Barrel Break-In

[Snake45]

I know the subject has come up here several times. Excellent article on it in the new (September) issue of Rifle magazine (bought my copy at Walmart yesterday).

Story written by John Haviland, a guy with a LOT of experience in handloading and shooting a LOT of different, very accurate rifles. He ran a test using some very sophisticated equipment that most of us don't have. His conclusion didn't surprise me a bit but will prolly upset some people, and I doubt the debate will ever be settled.

Good article, nearly worth the price of the magazine all by itself.

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't see the article, but I'm going to guess barrel "break in" is BS.

Some people love to think things change, and always get better when some weird ritual is followed.

I'm a fan of audio equipment, and the insanity that people believe and follow, and the money they'll spend on nonsense for "better sound" is mind boggling. I've had so many debates on that topic that I don't think I could even stand anymore.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Based on my experience, it is more a function of the gun/ammo. Some rifles are totally unaffected by "break-in" others do very well. In my opinion, it is much like any other portion of shooting, IT DEPENDS. There is NO one size fits all solution.

 

[wwb]

A couple years ago, my son built up a "Target" AR to try and match my Savage bolt action. He had some supposedly high-poop heavy stainless barrel, but shot 3" groups (or worse) with multiple different loads after a conventional "break-in".

In a desperation move, he got some Tubbs "Final Finish" abrasive coated bullets and loaded them, figuring it couldn't get any worse.... and if it didn't improve, he'd sell the barrel. Long story short; it now shoots 3/4 inch groups with darn near anything you feed it. Still can't quite match my Savage, but the barrel is now a keeper.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Haven't seen the article, but I can guess, can't I?

So my guess is the "break in" procedure does no harm, and makes that first box of shells last a lot longer? That's been my experience...

Outside of .22s, I've only had two new rifle barrels to play w/, and I "broke in" one, just shot the other. End result is the "broken in" Savage '06 w/ scope shoots better than the "unbroken in" Win94 .30-30 w/ iron sights, especially at anything past 200 yds!

However, as CD mentions, there are times when one is NOT wasting time to simply stop and smell the roses once in a while!

Rick C

 

[wwb]

...... I've only had two new rifle barrels to play w/, and I "broke in" one, just shot the other. End result is the "broken in" Savage '06 w/ scope shoots better than the "unbroken in" Win94 .30-30 w/ iron sights, especially at anything past 200 yds!.....

There it is.... absolute proof that "break-in" works. You can't argue with positive results like that.

 

[M'BOGO]

Some people love to think things change, and always get better when some weird ritual is followed.

It's thought that the traditional Toledo Spanish, and traditional Japanese swords of old were so consistently good because of the religious rituals used in there making. The consistency in the rituals brought out the best in the steels inadvertently.

Off topic I know, but swords and rifles were/are the Queen of the field.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Notice Snake didn't give away the article. This from a contributor to the world of printed publications, at least I think that is what he does. Must be professional courtesy or something cause I would have spilled the beans right off the bat. How about a little hint Snake? BTW, from everything I have read a Win 94 30-30 won't ever be a tack driver, it's just not the nature of the beast, of course that hasn't stopped it from taking more deer than just about any other combination of rifle and cartridge in history. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[Snake45]

Notice Snake didn't give away the article. This from a contributor to the world of printed publications, at least I think that is what he does. Must be professional courtesy or something cause I would have spilled the beans right off the bat. How about a little hint Snake?

...Jimbo

I didn't want to give the story away and ruin it for those who might be interested enough in the topic to read it for themselves. (How good a move would The Crying Game have been if everyone knew going in that the girl had a penis? What? You've never seen it? Oooooops....sorry. ) Also didn't want to get into a discussion or argument about the guy's methodology.

But if you want a hint: Several of the responding posters above nailed the conclusion pretty close. Darn near word for word, in fact. I wonder if some of them read the same article. :? :wink: :lol:

 

[wwb]

...... BTW, from everything I have read a Win 94 30-30 won't ever be a tack driver, it's just not the nature of the beast, .....

The Winchester 94 (as well as the Marlin 336) accuracy is generally quantified as "minute of whitetail".

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I didn't want to give the story away and ruin it for those who might be interested enough in the topic to read it for themselves. (How good a move would The Crying Game have been if everyone knew going in that the girl had a penis? What? You've never seen it? Oooooops....sorry. ) Also didn't want to get into a discussion or argument about the guy's methodology.

