barrel break in and cleaning

[Loud by design]

hey everyone just trying to get some opinions on the subject. i have read a few different methods but what i have picked up is that you do actually want some copper fouling in the barrel. my dilemma is that this is my first brand new rifle and i not knowing i was doing anything wrong ran 100 rounds through it within the past weekend. now i am wondering if i have damaged the barrel by doing this or where i should go from here. also are there any no nos in this department. i have always used hopes no. 9 on all my rifles and cleaned them every 100 rounds or so and used a brass brush. all of my previous rifles i was happy with moa groups though and never expected any more out of them. lastly i have noticed the more rounds down the barrel of this rifle the tighter groupings i have been getting. any info is appreciated as always.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Originally Posted by Loud by design

hey everyone just trying to get some opinions on the subject. i have read a few different methods but what i have picked up is that you do actually want some copper fouling in the barrel. my dilemma is that this is my first brand new rifle and i not knowing i was doing anything wrong ran 100 rounds through it within the past weekend. now i am wondering if i have damaged the barrel by doing this or where i should go from here. also are there any no nos in this department. i have always used hopes no. 9 on all my rifles and cleaned them every 100 rounds or so and used a brass brush. all of my previous rifles i was happy with moa groups though and never expected any more out of them. lastly i have noticed the more rounds down the barrel of this rifle the tighter groupings i have been getting. any info is appreciated as always.

Well there are different opinions of course. But first off no you didn't ruin anything at all. Break in is just a way to smooth out any imperfections in the bore that were left by machining the rifling. When we do a break in we are just trying to smooth the little nick's and poor's out so they don't collect as much copper. Its just to aide in later cleanings as a bore free of imperfections will be easy to clean. If you want you can spend a few days now getting all the copper out and then do the break in. Or you can just shoot it.

I don't clean the copper out of my barrel until the accuracy suffers, I generally clean out the powder residue every 3 to 400 rounds depending on how much I use the rifle. I use sweets 7.62 only cause Its what I first bought and it isn't gone yet. Montana extreme is also very popular.

Dirty bores in general shoot better, as the copper has filled in all the imperfections making the barrel uniform.

Jon

PS. Dan Lilja has a great video that shows the inside of a rifle barrel and what we are talking about.

Lilja BoreScope Video - YouTube

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by Loud by design

hey everyone just trying to get some opinions on the subject. i have read a few different methods but what i have picked up is that you do actually want some copper fouling in the barrel. my dilemma is that this is my first brand new rifle and i not knowing i was doing anything wrong ran 100 rounds through it within the past weekend. now i am wondering if i have damaged the barrel by doing this or where i should go from here. also are there any no nos in this department. i have always used hopes no. 9 on all my rifles and cleaned them every 100 rounds or so and used a brass brush. all of my previous rifles i was happy with moa groups though and never expected any more out of them. lastly i have noticed the more rounds down the barrel of this rifle the tighter groupings i have been getting. any info is appreciated as always.

Without getting into a debate about break in, I will refer you to one of the best barrel makers
on the planet and let you read what he recommends.

Go to the Lilja precision barrels web site and under FAQ he talks about barrel care, maintenance
and break in.

And no, you have not hurt your barrel.

J E CUSTOM

[16Bore]

Proper Barrel Break-in Procedure - YouTube

[Derek M.]

Originally Posted by Loud by design

hey everyone just trying to get some opinions on the subject. i have read a few different methods but what i have picked up is that you do actually want some copper fouling in the barrel. my dilemma is that this is my first brand new rifle and i not knowing i was doing anything wrong ran 100 rounds through it within the past weekend.

Did the barrel get hot or did you let it adequately cool?

[Loud by design]

No I made sure the barrel never got more than even warm to the touch. I'd fire one shot then wait a minute then fire another then wait another minute or so for five shots and at the end of the 5 shot group I would switch guns and let it cool for another few minutes. Throughout the day the hottest the barrel got was from the rifle being in the sun. Never more than warm to the touch.

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by 16Bore

Proper Barrel Break-in Procedure - YouTube

Sorry : That is not very funny to some of us.

I know you were trying to make light of the question, But just think if someone believes you and
tries that especally with a loaded rifle.

I hope you sited it in after that demonstration before going hunting. Besides that, It's the inside
of the barrel that needs break in not the outside.

Just an opinion of a gun lover.

J E CUSTOM