Barrel "run in" break in revisited

B

Butch Lambert

Active member
I have been advised by a friend that nobody would agree with this information. I am speaking primarily of PPC and BR based match grade custom barrels. As you know, several things can bend these results.
I emailed and called a few Hall of Fame shooters, some current hot shooters, BR , long range, and FClass folks. 2 different World Champion BR shooters were asked also. I also visited with a few well respected World Class gunsmiths.
At least 95% do not do a formal break in. Their opinion is what fouling you get from a new barrel is from the "FUZZ" of the newly reamed throat of a barrel. Find a good way to lap your throat and shoot your barrel. A World Record Holder said he shot his barrel 10 times to fireform cases, cleaned, and fireformed 10 more cases, cleaned and shot his World Record aggregate.
I know this doesn't agree with what most of you have read on the various forums, but it is hard to argue with the people that I have visited with. Some of the long range and others that shoot the heavier cartridges agree also. I also know that most of the barrel makers post barrel break in procedures. I understand that. Not trying to change your mind, just ask around from the successful people and not necessarily from a forum or what a guy tells you at the gunrange.
 
Makes sense to me. A gunsmith friend of mine has been lapping the throat area of his br barrels for the last few years following very little if any "traditional break in".
 
give it up Butch ;)

and on the Mother Of All election years no less!

facts?

changing minds??

qualified opinions???

fuh'GEDDAbou'dit, this is about hearts and minds, feelings and opinions. The only "FUZZ" we want is fuzzy logic.............

ooops, I'm getting ornery, better go lay on my magnets for a while...under the UV, drink a liddle Acai

replenish the 'lectrolites

LOL

al
 
Not aimed at you Al or to anyone specifically. If I were interested I would rather listen to the actual pros. I know a few don't pay attention or care, but I thought their opinions were worth posting. I know some will say they have a bunch of barrels, but would they mistreat a great barrel?
 
Butch Lambert said:
If I were interested I would rather listen to the actual pros.
Click to expand...

But, I wonder if the "pros" (would love to hear the actual names of these folks) you asked are the best ones to quiz on this subject? I've always wondered how the folks who buy a dozen barrels at a time (which is what you pretty much have to do if you want to be a top level national competitor) can take the time to break them all in according to mnfg recommendations. Well, the answer is they probably don't follow mnfg recommendations. Who's got time to do that to a dozen barrels? It takes me a good half-day to do one in the Krieger breakin method.

For a guy who only buys one barrel every 4 or 5 years to go on his favorite varmint or hunting rig, I still think he'd be wise to follow the barrel mnfg recommendations if his expectations are high and his pocketbook thin.
 
Sorry I missed your call on 'breaking in barrels', butch, I must have been out. LOL
 
I always thought that barrel break in addressed copper fouling only.. Given that, copper fouling is fairly easy to monitor with both a borescope and with the ammonia laced cleaners..

I have shot in quite a number of barrels and early on in my carreer I followed a conventional breakin procedure. For the last many years however, I have shot about 10 rounds through a new barrel and cleaned it. Following that shot another 10 and cleaned. At that point I almost never detect copper fouling. I suppose you could call that a break in procedure but it certainly doesn't follow the one shot and clean method.. Just relaying what I have seen...
 
I've been using Kreiger barrels and follow their break-in recomendations. Do I need to do this procedure, probably not, but I'm fireforming the brass,
a little extra cleaning isn't a hassle.
 
http://www.benchrest.com/FAQ/6.1.shtml

I wrote this way back, and can think of only two things it would be nice to add:

-- from Dan Lilja, who pointed out that another part of breaking in a barrel is getting some carbon in the pores of the steel. Getting carbon in the pores is *not* fouling.

--from a lot of you, the biggest offender in terms of copper fouling, with a custom barrel, is that wire edge left in the throat by the chambering reamer. Smoothing those edges can be done several ways, best is to not wear the barrel upstream of the throat as you do it.

Since this was in the FAQ section, maybe Wilbur can take the good parts, add what comes up in this thread, and improve the FAQ answer. Probably true nobody reads them, but at least they are there as a resource...
 
Can't say that I am any authority on barrel break-in proceedures but I do have an opinion (and been chambering barrels for the past 15 years with moderate success:cool:)..............And that is, what Buch has aluded to. We get custom barrels from manufacturers who take the time to hand lap them after rifling.............with a lead lap and lapping compound. I cannot see where shooting copper----non abrasive bullets are going to do anything to change the interior of the barrel with the exception of the leade angle "fuzz". For that fuzz, I just use a tight fitting patch with some #800 lapping compound and short stroke the leade coming in from the breech end. Maybe 10 or fifteen strokes. Then push a couple of wet patches thru from the muzzle and dry. I may shoot a five shot group and clean but from then on its "normal shooting?" Just my opinion:)
Rich De
 
Vern.........from the above post............

"For that fuzz, I just use a tight fitting patch with some #800 lapping compound and short stroke the leade coming in from the breech end. Maybe 10 or fifteen strokes. Then push a couple of wet patches thru from the muzzle and dry"
Rich De
 
I agree with Rich, I've done the same to the leade with a patch on a brush just to get some of the machining marks smoothed out. What do you think your doing by fireing bullets down the barrel, the same thing your trying to smooth it out, so the copper isn't going dowm the barrel from the rough edges. Short strokes VERN! Then clean it all out with Kroil. Then check with bore scope.

Joe Salt
 
If you do initial fireforming with pistol powder and no bullet...put a little cream of wheat on top of the powder...really smooths out the throat very well and does not put any wear on the barrel. Learned that method from Dave T.

Hovis
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top