So...Breaking in New Barrel Is a Scam?

[LewisH]

John Barsness has a comprehensive article on this subject in the Nov. issue of "American Rifleman." It is a very good read.

Basically he opines that the tradional barrel break-in on a custom barrel, and some factory barrels, is a waste of time, and exlains his reasoning in detail (including ten years of bore-scoping).

I was fortunate to spend some time hunting and chatting with John in South Africa (2007), and he is the "Real Deal." I don't know about some gun writers, but John can "walk the walk."

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Might as well throw my two cents in....

I've broke in three rifle barrrels, one new Sako Finnlight 300 WSN and two used Senderos, 300 RUM and 25-06. With the Senderos I used Gun Juice. Saw a reduction in fouling in each rifle.

I'll be posting a thread on my experience with the Gun Juice soon.

Mark

 

[elkaholic]

There is a very interesting article in the Nov. issue of American Rifleman on this subject. I have found that every barrel I've had is a little different but have learned that often a barrel will shoot better if you don't clean it to death. I have a 6.5 currently that likes to have some copper left in it. This is a custom (lapped) barrel made by a well known barrel maker. If I completely clean out all of the copper, it takes quite a few rounds before my group size comes back. CLEANER IS NOT "ALWAYS BETTER"! I have talked to some benchresters that have found the same to be true......Rich

 

[Mikecr]

But what part of breaking in a barrel amounts to 'over-cleaning'?
How can anyone possibly harm their barrel -through cleaning- in the first 30 rounds?

An entire article was written about this?
Cmon....

 

[Pdvdh]

Might as well throw my two cents in....

I've broke in three rifle barrrels, one new Sako Finnlight 300 WSN and two used Senderos, 300 RUM and 25-06. With the Senderos I used Gun Juice. Saw a reduction in fouling in each rifle.

I'll be posting a thread on my experience with the Gun Juice soon.

Mark

I'm a believer in barrel break-in. I now use Gun Juice when breaking in barrels. I've used Gun Juice on about 7 rifle barrels and one 454 Casull revolver. Same experience with every bore. Fouling is reduced and any fouling that occurs is removed ever so quickly with cotton patches and KG-1 and KG-12 products. I'm sure the bores would clean up equally well with other quality bore cleaners and patches also. However the bores don't require much cleaning because they foul so little. I believe the Gun Juice lays down a thin protective film which also helps protect the bore from corrosion.

It is time consuming to properly treat bores with Gun Juice, but I'll continue until someone comes out with a better mouse trap.

 

[Mikecr]

Okay, what is Gun Juice exactly, and how do you break-in barrels with it?

 

[jmden]

Okay, what is Gun Juice exactly, and how do you break-in barrels with it?

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/anything-between-338-edge-338-am-27830/

 

[Mikecr]

Sounds like good stuff
I'll concede that it might provide a reason to regiment the first firing with a process.

But not knowing what it is leaves me wondering about it's affect on normal fouling.
We all know how important fouling is w/resp to accuracy. For many years I've pre-fouled with a dry burnishing of tungsten. With this, my first cold-barrel-shot is right where I need it. But this does not prevent firecracking, carbon impingement, and it's resulting choking that I believe is the true killer of barrels.
So assuming Gun Juice reduces firecracking, how does it affect fouling?
And how does one pre-foul a barrel treated with it?

 

[Pdvdh]

Honestly, the Gun Juice treated barrels foul so little that I don't clean my hunting rifle bores very often. Not unless I get them wet inside. Cleaning isn't required due to copper or carbon fouling for a very long time with a hunting rilfe. And I personally believe cleaning for cleaning sake isn't required due to concerns of corrosion with a Gun Juice treated bore, because a protective film appears to get baked onto the bore that provides the benefit of corrosion protection from the normal elements such as rain, condensation, etc,.

When I take a rifle out in a saltwater/ocean environment, I do always clean thoroughly following exposure to saltwater.

So for hunting purposes, my barrels are normally already fouled from the prior shooting event or hunt.

But to answer your question, after I clean Gun Juice treated bores, I simply shoot one to three times to check and confirm I'm holding zero prior to a hunt, and then go hunting. Same as when my barrel is already fouled because I stored it that way from the prior shoot/hunt.

If you're asking in the sense of a competition rifle where you'll shoot 50-100 rounds a day, I'm not a good source of information since I don't shoot anywhere near that quantity or intensity.

 

[Boss Hoss]

With very few exceptions all of my tubes are Krieger and the most shots fired for break in was 5 and the fewest 2. After you do this enough you can read the patches and feel the bore so to speak-----always without exception go through the Iosso process prior to shooting.


Factory tubes-----did the Iosso process several times on one of my friends rifles and used about 10 shots if I remember to get his Ruger broken in. Some if not most factory tubes are just so rough they will always foul no matter what you do.

 

[Johnboy]

boy what a lot of reading to do when you get to the last post.and to me it still sounds like what ever you think you need to do is OK.I have done both and still get good resuts.so I cannot make up my own mind what to do.I have even tried Sweeatshooters.if ya'll haven't heard of it ,it comes from Texas and its blue.they say to fire a round and run a wet patch and shoot.and to do this 20 times.then you can start shooting for groups.they all so say by useing their product it will fill the pores in the metal so that fouling will be less.all that I know is that it leaves a film on the bore or barrel.kind of like leaveing wax on a cars paint.JMHO so don't get mad.I think one should clean out after each of the first 10 and then go to a 5 shot group cleaning.this is what I have made up my mind to do.and yea were can one find this juice stuff if one is willing to try it?I thank ya'll for the good reading/info.I really like to read other peoples opinions.thank again and I am only giveing my 2 cents worth. John

 

[Pdvdh]

Re: Source of Gun Juice

John,
Here's where I purchased my 4 oz container of Gun Juice.
Welcome to the Microlon Products store

There may be other sources also, but I didn't find any significant price saving by purchasing elsewhere.

The 4 oz container will treat 15 or more rifle bores, depending on the caliber. I've still got about 2 oz left and have treated 7 rifles and 1 revolver. The 45 caliber revolver used as much product as the 7mm caliber rifle barrels. Larger calibers seem to use more than smaller simply because the larger patches for the larger calibers go through the product a little faster. With .30 caliber bores, I'd say you could treat about 15 rifle bores, and then have some product left over for periodic maintenance treatments, which are recommended about once every 100 rounds fired (if I recall correctly).

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Re: Source of Gun Juice

With 30 calibers bores, I'd say you could treat about 15 rifle bores, and then have some product left over for periodic maintenance treatments, which are recommended about once every 100 rounds fired (if I recall correctly).

That depends on the condition of the bore you treat and how liberally you aplly it. I used 1 can on two rilfes

 

[Moman]

Pretty interesting read on the Gun Juice. Mark, when are you going to post the thread on this stuff? I would be interested to know more about the process and results. I have the new Sendero on the way and may be interested in giving this a try.