Barrel break in procedure, how many of you do it?

Most people seem to be hung up on the accuracy benefits of break in and while there may or may not be some, from the video and photos I've seen, increased barrel life would be my primary reason for doing it. While I know lots of famous old time gunsmiths did not necessarily buy into the proceedure, they too may not have had access to some of the hig tech cameras and scopes available today. Most hunters will likely never shoot enough rounds to wear a barrel out I guess but for the small amount of time and effort required, it seems cheap insurance to me.

[elkhunter11]

for me my proof is that in all those years none of my buddies who done that one shot/ clean procedure never had any more accuracy benefits from those firearms.

How do you know that their guns would have been just as accurate if they hadn't used a barrel break in procedure.The obvious answer is that you can't ever know one way or the other.The only way to find out would be to take a large number of supposedly identical barrels,say 100 and use a barrel break in procedure on 50 of the barrels,and none on the other 50 barrels.Then work up loads and compare the accuracy and the amount of fouling in each barrel.

The cost would be high,and the test would be time consuming,so nobody bothers to do such a test.As a result,there are still varying opinions as to whether there is any merit to a specific barrel break in procedure,even among barrel makers.

[Hank Hunter]

Once again Elkhunter, you have your opinion, I have mine. That's all there is to it. This is a public forum and everyone can say what they feel as long as they don't threaten or cause harm to anyone else. Relax.

[Drunkenfarmer]

1. 3 wet patches
2.10 strokes with a brush
3.4 wet patches
4.Wait 10 minutes
5.2 wet patches
6.3 dry patches
7.1 oil patch
8.1 dry patch[/QUOTE]

This is what I do. When i got my first Rifle I did alotta research and did the following I shot 10 rounds and cleaned after every shot. then 10 more and cleaned every 2nd. Now I didn't do this in one sitting I went for a walk in the woods and shot into a old standing dead tree. Then walked back to the house cleaned and when I had time again I went for a walk. Did it help? I'd like to think so. I still havent built myself a shooting table and haven't shot groups but this 2nd season of me hunting deer I shot at a target I set up @ 100 yards and just sat down on the ground with some fiberglass shooting sticks and the 3 rounds where with in a 3/4 of each other. Figure that'll take care of any deer around.

I clean using shooters choice and go till the dry pach comes through clean like it says on the bottle. I don't know about these other products might try them if I knew more. Right now i need to find a new rod guide that'll take the .338 jag and brush. LOL went to clean the new gun i got and the one I have is not big enough, SIGH and the dam Ruger is a pain to get the guild into the bolt action. Theres a little arm in the way there so i cleaned not using the guide. But then scratched the rod on it or i hope that was it the barrel looked ok and I am VERY careful when cleaning to not scratch any rifle I have.

(any ideas on what to do about that arm inside the action while cleaning?)

[LongDraw]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Most people seem to be hung up on the accuracy benefits of break in and while there may or may not be some, from the video and photos I've seen, increased barrel life would be my primary reason for doing it. While I know lots of famous old time gunsmiths did not necessarily buy into the proceedure, they too may not have had access to some of the hig tech cameras and scopes available today. Most hunters will likely never shoot enough rounds to wear a barrel out I guess but for the small amount of time and effort required, it seems cheap insurance to me.

I have never heard of breaking in a barrel to increase barrel life.

There are definately different theories, this is another.

Originally Posted by LongDraw

I have never heard of breaking in a barrel to increase barrel life.

I'm just going by what Kenny Jarrett said and the video and photos he showed. That guy is into some high-tech stuff. Considering he has no real vested interest in barrel break in other than what's best for the barrel, I took what he said pretty seriously but it is only one man's opinion....albeit a pretty informed opinion. It was enough to convince me.

[LongDraw]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I'm just going by what Kenny Jarrett said and the video and photos he showed. That guy is into some high-tech stuff. Considering he has no real vested interest in barrel break in other than what's best for the barrel, I took what he said pretty seriously but it is only one man's opinion....albeit a pretty informed opinion. It was enough to convince me.

