breaking in a new gun

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harpo

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
2
Location
jacksonville - FL and GA!
sorry if there is an existing thread on this - i couldnt find it!..
i have a brand new SP 101 3" .357 and it's my first revolver (i'm a long gun guy)...is there any recommended break in process?...i've seen several posts that would indicate that the trigger becomes smoother after some amount of breaking in...dont want to spring for a trigger job just yet but wondered about dry firing it a hundred times or so...any problems likely to result from this...is it worth the trouble?

appreciate any advice you long timers might have for a new revolver owner ( i did take the NRA safety class first...actually that convinced me to get a revolver instead of a semiauto)
 

gwnorth

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
27
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Personnally, I would just get out to the range and shoot it. Every revolver I have has just gotten better the more I shoot it. Actually, make that every gun I have.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
9,675
Location
Dallas, TX
Dry fire away. I don't think there is a standard to breaking in new guns. Some people take them apart and clean them first et cetera.... Other's here say they just shoot 'em. I guess that's me as well. A while back my GP100 was new too. I just shot it, but later learned it is pretty fun to take apart.

It might take more than dry firing 100 times to get the trigger better. Go buy some 357's and .38's and shoot it till your finger hurts.

Lighter springs will help, but will increase lock time and might cause light primer strikes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but lock time is the interval between pulling the trigger and ignition of the bullet.

PS, welcome to the Forum!
 

pvtschultz

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
553
Location
West Allis, WI, USA
I agree with Kevin. Put an aiming point on the wall, CLEAR THE REVOLVER!, and practice "shooting at it". It will work on your fine aiming muscles and help get the feel for the trigger. The sear and action will also smooth up with use.
 

maxpress

Buckeye
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
1,280
Location
Central Washington
shoot it, clean it, shoot it, clean it, well you get the idea. alot of stories about how a double action smooths out in the 5000 rnd count area. personally im so used to the gun by this time that i couldnt tell. dryfire it while your not at the range. your flexor tendon and muscle will get stronger and the trigger will feel lighter.
on another note i have heard of people putting toothpaste or other light media on the trigger group to smooth it out instead of stoning it. i dont think its worth it and have never tried it but to each there own.
 

TiteGroups

Blackhawk
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
513
If you pull the trigger enough times it will smooth out. Just a matter of wearing the metal smooth. Did a trigger job on my Gp soon after I got it. Springs Make a big difference. Takes a little mechanical aptitude to tear down completely though. Well worth the effort and the cost to do it yourself is like $25 with the springs. It won't be quite as good as a professional job but very much improved. The trigger group comes out in one piece with the trigger gaurd. If you google IBOK and ruger GP 100 you should find some very interesting info. P.S. Not sure if IBOK is still availible.
 

sunday bill

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
113
Location
Indian Bottom, KY, USA
harpo, if you read after gun writers like Brian Pearce you'll see occasional articles that recommend a few jacketed bullets through the bore before starting a diet of hard cast bullets. I'm in the process of running a hundred or so XTPs down the bore of my 44 Spec Flat Top, as per Brian's recommendation in a recent Handloader magazine.

That said, I've started handguns I intended for use primarily in CAS on cast bullets, and they seem pretty accurate, too.

Hadn't done it in a few years, so I thought I'd try it just to compare eventual slow-fire accuracy with that of some of the guns I started on cast bullets.

There's my $0.02 worth.

Rich
 

harpo

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
2
Location
jacksonville - FL and GA!
ok...i think i got it...dry fire 500-1000 times, shoot a half box of JHP's thru it, clean well, and then go to town!...sounds like fun...appreciate all the advice...now i gotta try a bunch of different loads to see what feels best for range use and what feels best for trail use...

thanx for the info - it's nice to have access to experienced shooters.
 

KWYJIBO

Blackhawk
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
609
Location
Utah
I've heard of people who sit and dry fire an SP-101 while watching TV. One guy claims to have 50,000+ live rounds through his and countless more dry fires. Some say the actions continue to get smoother the more you fire them.
 

Jimbo357mag

Hawkeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
10,350
Location
So. Florida
Slow dry firing your gun both single-action and double-action will help break it in as well as shooting it. Clean and oil the gun often to keep the parts working smoothly. Reduced power springs can lower the trigger pull weight but might increase your chance of a light primer hit. You might also find some sharp edges which can be taken off with a little sandpaper or a stone. (no Dremel) The brushed stainless finish can be touched-up with a Scotch Bright pad.

Questions Answered 5 cents. :D

....Jimbo
 

greener

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
132
Location
Glen Allen, VA, USA
Although a little light polishing wouldn't hurt, I'm more in the clean, shoot, clean, shoot.... group. I've never been able to figure out if I'm breaking the gun in or I'm breaking me into the gun. I suspect the latter. I have a GP100 and a couple blackhawks that I planned to shoot a bit then tweak. They were pretty good out of the box and after I shot them a bit I didn't feel the need to tweak. I really think it was me learning to shoot them.
 

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