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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Rifles, Bullets, Barrels & Ballistics
Is barrel break-in really needed for factory guns?
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<blockquote data-quote="demarpaint" data-source="post: 59372" data-attributes="member: 655"><p>Here is an interesting post I had saved re: the break in of a barrel. From Gale McMillan. I guess this debate will never end.</p><p></p><p>Frank D</p><p></p><p></p><p>From: Gale McMillan &lt;" gale"@mcmfamily.com&gt;</p><p>Newsgroups: rec.guns</p><p>Subject: Re: Barrel break-in necessary?</p><p>Date: 7 Jan 1997 20:40:25 -0500</p><p></p><p>Mike Sumner wrote:</p><p> &gt; ...</p><p></p><p>As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels</p><p>with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the</p><p>prescribed break in method A very large number would do more harm than</p><p>help. The reason you hear of the help in accuracy is because if you</p><p>chamber barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting</p><p>clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the</p><p>rifling. It takes from 1 to 2 hundred rounds to burn this bur out and</p><p>the rifle to settle down and shoot its best. Any one who chambers rifle</p><p>barrels has tolerances on how dull to let the reamer get and factories</p><p>let them go longer than any competent smithe would. Another tidbit to</p><p>consider, Take a 300Win Mag. that has a life expectancy of 1000 rounds. </p><p>Use 10% of it up with your break in procedure for ever 10 barrels the</p><p>barrel maker makes he has to make one more just to take care of the</p><p>break in. no wonder barrel makers like to see this. Now when you flame</p><p>me on this please include what you think is happening to the inside of</p><p>your barrel during the break in that is helping you.</p><p></p><p>Gale McMillan</p><p>NBSRA IBS,FCSA and NRA Life Member</p><p></p><p></p><p>Search for Google's copy of this article </p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>From: Gale McMillan &lt;mcmillan@getnet.com&gt;</p><p>Newsgroups: rec.guns</p><p>Subject: Re: Good barrels for Rem 700 in .308?</p><p>Date: 10 Feb 1996 12:50:53 -0500</p><p></p><p>Consider this, every round shot in breaking in a barrel is one round off </p><p>the life of said rifle barrel. No one has ever told me the physical </p><p>reason of what happens during break in firing. In other words to the </p><p>number of pounds of powder shot at any given pressure, is the life of the </p><p>barrel. No one has ever explained what is being accomplished by </p><p>shooting and cleaning in any prescribed method. Start your barrel off </p><p>with 5 rounds and clean it thoroughly and do it again. Nev Maden a </p><p>friend down under that my brother taught to make barrels was the one who </p><p>come up with the break in method. He may think he has come upon </p><p>something, or he has come up with another way to sell barrels. I feel </p><p>that the first shot out of a barrel is its best and every one after that </p><p>deteriorates until the barrel is gone. If some one can explain what </p><p>physically takes place during break in to modify the barrel then I may </p><p>change my mind. As the physical properties of a barrel doesn't change </p><p>because of the break in procedures it means it's all hog wash. I am open </p><p>to any suggestions that can be documented otherwise if it is just </p><p>someone's opinion forget it.</p><p></p><p>Gale McMillan</p><p></p><p>Search for Google's copy of this article </p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>From: Gale McMillan &lt;" gale"@mcmfamily.com&gt;</p><p>Newsgroups: rec.guns</p><p>Subject: Re: Remington 700 break in</p><p>Date: 8 Aug 1997 00:01:07 -0400</p><p></p><p>Arthur Sprague wrote:</p><p></p><p># On 29 Jul 1997 22:50:26 -0400, <a href="mailto:whit@cs.utexas.edu">whit@cs.utexas.edu</a> (John W. Engel)</p><p># wrote:</p><p>#</p><p># #This is how (some) benchrester break in barrels, and it does work.</p><p># #The mechanism is that the bore has pores in it (microns in size).</p><p># #If you simply shoot a box or two through it without cleaning, the</p><p># #pores fill up with gilding metal, and stay that way. If you</p><p># #follow the above procedure (and they mean *clean* between shots!),</p><p># #the pores are "smoothed over" with each successive shot. A barrel</p><p># #correctly broken in is MUCH easier to clean than one that is</p><p># #not. If it is a good quality tube, it will also be more accurate.</p><p># #Regards,</p><p># #whit</p><p>#</p><p># Well, the range hours here are quite limited. On my first trip I</p><p># managed to fire a whole fourteen rounds, with a thorough cleaning</p><p># after each round. It couldn't hurt! Fun gun! Difficult to think of</p><p># .223 as a battle round after experience with .30-06 and .45ACP, but it</p><p># surely going to be a pleasure to shoot.</p><p># Thanks to all for their advice.</p><p></p><p>This is total hogwash! It all got started when a barrel maker that I</p><p>know started putting break in instructions in the box with each barrel</p><p>he shipped a few years ago. I asked him how he figured it would help</p><p>and his reply was If they shoot 100 rounds breaking in this barrel</p><p>that's total life is 3000 rounds and I make 1000 barrels a year just</p><p>figure how many more barrels I will get to make. He had a point it</p><p>defiantly will shorten the barrel life. I have been a barrel maker a</p><p>fair amount of time and my barrels have set and reset bench rest world</p><p>records so many times I quit keeping track (at one time they held 7 at</p><p>one time) along with HighPower,Silloett,smallbore national and world</p><p>records and my instructions were to clean as often as posable preferably</p><p>every 10 rounds. I inspect every barrel taken off and every new barrel</p><p>before it is shipped with a bore scope and I will tell you all that I</p><p>see far more barrels ruined by cleaning rods than I see worn out from</p><p>normal wear and tear.I am even reading about people recommending</p><p>breaking in pistols. As if it will help their shooting ability or the</p><p>guns.