Sheep,

Did Kenny explain why he though a break-in would increase barrel life?

Originally Posted by LongDraw

Sheep,

Did Kenny explain why he though a break-in would increase barrel life?

I'd be doing a lot of paraphrasing and likely to get jumped on by some of the "experts" here but basically any rough spot can cause uneven copper deposits leading to uneven heating and he really stressed the importance of no matter how well made the barrel, that the two machined surfaces of the throat and rifling would never be the same and this was where most barrels wore out first because of not breaking these surfaces in to get them to match.

If you want more detailed explaination, I'd highly reccommend talking to Kenny. The guy is a wealth of knowledge and more than willing to share it.

[spurly]

I don't think the question, of barrell break in can ever be aswered with a definite yes or no, there are just way to many variables,The break in could be all for not, if the barrell is not taken care of properly for its remaining life. There are beleivers, and disbeleivers,If it gives you more confidence in your rifle,then by all means do it.I know when I had some issues with my HS, one of the first questions asked was, did I follow their recomended break in procedure, so it must make a difference to them.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I'd be doing a lot of paraphrasing and likely to get jumped on by some of the "experts" here but basically any rough spot can cause uneven copper deposits leading to uneven heating and he really stressed the importance of no matter how well made the barrel, that the two machined surfaces of the throat and rifling would never be the same and this was where most barrels wore out first because of not breaking these surfaces in to get them to match.

If you want more detailed explaination, I'd highly reccommend talking to Kenny. The guy is a wealth of knowledge and more than willing to share it.

I've spoken with Ken Jerrett more than once and rest assured next time I do I'll be wearing hip waders. I do not know how he says some of the things he does with straight face. If he can make a buck off it he's all over it.

Originally Posted by chuck

I've spoken with Ken Jerrett more than once and rest assured next time I do I'll be wearing hip waders. I do not know how he says some of the things he does with straight face. If he can make a buck off it he's all over it.

LOL...you might be right on that but on this one I believed him because he wasn't making a buck.....

Regardless, the guy still has a ton of knowledge about rifles.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

LOL...you might be right on that but on this one I believed him because he wasn't making a buck.....

Regardless, the guy still has a ton of knowledge about rifles.

He's charging significantly to break in "every rifle that leaves his shop" I can guarantee it.

[Hank Hunter]

Originally Posted by chuck

He's charging significantly to break in "every rifle that leaves his shop" I can guarantee it.

Yup, barrel makers and companies that make cleaning products love that barrel break in routine

Originally Posted by Hank Hunter

Yup, barrel makers and companies that make cleaning products love that barrel break in routine

I can see your suspicion with cleaning product companies but why would barrel makers falsely promote it? They have nothing to gain financially. To me, they'd seem the ones that I'd listen to because they want their product to perform optimally.

Originally Posted by chuck

He's charging significantly to break in "every rifle that leaves his shop" I can guarantee it.

And you think he'd charge less if he didn't break them in....

[Hank Hunter]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I can see your suspicion with cleaning product companies but why would barrel makers falsely promote it? They have nothing to gain financially. To me, they'd seem the ones that I'd listen to because they want their product to perform optimally.

I agree to a point sheephunter, but I wonder if you get a bad barrel can they use that as a reason not to replace it. Just a thought

[Hank Hunter]

An interesting read from 6mmBR http://www.6mmbr.com/GailMcMbreakin.html

Originally Posted by Hank Hunter

I agree to a point sheephunter, but I wonder if you get a bad barrel can they use that as a reason not to replace it. Just a thought

Seems to me that with Kenny doing the break in that it actually prevents anyone from getting a barrel that the manufacturer could say wasn't broken in properly. To me, him breaking them in really says how important to him it is as then there are no excuses for it not to shoot or be returned. He's suddenly bearing all the responsibility then. As I say, it's one man's opinion but he's sure offered up a lot more evidence than anyone else I've heard talk on the subject but then again, I haven't seen a lot of people talk on it. I went to the seminar a non-believer and left a believer and Kenny never got a nickle from me.....

