Re: Savage break-in barrel
Wow, we go over this all the time. And people who don't even understand the processes of how different barrels are made always feel free to comment on how stupid it is.
First, in todays day and age, the "processes" we use to make barrels is much better than it was ten and especially even twenty years ago. Except for Remington and Winchester who still insist the worst way to make barrels is the best, hammer forging. Hammer forging creates the most stress in a barrel when being made. Followed by button type and least of the stress inducers is 'cut-rifled' Cut-rifling also seems to last the longest. When button rifling is used and moved continuously through the bore to form the rifling (they use multiple buttons of different sizes, multiple passes) it creates less stress points. If it is 'pounded' through the bore it will leave all kinds of stress points. Everywhere it starts and stops.
Savage uses a 'button-pull rifling' method that induces a lot less stress into the barrels. They also normalize, straighten, and machine lap the barrels before they install them.
Here's where the rubber meets the road as far as breaking in your Savage rifle. Since it has been machine lapped, a lot of the 'swipe' left from cutting the chamber will have already been removed. When you clean after the first few (1 to as many as 20 shots) you are giving the powder plasma a direct shot at that metal hanging around the leading edes of your lands. If you don't remove the copper build-up on them from the very first you aren't giving it the chance to work. The plasma hits the built up copper instead of the steel. <span style="font-weight: bold">All you are really doing is giving the powder plasma a direct shot onto the steel of the throat area. </span>
That said about todays barrel making processes, again there is very little left nowdays. Your break-in isn't going to take a lot of rounds. It also means that the best you are going to improve your shooting is maybe up to .2" If you normally shoot under a 1/4" then it might make sense to do that. If you normally hold around .5 moa, it might make sense to do that. But, if you are just looking for sub-moa, which is every bit all you need for tactical shooting, don't bother with it. Shoot it and clean it right and it will come down to it's best accuracy in it's own good time.
This is where I like to say, if you are a benchrester, it will make a difference. If you are a tactical shooter, I doubt it will make a difference.
