Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Some notes on Barrel Break-in

If you have ever purchased a new rifle from a major manufacturer, or from a custom gunmaker, chances are that the rifle was test-fired by the maker. Chances are, also, that the mfr. or maker did so without cleaning the barrel of that rifle at any time during their test firing. Nearly all of the new rifles I have bought have been previously fired, and arrived with a fouled barrel. Exceptions have been with custom barrels on rifles I have had re-barreled.

So- if the rifle mfr., or builder, or barrel maker, gives their break-in recommendations of, say, shoot one, clean, repeat, rinse, etc., and the barrel has had rounds sent down it an indeterminate number of times, any potential benefit of 'break-in', starting with a virgin bore, has been negated!

IMO, if that new rifle you purchased has already been test-fired by the mfr. or builder, following their break in procedures is nothing more than a waste of time, ammo, and bore life.
I bring this up, having recently purchased a new rifle, with a barrel from a premium barrel maker, which has required way more cleanup than you would expect from having been fired once or twice. This same barrel maker recommends a break in procedure, which may have had a chance before it was fired multiple times already. Gonna clean it up, sight it in, and shoot the darn thing!

Go for it..

Clean it thoroughly and proceed with proper break in. Cleaning puts you back to square one.

Over the last 70 new off the shelf factory rifles of pretty much all brands I broke in about the first half of them, the last half have just been shot. If I averaged them out there would be no difference. Some of the broke in barrels didn't shoot, some shot ok and some shot exceptional same as the ones not broke in. If a gun is going to shoot it will whether it's broke in or not. Just my opinion.

I'd say that's a lot more than just an opinion. Sounds to me like it's based on a lot of real experience. And I hear more and more folks saying the same.

This^^^

Long time ago I read an article that said most of the firearm manufacturers proof fire one round and box the gun up (don't know if that applies to revolvers though).

I just cleaned a brand new M700 SS before I fired my first loads. It did have some copper in it according to my borescope but didn't take long to clean up.

Just more proof of the fallacy of barrel break in.

When I picked up my CA Mesa included was some pretty detailed instructions for barrel break-in - which I ignored.

I mean, jeez - it's a freakin' hunting rifle and I intended to only shoot factory ammo through it, so I did the following:

- dry patch after the 1st set of 20 rounds.
- dry patch and apply powder solvent after the 2nd set of 20 rounds.
- dry patch, apply powder solvent, and then copper clean after the 3rd set of 20 rounds.

After 120 rounds of that routine the barrel settled in and was good to go.

I do a little halfass break-in routine (11 shots total) but I think I do it more to make me feel better as i doubt the little routine I do makes any difference in accuracy.....Good luck...Hb

Mines a quarterass routine. Take the damn thing apart outta the box, clean it tip to tail. Reassemble. Shoot.

The barrel break in procedures were developed by bench rest shooters for use with benchrest guns.
They were never intended for the common hunting rifle.

I've prolly owned at least 200 centerfire rifles over the last 55 years. When I first started out I did the barrel break in thingy.

Now, at most, it is 50 to 200 strokes with a bronze bore brush covered with a JB Bore Paste/Kroil mix, clean to bare metal and go shoot. I may shoot 70+ rounds before I clean again.

These days I'm not so much of a paper puncher as I was during my more anal youth.

I am a short range meat hunter so 1" groups at 100 yds. works just fine for me.

I get a kick out of watching guys at the range set up, fire three to 5 rounds and then clean. Do it over and over again and one can see the frustration on their faces as they never give the barrel an opportunity to foul in,

ya!

GWB

In 2018 I was at a Magpul precision rifle class. As part of the package the participants each received a stainless and cerekoted Remington custom shop 40X in 6.5 man bun.

The two gunsmiths that built the guns were at the class the first two days in case of any problems and to answer any questions about the build.

After the class started some of the guys asked about cleaning and barrel break-in. The gunsmiths began to tell us about break-in procedures but were overruled by the two Marine Scout Sniper instructors who told us to shoot them until groups really started to open up. The gunsmiths were bummed.

All told after the class and a bit of prairie dog hunting I had put 437 rounds down range without cleaning and the groups hadn't opened up much. When I got it home it cleaned up very easy and I haven't cleaned it since in 2+ years and 300+ rounds.

Me and the gun in a Bass Pro/Cabelas flyer.

The key to proper barrel break-in is knowing the when and the how of sacrificing the chickens. Once you get that down, it's a snap, and repeatable with every new barrel, at least unless you offend the Accuracy Gods or Fouling Gods. Then you're screwed, and you have to spend $1000 on Alpha, Peterson, or Lapua brass to appease them.

I'm in the camp that gives the new rifle a good cleaning, zero the scope, then go hunting. I don't usually shoot unless for zero or hunting. 1.5 moa kills any deer or elk out to 300 yards, which is my limit.

You dont break in the barrel.
You smooth the throat.
Done right the barrel will foul less later in life.
Hammer mechanics would never know the difference.

Dave

Barrel break in has to be one of the goofiest things that has ever gripped the firearms community. Clean it, confirm that the fasteners are torqued correctly, shoot it. 99.8% of shooters will never even fathom to see a difference. When you wear it out (which you won't because you are on the internet too much and not shooting) put a new barrel on it and shoot it some more.