I write for one of the rifle magazines and recently did an extensive test on barrels from factory to super-premium hand-lapped, using a bore-scope to observe fouling and range tests for accuracy. I concluded most crash-course break-in routines aren't any better than just cleaning the barrel when groups start to enlarge.
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<br>Also, break-in helps rougher barrels more than super-smooth custom barrels. They're already smoothed by lapping at the factory!
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<br>My standard break-in for factory barrels these days is to shoot the thing, then see if it's fouling bad. If it is, then I "clean" the bore using 220-grit lapping paste on a patch wrapped around a bore brush. Unless the barrel's hopeless, this really smooths them up, without eroding the throat like fire-lapping. Most factory barrels respond well to being cleaned with JB the first few times. Custom barrels can just be shot, then cleaned every 10-30 rounds as fouling indicates. Doesn't hurt them a bit.
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<br>Most custom gunsmiths will privately admit the fancy break-in procedures are baloney, but such procedures have become so ingrained in the shooting public's consciousness that they hesitate to buck "common knowledge."
