Barrel break-in
- Thread starter Goobie270
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Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Is it a factory or aftermarket barrel?
Do you load your own ammo?
Do you load your own ammo?
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Last edited:
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
I personally don't recommend using any abrasives on any new barrel.
I like the shoot and clean method recommended by many barrel makers. the downside of using this method on a factory barrel, is that it normally takes a little longer because of the presents of machine marks.
A quality barrel normally takes 7 to 9 shots with cleaning in between each shot. factory barrel can take double that, but the time spent doing a proper brake in is well worth the effort.
Just My Opinion
J E CUSTOM
I like the shoot and clean method recommended by many barrel makers. the downside of using this method on a factory barrel, is that it normally takes a little longer because of the presents of machine marks.
A quality barrel normally takes 7 to 9 shots with cleaning in between each shot. factory barrel can take double that, but the time spent doing a proper brake in is well worth the effort.
Just My Opinion
J E CUSTOM
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
A very good question and the answer is simple , It depends on the quality of the barrel and the lapping process. I have a favorite barrel maker as do many others and each one is slightly different
even though they are built to the same spec. and buy the same maker.
But to answer your question, with this brand the brake in normally requires as little as 6 shots and at most 10 to reach the point of a one solvent brush clean up. from that point (You can feel the difference) I shoot 3 shots and clean for 4 or 5 times and the barrel is as good as it can be for all practical purposes.
I just finished braking a barrel in using less than 20 shots total. and just to see where the rifle started fouling, I shot 29 times without cleaning (One was a sighting shot) with only a cool down between every 5 shots, and the results were all shots were in a group less than 1 MOA with fireform loads. (7/08 to 7/08 x 40) There were no fliers and clean up required only two solvent brushings before the patches came clean.
Of All the different premium barrels I have used, none have required more than 15 clean and shoot
and another 10 to 15 rounds for a total of 25 shots except the factory barrels.
In my opinion, brake in is very important for barrel life, accuracy and resistance to fouling, so the effort is well worth it in the long run.
J E CUSTOM
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Some paraphrased from a post at AccurateShooter.com:
A barrel will break in with any shooting -sooner or later. It's function is merely knocking down hi spots that strip copper from bullet jackets. These are from rough rifling and finishing of the barrel(chambering/crowning). Since break in is really no more than normal shooting/cleaning, it does not increase barrel life or anything like that.
The purpose of cleaning after every round or so is to prevent a build-up of copper that will be more difficult to remove had you shot 25 rounds on a Brand NEW barrel, before cleaning. It also serves to re-expose the surface you're hammering at.
Once the barrel is cleaning easy and copper fouling has dropped off to near nothing, that part of the break-in is done., could be a little or a lot, depending on barrel condition, and bullets.
What many see is an increase in velocity at the 50-100 round mark. When the velocities stabilize at the increased speed is when they do actual load development. Not a big deal as your brass needs to be fire formed before development anyway.
If you don't want to wait ~100 rounds, say for factory ammo use, go back to my earlier post.
And as far as firelapping, Tubb's TMS provides no worse than the same surface finish of the best in hand lapped barrels. This is why it's useful for the best in aftermarket barrels. JB Compound could be used here in lieu of firelapping if desired.
FinalFinish is a treatment system specifically for improving factory barrels that are button or hammered without followup lapping. I've never heard negative results from those that have used it for it's purpose.
A barrel will break in with any shooting -sooner or later. It's function is merely knocking down hi spots that strip copper from bullet jackets. These are from rough rifling and finishing of the barrel(chambering/crowning). Since break in is really no more than normal shooting/cleaning, it does not increase barrel life or anything like that.
The purpose of cleaning after every round or so is to prevent a build-up of copper that will be more difficult to remove had you shot 25 rounds on a Brand NEW barrel, before cleaning. It also serves to re-expose the surface you're hammering at.
Once the barrel is cleaning easy and copper fouling has dropped off to near nothing, that part of the break-in is done., could be a little or a lot, depending on barrel condition, and bullets.
What many see is an increase in velocity at the 50-100 round mark. When the velocities stabilize at the increased speed is when they do actual load development. Not a big deal as your brass needs to be fire formed before development anyway.
If you don't want to wait ~100 rounds, say for factory ammo use, go back to my earlier post.
