Barrel Break In

[bigpapa]

What is your routine for breaking in a new barrel? Also, is breaking ina barrel extremely important? The reason I ask that is how do you know if you buy a used gun if the barrel was broken in at all or properly?

ORIGINAL: bigpapa

What is your routine for breaking in a new barrel? Also, is breaking ina barrel extremely important? The reason I ask that is how do you know if you buy a used gun if the barrel was broken in at all or properly?

If the gun copper fouls badly, try to break it in. If it can't be broke in, try to hand lap it with aid of borescope.

Try a search on here, believe me, you will get alot of results.

[Shootem up870]

lol a ton of results! i didn't know how to answer his questin and was curious myself and one search brought up plenty of information. i got bored reading all of the arguments. LOL

[bronko22000]

Papa, I always break in a new barrel. But its a personal preference. My routine is to clean after every shot for the first 10 rounds. Then after every third shot for the next 30. I figure that by then the minute burrs from the manufacturing are gone.
As for a used rifle, you can't be sure. But you can lap the bore with J-B Compound per the instructions on the jar to remove any embedded fouling.

[Solitary Man]

My advice is to just shoot the thing and thoroughly clean it after every 25 or so rounds. It is absolutely not necessary to go through a tedious break in procedure, although it probably won't hurtanything either. I've done it in the past to 3 or 4 rifles and there's nothing I can do with them that I can't do with my others in terms of shooting decent groups and killing animals.

[Red Lion]

I would suggest that you break-in the barrel of every new rifle you get. I suggest this, as it has the "potential" to be very beneficial to some rifles. It also may not matter for other rifles. The thing is that you can not tell with a new rifle if its a rifle that needs it versus one that does not, so treating everyone as needing it just makes sense to me.

[Dan in Alaska]

When I had my .338-06 made, I followed the break-in procedures recommended by the barrel manufacturer - Krieger. Here is their procedure: http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/RapidC...CompanyId=1246

[kelbro]

The 'One Box' method that I have used (for hunting rifles) with good luck is:

Shoot one shot. Clean.
Shoot two shots. Clean. Check for fouling.
Shoot three shots. Clean. Check for fouling.
Shoot four shots. Clean. If minimal fouling...
Shoot five shots. Clean.
Shoot five shots. Clean.

By the time you get to the first 'five shots' step. Start looking at your groups. You should be seeing them tighten up a bit. I keep the cost down by doing break-in with a box of CoreLocks or PowerPoints. Sometimes, you'll find that the cheap, over the counterstuff shoots well in your rifle. Always good to know if you don't reload.

After breaking one in, I usually give the barrel a good cleaning about every 20 rds. or so.

[Tony Orlando and Dawn]

Everyone has their opionion, but I no longer worry about barrel break-in unless I have a barrel with fouling problems. I've used various methods over the years, but don't see where it helps any with quailty barrels.

[BarnesX.308]

Explain to me the minute barrel chracteristics when compinga barrel that was "brokenin"and a rifle someone just bought and shot.