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ukshooter308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd have to say your procedures for breaking in a barrel, if at all, and cleaning, depend on your entire approach to reloading and accurate shooting. I was introduced to centre fire shooting around 15 years ago now, following rimfire and shotguns, and some woukd say fortunate, some unfortunate, started straight into benchrest. My views therefore are, and I admit myself, quite obsessive, I apply the same thinking and attention to my 22lr's, 44magLR as I do my PPC and 308!
Anyway, my procedures -
To break in (a new barrel, no need for a second hand), patch thhrough with slight cleaner such as KROIL, fire one round. leave for 24hrs, having been patched or sprayed with bore foam or similar. Patch out, and fire a round. Do this 7 times (one week). This clears out any imperfections on the rifling, and is reccommended by my local barrel builders (Borders).
To clean (every time you shoot!), use a none metal brush, with solvent. patch out with wet (solvent drops) and then dry patches, repeat until patches come out clean. This can take, for 20 rounds, 4 brushes, 10 wet patches and 30 dry patches. (borders have their own procedure on site)
I have done this for all rifles I have owned, the barrels are literally immaculate, and you must therefore take into consideration where your shot will go on a clean barrel. </div></div>
HOLY CRAP....one shot a day for 7 days....I'll stick to my method and the money I save on patches I can get a new barrel when this one goes!
Re: Barrel Break-In
I finally cleaned my target rifle yesterday when I had around 500 rounds down the barrel. Didn't do a barrel break-in when I got it. Checked it with a borescope the entire length and saw nothing of concern after the cleaning. Rifling looked good, chamber looked good, crown looked good. Took it out today and shot another 60 rounds. First round was off about an inch at 100 yards (could have been me though), but after that all rounds hit just as they did before I cleaned it. It is shooting as well as it did the first day I got it without doing any break-in and without cleaning it religiously.
I finally cleaned my target rifle yesterday when I had around 500 rounds down the barrel. Didn't do a barrel break-in when I got it. Checked it with a borescope the entire length and saw nothing of concern after the cleaning. Rifling looked good, chamber looked good, crown looked good. Took it out today and shot another 60 rounds. First round was off about an inch at 100 yards (could have been me though), but after that all rounds hit just as they did before I cleaned it. It is shooting as well as it did the first day I got it without doing any break-in and without cleaning it religiously.
Re: Barrel Break-In
I always get a rise outa reading this topic. It's kinda like watching a train wreck...you just gotta look even though it's ugly. That being said..I PERSONALLY beieve bbl break in is BS. I worked for a gunsmith and have had more custom bbls than i can ever count and have found that "break in does NOTHING for me.We even got 2 bbls from the same manufacturer from the same batch of blanks and tried "break in on one and not the other and noticed ZERO difference in terms of accuracy, ease of cleaning, bbl life. We did this with a number of different bbls (manufacturers) and results always the same. You can get all scientific and try to explain what the average shooter can't understand, but any difference in a bbl that had "break in" vs one that was not, is so minimal, that you won't ever see the difference. This is just MY Opinion, but I have MANY years of experience that backs up my findings.
I always get a rise outa reading this topic. It's kinda like watching a train wreck...you just gotta look even though it's ugly. That being said..I PERSONALLY beieve bbl break in is BS. I worked for a gunsmith and have had more custom bbls than i can ever count and have found that "break in does NOTHING for me.We even got 2 bbls from the same manufacturer from the same batch of blanks and tried "break in on one and not the other and noticed ZERO difference in terms of accuracy, ease of cleaning, bbl life. We did this with a number of different bbls (manufacturers) and results always the same. You can get all scientific and try to explain what the average shooter can't understand, but any difference in a bbl that had "break in" vs one that was not, is so minimal, that you won't ever see the difference. This is just MY Opinion, but I have MANY years of experience that backs up my findings.