And as far as firelapping, Tubb's TMS provides no worse than the same surface finish of the best in hand lapped barrels. This is why it's useful for the best in aftermarket barrels. JB Compound could be used here in lieu of firelapping if desired.
FinalFinish is a treatment system specifically for improving factory barrels that are button or hammered without followup lapping. I've never heard negative results from those that have used it for it's purpose.
I have used Tubbs Final Finish on a lot of rifles. I used to make my own before it came out. Unless a barrel is a real hummer I will throw some down it. I have never had any issues with it and never noticed a barrel burning out quicker, in fact I have used it to SAVE barrels that were going south and regularly use it on used barrels I get ahold of.
All of my best shooting factory barrels were fire lapped and many of my custom barrels have been firelapped either at first or after they start dying. I have run a set of 5 of each level thru a throat that was going and gotten 200+ more shots and even done it 3 or 4 times getting up to 750 or so extra shots at nearly full accuracy.
All of my best shooting factory barrels were fire lapped and many of my custom barrels have been firelapped either at first or after they start dying. I have run a set of 5 of each level thru a throat that was going and gotten 200+ more shots and even done it 3 or 4 times getting up to 750 or so extra shots at nearly full accuracy.
I have broken in four Remington R 5 Milspecs, three 308's, one 300WM. I like using Bore Tech CU+2 solvent which will take care of carbon and copper founding quite well. The Milspec barrels will break in fairly fast with 26 rounds.
-10 shots, clean after each round. A couple of wet patches, nylon brush one way/out 2-3 times, few wet patches, , couple dry patches. You should see the barrel start to clean easier after 4-6 shots.
-3shots/clean, 2X. Same cleaning procedure
-5 shots/clean, 2x . Same cleaning procedure.
-Done. I generally clean my barrels every 20-30 shots up to first 100 rounds. After that I'll usually clean every 50-100. I have fired as many 200 rounds before cleaning without loss of accuracy, or change in POI. Some may argue this but I think a proper break in supports this kind of performance, and makes routine cleaning a faster process.
I use the same cleaning procedure described above for regular cleaning and when finished I run a patch of Montana Blend Bore Conditioner.
I would not use an abrasive on the R5 barrel. It's not needed. Also, use the break in to zero your scope and test some loads.
-10 shots, clean after each round. A couple of wet patches, nylon brush one way/out 2-3 times, few wet patches, , couple dry patches. You should see the barrel start to clean easier after 4-6 shots.
-3shots/clean, 2X. Same cleaning procedure
-5 shots/clean, 2x . Same cleaning procedure.
-Done. I generally clean my barrels every 20-30 shots up to first 100 rounds. After that I'll usually clean every 50-100. I have fired as many 200 rounds before cleaning without loss of accuracy, or change in POI. Some may argue this but I think a proper break in supports this kind of performance, and makes routine cleaning a faster process.
I use the same cleaning procedure described above for regular cleaning and when finished I run a patch of Montana Blend Bore Conditioner.
I would not use an abrasive on the R5 barrel. It's not needed. Also, use the break in to zero your scope and test some loads.
RockyMtnMT
Official LRH Sponsor
^^^^This^^^^
I do this until copper quits showing then move to a half dozen shots and clean to see if copper shows. Once none shows there it is done. Most customs are very quick. Factory can sometimes be a beech.
Steve
Two years ago, at the NRA Convention, I talked to the owner of a well known barrel company about fire lapping barrels with Tubbs bullets. His reply was, "we don't recommend anyone do this because we have no control over what they do but I fire lap all my personal barrels".
Snake Plysken1
Well-Known Member
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Is it very important to follow the manufactures recommendations as to how to break in a barrel? I recall Savage had a process for barrel break in. Should I follow their way, or just do a universal method, or use some of the posted ideas mentioned here? I tried to get on Savage's site, as I'm ready to fire my 110 for the first time, and I want to do things right. Couldn't find any info on their break in procedure.
Tried the Tubbs once on a heavy coppered .270 factory barrel that wasn't very accurate. Five of each grit and tried some hand loads. Was better, but not great, so I did the next five of each grit and it went easily sub-MOA. The only other abrasive I've used is IOSSO to work out a carbon ring that showed with the bore scope. Threads on this subject always receive a huge variety of responses, only to be topped by the threads asking which bore solvent is best. Like most have stated, many different procedures for different quality barrels. Which one is right for you is only what you perceive as the best. Good luck