[Hank Hunter]

From the Shilen website.

How should I break-in my new Shilen barrel?
Break-in procedures are as diverse as cleaning techniques. Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal.

Ya, there are countless schools of thought for sure. I'm just passing along some info that was presented to me at a seminar. It convinced me but if people want to do it other ways, that could be correct too!

[depopulator]

Originally Posted by bwest270

I have to admit to using wipeout occasionally. I worry about all that foam spreading back into the chamber (and beyond) and leaving some kind of residue. Anyone found a technique to keep wipeout from travelling back into the chamber?

Plug the chamber and spray the wipeout into the barrel from the muzzle end. I use rolled up paper towel, slide it through the action and press/compress it into the chamber. Comes out easy with a pull from a pair of needle nose pliars. There are also special chamber plugs available - check Sinclair, but paper towel works for me.

Don't forget to apply a good 15 min. soak with Hoppe's and then dry with a few patches before applying Wipeout. After cleaning out the first application of wipeout, I check for copper fouling with a patch of Sweets. If I find some residual copper on the Sweet's patch, another soak with Hoppe's and Wipeout overnight usually does the trick for a sparkling clean barrel (with no brushes or scrubbing, ever !!!).

[wwbirds]

I think I am doing it for all of the above and another reason, I am bored. usually my winter fun is coyote hunting and this year there just aren't many around. Last year at this time I lost $6000. in livestock to them and while there are always a few calves or sheep lost locally this hit me in the wallet so some neighbors and I declared war and hunted them harder than ever before. With 17 down in this area we felt we had made an impact but actually the culprits just went nocturnal to avoid the guns (not the traps).
F & W said they couldn't do anything so I went to see the MD who licenced me for 1080 saying it was a very dangerous and effective poison against coyotes for as soon as ingested they are technically dead with no chance of survival and usually it takes out the whole group for they get sick before dying and the next one picks it up and they die too. Didn't see or hear a coyote in this area from February until July of 2009.
Shot 6 two weeks ago and one last weekend but cruising the side roads this morning and at last light tonight glassing and not even seeing the survivors avoiding the roads out at the centre line of the section as I usually did in past years.
I may have to get used to shooting just paper this year.

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by bwest270

I have to admit to using wipeout occasionally. I worry about all that foam spreading back into the chamber (and beyond) and leaving some kind of residue. Anyone found a technique to keep wipeout from travelling back into the chamber?

Shotgun mops work excellent for cleaning out chambers - then just throw them in a cloth bag and into the laundry if you need them clean.

[Vindalbakken]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I can see your suspicion with cleaning product companies but why would barrel makers falsely promote it? They have nothing to gain financially. To me, they'd seem the ones that I'd listen to because they want their product to perform optimally.

You didn't read all the stuff linked to from Gale MacMillan then? He claims to have been told the reason was to sell more barrels - wear them out faster and sell more.

But then break-in makes them last longer - doesn't it?

[catnthehat]

One of the things that I consider mandatory to good cleaning/ break in, etc., is to clean the fouling BEFORE using Wipepout, CR10, Sweet's , or any copper remover.
It is my opinion that you must do this otherwise you waste the de-coppering stuff on cleaning the fouling.

For this I use Amzoil foaming engine cleaner, Mercury Quick Silver Power Tune, or some other engine tuner that you normally would spray into the engine breather while the engine is running.
This stuff cleans up the carbon deposits, suphur emmisions, amd other stuff in your motor ( or so the adds claim!)
I do know that it works wondrs on a rifle for powder fouling.
Spray it in , let it soak a few minutes, then patch it out.
This lays bare the copper fouling so your de-coppering solvent can work better.
Sullijr showed me this stuff years ago after he realized that Sinclair's sells it on the BR catalogue!!

