Breaking in a barrel.....

[YutYut]

i've been reading about a lot of procedure and a few smiths that don't believe in it. what's your opinion? what has worked best for you?
also, which bore guide do you use? i was looking at the Delrin sold on saterns website.
what bore cleaner? i've used this on my previous guns http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...sting-_-122065
Thanks

[VASCAR2]

[sneaky one]

On the older AA site the procedure was listed. I used it, it was no fun. , took a while. My bbl. shoots great, I can't say if that method helped or not, but it made me feel that at least I tried.

[noone]

I'm going for popcorn. This comes up every once in a while, and is usually a long thread with no new information. It ends up being a Ford or Chevy kind of argument.

Everyone has their opinion, but there is little really hard data on the issue. Hard data would require taking a number of barrels from the same manufacturer, produce them in to exactly the same rifle or pressure barrel. Then break in some, not break in others. After that break in is completed, you would have to continue shooting exactly the same ammo until accuracy began to fall off. Then compare results.

Just the ammo costs would be incredible...try burning up 20 barrels (10 broken in, 10 not broken in) using factory ammo...

[gmar]

From what I've read, its not worth the trouble. I did not break in my Grendel or my 18" BCM AR bbl and they both shoot great. However, if it makes you feel better, then have at it!

[jwilson1985]

chrome lined i see no reason in cause chrome lining is inconsistent anyway...but on my stainless barrels ive done both ways spec break in and not at all and i cant tell a difference ...with that said ,like above if it makes u feel better do it ..but in my exp i havent seen a differance

[bwaites]

Every round you use to break in a barrel is one less round of fun! Unless you like cleaning barrels, then go for it!

[LRRPF52]

Yutyut,

Your Templar barrel will not need to be broken in. If someone has a crap barrel with terrible bore geometry, like large crevices, rough edges on the lands, etc, then it might just need to be replaces with a quality cut-rifle pipe if you're going for accuracy anyway. The high-end barrel smiths, especially the ones that cut-rifle, usually lap their barrels pretty dang well, and they foul very little. There is no need to "break-in" such a barrel, other than shoot it. If you have a barrel that fouls like crazy, it needs lapping. The "break-in" procedures we often see involving shooting one round, jumping around 3 times with a firey hoolahoop around your neck and waist, shoot another round, etc. is an attempt to fire-lap the barrel with regular projectiles. I'm not a big fan of barrel break-in procedures, and neither are the guys I know who win matches regularly.

[YutYut]

Thanks for the input everyone. i was not looking forward to cleaning after every round if that was true. Your right bwaites that would not be fun at all. everything should be here by next week and then its off to LRRPF52 for some cerakote.

[Sniper20]

I agree that shooting (especially a semi-auto) like a black powder is no fun. (for those of you that don't shoot BP, you have to clean pretty much every round or the accuracy degrades fast...)

However, when I do mine, I shoot 1 round, run a wet patch with Sweets 7.62 cleaner (ammonia based) and then a brass brush, and dry patch/mop through it. Takes only a min or so to do. I do that for the first 10 rounds, and that will allow your barrel to cool, as well as clean it. Then I fire 3 rounds and do that same thing, another 3 and clean, and another 3 and clean. After that, I call it good. I have never had any troubles with that way... But to everyone their own.

[YutYut]

Came to the conclusion that breaking in a barrel just shortens the life of it due to the wear. That way you buy a barrel sooner. Im just gonna shoot it to my hearts content. How wet do i run the bolt? Ive been told and read "drenched" with clp.

[warped]

lube the bolt liberally, pretty wet when you start shooting it for the first time.

It allows everything to burnish in well without undue wear.

make sure you lube the gas rings well.

[RStewart]

Every round you use to break in a barrel is one less round of fun! Unless you like cleaning barrels, then go for it!

That's my philosophy!

[LRRPF52]

Came to the conclusion that breaking in a barrel just shortens the life of it due to the wear. That way you buy a barrel sooner. Im just gonna shoot it to my hearts content. How wet do i run the bolt? Ive been told and read "drenched" with clp.

After trying who knows how many different lubricants, I have settled on Slip2000 EWL, which lasts longer on the operating parts than the thinner oils, and displaces volume that could occupied by foreign debris as well. I generously lube the raceways of the bolt carrier, and only keep a light coat on the bolt itself. I also place about 2 drops in the cam pin area. I try to avoid getting oil in the chamber, which will happen if you drench the bolt itself. That can take your chamber pressure into uncharted territories.

[jwilson1985]

yut have LRRPF52 micro-slick it when he cerakotes it or order one of lokis' fail zero coated bcg and parts kit then it will run lubeless