New Barrel Breakin
 

As I've posted I have a new .35 Whelen. Whats the preferred breakin procedure?

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

Just follow the directions on remingtons website. Every gun is totally different and has to be treated as such. If you fire a round and clean (with a heavy copper cutting solution), and its very coppered, then you have you to keep firing and cleaning until you see that fall off. Could be 3 rounds, could be 20.

One thing I do is use JB's to semi lap the bore before even firing. Its worked for me for a long time. I run JB's thru 200 strokes before a shot is fired. Some will say yoru wearing down your rifling, but it would take 5000 stokes even to think about premature wear. This is an optional step that helps the breakin go much faster.

My sako recently for instance, I fired a round, then cleaned, and did this 3 rounds. By the third round, I had very little copper/fouling. So I started shooting 3 rounds and cleaning. By the 4th set of 3 round shots, I have very little copper. I moved up to 10 rounds. I did this for two sets, and figured that was a enough. A very easy rifle to breakin. Some remingtons however I have had in 300RUM, I cleaned every round for 20 shots, and still the 20th was as bad as the 2nd. It was a very rough barrel. And no amount of breakin was changing that. It never did smooth out in 600 rounds.

Remember there is no set rules. every gun is different.

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

Clean it after every shot the first five shots with a stout cleaner and then every five shots until you reach 50. BC the gunsmith Iknow definitely does not recommend JB bore paste. You don't want to change the surface characteristics of a barrel is his explanation and you don't want to take the sharp edge off the rifling. You didn't run JB in that Sako did you?

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

No, the sako didn't need it. It was baby smooth from the start. Your gunsmith near your home, who are proud of thier prices, recommends JB. I was in your and your gunsmith's camp before using a hawkeye bore scope. I never saw any rounding or edge changes with JB's. Its such a fine grit abrasive it would take 100's of strokes to round your edges. I watched this carefully before and after each use. I know what he is saying however. Not to irriatate the surface, instead seal it. But oldelk, if you got a gun that is so rough it takes 2 hours to clean the bore, irratating the pours of the metal really takes the back seat. I would never do it to a match barrel, and never have. A crappy rough bore surface characteristics won't matter. If its a turd, its a turd.

I know the hawkeye is expensive but I rented one thru my gunsmith with the understanding if I broke it, I bought it.

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

This may be another way overrated item..How can you tell with your eye if the rifling is being rounded off by JB or isn't? Now if it laser measured a before and after picture then it would have some validity. There is no correlation between a gun that has its bore smoothed or one with a rough bore ie my 6mm rem and its accuracy. All that borescope can tell you the general condition of the barrel no more or no less. If you buy a certain gun most likely since its mass produced it will have the same bore surface characteristics..I don't think it would be wise to alter that. The same applies to barrels made by a reputable barrel maker.

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

BTW I am glad you didn't run JB thru the Sako

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

I guess I don't understand this statement? They hammer forge most of these barrels around a mandel. No special magic on them. No special powder. hammer it, smooth it, bore it, kick it out the door. I have a feeling your smith as good as he may be, is telling alot of old wivestails to ya.

Yes, you can see the rifling rounded off very much. I know, cause I did it. With Dave Tubbs firelapping kit. I saw before and after. I don't know a superhuman that could have detected this rounding off with a bare eye. But anything is possible. A good hawkeye, you can zoom in greatly. I am shocked that you feel there is no use for one. But different strokes.

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

I don't know what you find so confusing. What he is saying is there has to be a certain level of consistent friction within a bore. Just because they look pretty doesn't make them good shooters. I will put his guns up against anyones guns and no he doesn't own a bore scope. Bore scope would be good for spotting copper in a bore and maybe a nicked rifling or missing rifling what other reason would you have for one.?

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

Wish I had a gun for every gunsmith that says this. Hey oldelk, nothing wrong with disagreeing. Your way works for you, and mine definately works for me.

RE: New Barrel Breakin
 

BC his clients do his bragging, He is a quiet unassuming gentleman that builds his guns the right way. My good friend down there owns 6 of his customs and would just as soon cut his arm off then have anyone else build him a gun.