Cat

[6.5x47 lapua]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Seems to me that with Kenny doing the break in that it actually prevents anyone from getting a barrel that the manufacturer could say wasn't broken in properly. To me, him breaking them in really says how important to him it is as then there are no excuses for it not to shoot or be returned. He's suddenly bearing all the responsibility then. As I say, it's one man's opinion but he's sure offered up a lot more evidence than anyone else I've heard talk on the subject but then again, I haven't seen a lot of people talk on it. I went to the seminar a non-believer and left a believer and Kenny never got a nickle from me.....

kenny builds his own barrels.he bought out harold broughton.maybe he didnt tell you yhat piece of info at the seminar.

Originally Posted by custom gunworx

kenny builds his own barrels.he bought out harold broughton.maybe he didnt tell you yhat piece of info at the seminar.

Ya. and??????

Originally Posted by Vindalbakken

You didn't read all the stuff linked to from Gale MacMillan then? He claims to have been told the reason was to sell more barrels - wear them out faster and sell more.

But then break-in makes them last longer - doesn't it?

LOL...I doubt a 20-round break in with proper cleaning is going to wear a barrel out...

It sat in on a seminar...saw some very convincing evidence and made my decision on that info...if you chose to do different, that's fine...I was just trying to offer some info....not set up a defence for Jarrett but common sense would say that a 20-round break in wouldn't shorten the barrel life any more than 20 rounds.........

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I can see your suspicion with cleaning product companies but why would barrel makers falsely promote it? They have nothing to gain financially. To me, they'd seem the ones that I'd listen to because they want their product to perform optimally.

Some barrel makers look at it as the more shots and the more cleaning done to a barrel the more chance of wearing/ruining a barrel. This was pushed by a few barrel makers for the benchrest crowd, in that venue a useful barrels life for the class of accuracy required is generally under 1000 rounds, if they could get folks to clean and shoot an extra 50 or 100 rounds to break in their barrels their sales would go up 5 or 10 percent. Barrel makers are also business men and marketers just like accessory and solvent pushers. The more thy can do to promote sales the more they benefit.

A lot of factory barrels and quite a few custom barrels wind up getting chambered off center from the bore by a few thousands causing the throat not to be exactly centered therefore if folks were able to look directly at where the rifling starts you could see that on one side of the throat the rifling begins immediately right at the end of the neck portion of the chamber while the rifling on the opposite side of the throat will begin several thousands farther up the barrel. Aside from a throating reamer nothing much will fix this.

A barrel breakin done properly won't hurt anything. A barrel breakin done improperly can damage your barrel. Not doing a barrel breakin can't make anything worse. If your cleaning rod is bending while your cleaning you are hurting your barrel even if using an appropriate bore guide. If it is flexing outside the entrance of the bore guide is will also be flexing inside the bore, where it is flexing inside the bore it is also wearing on the lands at that point. If your bore guide has a larger diameter opening than your bore you are wearing your throat/land approaches as the throat will be centering the cleaning rod and not the bore guide. If you don't have a bore guide your wearing on your throat/land approaches. A barrel breakin cleaning regime will not change dimensional diameter inconsistiencies if present further down the length of a barrel.

Not doing a barrel breakin can't make anything worse.

I totally disagree an that's why I do a break in....I can't seea break in doing any harm other than shortening barrel life by 20 rounds...big deal. From what I saw, it could increase barrel life......

A barrel breakin done improperly can damage your barrel. Not doing a barrel breakin can't make anything worse. If your cleaning rod is bending while your cleaning you are hurting your barrel even if using an appropriate bore guide. If it is flexing outside the entrance of the bore guide is will also be flexing inside the bore, where it is flexing inside the bore it is also wearing on the lands at that point. If your bore guide has a larger diameter opening than your bore you are wearing your throat/land approaches as the throat will be centering the cleaning rod and not the bore guide. If you don't have a bore guide your wearing on your throat/land approaches. A barrel breakin cleaning regime will not change dimensional diameter inconsistiencies if present further down the length of a barrel.

All true but then that become an arguement for never cleaning your barrel. I think common sense says do it correctly whether cleaning or breaking in.