</p><p>Gale Mc.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="demarpaint, post: 59372, member: 655"] Here is an interesting post I had saved re: the break in of a barrel. From Gale McMillan. I guess this debate will never end. Frank D From: Gale McMillan <" gale"@mcmfamily.com> Newsgroups: rec.guns Subject: Re: Barrel break-in necessary? Date: 7 Jan 1997 20:40:25 -0500 Mike Sumner wrote: > ... As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the prescribed break in method A very large number would do more harm than help. The reason you hear of the help in accuracy is because if you chamber barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the rifling. It takes from 1 to 2 hundred rounds to burn this bur out and the rifle to settle down and shoot its best. Any one who chambers rifle barrels has tolerances on how dull to let the reamer get and factories let them go longer than any competent smithe would. Another tidbit to consider, Take a 300Win Mag. that has a life expectancy of 1000 rounds. Use 10% of it up with your break in procedure for ever 10 barrels the barrel maker makes he has to make one more just to take care of the break in. no wonder barrel makers like to see this. Now when you flame me on this please include what you think is happening to the inside of your barrel during the break in that is helping you. Gale McMillan NBSRA IBS,FCSA and NRA Life Member Search for Google's copy of this article -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gale McMillan <mcmillan@getnet.com> Newsgroups: rec.guns Subject: Re: Good barrels for Rem 700 in .308? Date: 10 Feb 1996 12:50:53 -0500 Consider this, every round shot in breaking in a barrel is one round off the life of said rifle barrel. No one has ever told me the physical reason of what happens during break in firing. In other words to the number of pounds of powder shot at any given pressure, is the life of the barrel. No one has ever explained what is being accomplished by shooting and cleaning in any prescribed method. Start your barrel off with 5 rounds and clean it thoroughly and do it again. Nev Maden a friend down under that my brother taught to make barrels was the one who come up with the break in method. He may think he has come upon something, or he has come up with another way to sell barrels. I feel that the first shot out of a barrel is its best and every one after that deteriorates until the barrel is gone. If some one can explain what physically takes place during break in to modify the barrel then I may change my mind. As the physical properties of a barrel doesn't change because of the break in procedures it means it's all hog wash. I am open to any suggestions that can be documented otherwise if it is just someone's opinion forget it. Gale McMillan Search for Google's copy of this article -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gale McMillan <" gale"@mcmfamily.com> Newsgroups: rec.guns Subject: Re: Remington 700 break in Date: 8 Aug 1997 00:01:07 -0400 Arthur Sprague wrote: # On 29 Jul 1997 22:50:26 -0400, [email="whit@cs.utexas.edu"]whit@cs.utexas.edu[/email] (John W. Engel) # wrote: # # #This is how (some) benchrester break in barrels, and it does work. # #The mechanism is that the bore has pores in it (microns in size). # #If you simply shoot a box or two through it without cleaning, the # #pores fill up with gilding metal, and stay that way. If you # #follow the above procedure (and they mean *clean* between shots!), # #the pores are "smoothed over" with each successive shot. A barrel # #correctly broken in is MUCH easier to clean than one that is # #not. If it is a good quality tube, it will also be more accurate. # #Regards, # #whit # # Well, the range hours here are quite limited. On my first trip I # managed to fire a whole fourteen rounds, with a thorough cleaning # after each round. It couldn't hurt! Fun gun! Difficult to think of # .223 as a battle round after experience with .30-06 and .45ACP, but it # surely going to be a pleasure to shoot. # Thanks to all for their advice. This is total hogwash! It all got started when a barrel maker that I know started putting break in instructions in the box with each barrel he shipped a few years ago. I asked him how he figured it would help and his reply was If they shoot 100 rounds breaking in this barrel that's total life is 3000 rounds and I make 1000 barrels a year just figure how many more barrels I will get to make. He had a point it defiantly will shorten the barrel life. I have been a barrel maker a fair amount of time and my barrels have set and reset bench rest world records so many times I quit keeping track (at one time they held 7 at one time) along with HighPower,Silloett,smallbore national and world records and my instructions were to clean as often as posable preferably every 10 rounds. I inspect every barrel taken off and every new barrel before it is shipped with a bore scope and I will tell you all that I see far more barrels ruined by cleaning rods than I see worn out from normal wear and tear.I am even reading about people recommending breaking in pistols. As if it will help their shooting ability or the guns. Gale Mc. [/QUOTE]
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