But if you want a hint: Several of the responding posters above nailed the conclusion pretty close. Darn near word for word, in fact. I wonder if some of them read the same article. :? :wink: :lol:

Well thanks for that Snake, I think??
BTW, I have a friend from high school that has turned himself into a.... Well, some things are better left un-said. :roll: :roll: :roll: :wink:

...Jimbo

 

[Bucks Owin]

BTW, from everything I have read a Win 94 30-30 won't ever be a tack driver, it's just not the nature of the beast, of course that hasn't stopped it from taking more deer than just about any other combination of rifle and cartridge in history. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

Dead deer aside, (and history wise, there are no flies on the old .44/40 in sheer numbers of deer cadavers I bet), I'd be careful about pooh poohing the cartridge's accuracy....(M94 too for that matter) Some VERY tight groups have been fired from the odd bolt .30/30 out there, and my own older M94 lays 'em in so well that I'm tempted to temporily put some glass on it just to see what it CAN do. (Scopes on M94s turn me off bigtime) Heck, I may even go the Ackley route at some point with mine for some additional horsepower! (Probably ruin it.. :lol: )

Just sayin'.... :wink:

(Off topic as per usual... )

 

[sp]

I never have done any barrel "break in" as logically I find faults with all the reasons for doing so.

BUT I treat all my barrels with dignity & respect. If my barrels need to be lapped let the manufacturer do it not my expensive bullets, time and other components.

Some case may be made for barrels chambered with reamers not having floating pilots but normally shooting will "iron" out or remove any minor folded over steel caused by rotation of the fixed pilot.

The article in Rifle magazine shows a Savage barrel that appears to be all crosswise tool marks but shoots just great. I don't think a truck load of bullets used in any "break in" process would slick up or remove any minor accuracy causing flaws in that barrel.

 

[Enigma]

Many years ago, Gale McMillan, of McMillan Rifles fame, wrote that barrel break-in is a waste of time and cleaning supplies. I believe him.

Some people don't and insist that it helps, somehow. Perhaps it does, for them.

Time spent with a son, especially time shooting (hunting, fishing, camping, etc.) is **NEVER** wasted.

 

[Cracker-American]

I think it was 1994 and I was doing pretty good shooting off hand black powder rifle competition. I decided that I needed a .40 Green Mtn barrel for my TC Hawkin to complete my climb to the top of the heap.

First day at the range and my groups were horrible. I could not find a load that shoot good out of that barrel. Someone finally took mercy on me and told me about checking the crown and lapping the barrel.

I can tell you that with the two barrels, well shot TC .50 mod fast twist and new .40 Green mtn slow twist, chucked up in vices and patches rund down them that there was a difference.

The GM was much rougher.

I worked on the crown with a ball bearing wrapped with wet and dry paper wraped around it and lapped the barrel with valve grinding compound.

When I put that barrel up, pretty much for good, in 1998 it was getting better each time I shot it.

I have never owned a new smokeless rifle barrel. I might need to look into that.

 

[powder smoke]

...... BTW, from everything I have read a Win 94 30-30 won't ever be a tack driver, it's just not the nature of the beast, .....

The Winchester 94 (as well as the Marlin 336) accuracy is generally quantified as "minute of whitetail".

I'd like to have a nickle for every whitetail taken with these fine guns !! ps

 

[sp]

Without beating this about more -- this should be -- caused by rotation against the fixed pilot.

Usually the situation is to chamber the barrel by rotating it in a lathe and the reamer does not turn.

 

[Anonymous]

Break in shooting-cleaning-shooting, lapping, polishing, etc. is just an accelerated process of what regular shooting will do over time. You're losing a sizable percentage of your barrel's life in a very short time, for what is hopefully a larger percentage of improvement in accuracy.

If this improvement really matters to your mental well-being, fine. If it is essential, because you are in professional competition, fine. Otherwise, I would rather break in my barrels the old-fashioned way, with just plain old enjoyable shooting. A good barrel always gets better over time, by shooting it. Why rush it?

The only break in I do is to avoid getting a new gun very hot for the first few hundred rounds. That makes perfect sense to anyone with a little mechanical smarts.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Break in shooting-cleaning-shooting, lapping, polishing, etc. is just an accelerated process of what regular shooting will do over time. You're losing a sizable percentage of your barrel's life in a very short time, for what is hopefully a larger percentage of improvement in accuracy.

If this improvement really matters to your mental well-being, fine. If it is essential, because you are in professional competition, fine. Otherwise, I would rather break in my barrels the old-fashioned way, with just plain old enjoyable shooting. A good barrel always gets better over time, by shooting it. Why rush it?

The only break in I do is to avoid getting a new gun very hot for the first few hundred rounds. That makes perfect sense to anyone with a little mechanical smarts.

10X... :wink: If a lengthy barrel "break in" put's one in a relaxed and confident state of mind at the bench, then half the accuracy battle is won IMHO. Ever shoot many 1/2 MOA groups when you're POed? Me neither... :wink:

I AM giving some gentle lapping a try in a somewhat rough .45LC barrel that shows a few perpendicular tooling marks just forward of the forcing cone for cast bullet use...Can't hurt I figure, and firing a couple hundred jacketed bullets down the tube doesn't turn my crank ya know? :?