Breaking in new barrel

[thorin6]

Looking for advice on breaking in a new 20-inch HBAR barrel, not chrome lined.
I've read several different methods, from shoot-once, clean (do this 20 times), to shoot-once, clean; shoot-twice, clean; shoot-three times, clean; to "don't worry about, just shoot 200 rounds."
Any experience in this area would be helpful.
Thanks.

Information

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[Mudcat]

I used to do all of that then realized I was just wasting time and cleaning supplies! Just take it out, shoot a match, bring it home, clean it and youre done breaking it in.

John

[Liftrat]

For a match rifle, I still do the 1-shot/clean routine for the first 10 rounds, then 2 shots/clean. Guess I'm a little superstitious, and I don't know if it helps the accuracy or not, but they sure are easy to clean after 20 rounds. Besides, I'm usually sighting in or testing loads then anyway. Time at the range is never wasted ;-). I follow manufacturer's advice for breaking in a new vehicle, too; what does your barrel manufacturer say?

[thorin6]

Got the barrel from DEZ arms some time ago, spent my time getting all the parts and pieces for the complete AR (lower is new DPMS). I'll finally have some time later this month to spend my time with the rifle, testing it and making sure everything works. This is my first build, so I'm slowly feeling my way.
Appreciate the help.

[airdrop]

Read a nice piece by a old barrel maker an his story goes like this. He helped a young barrel maker get started and later he ordered a barrel from this guy and in the wrap was instructions on breaking in his barrel. The old guy gets on the phone and says hey whats up with this, an the young guy says look I only sell so many barrels a year so if I get the folks that burn thur 3000 rds and want to rebarrel thier bench gun ,then I just got them to use up 200 or more rounds, then switch over comes quicker. So you think if it was so good why didn't it happen 60 years ago Mmmmmm. Planned obsolescents !

[Bob Womack]

Read a nice piece by a old barrel maker an his story goes like this. He helped a young barrel maker get started and later he ordered a barrel from this guy and in the wrap was instructions on breaking in his barrel. The old guy gets on the phone and says hey whats up with this, an the young guy says look I only sell so many barrels a year so if I get the folks that burn thur 3000 rds and want to rebarrel thier bench gun ,then I just got them to use up 200 or more rounds, then switch over comes quicker. So you think if it was so good why didn't it happen 60 years ago Mmmmmm. Planned obsolescents !

I was fortunate to be the fellow to whom that post was written by gale McMillan. I asked about barrel break-in on either CSP or the Firing Range ten years ago and got this reply:

The break in fad was started by a fellow I helped get started in the barrel business . He started putting a set of break in instructions in ever barrel he shipped. One came into the shop to be installed and I read it and the next time I saw him I asked him What was with this break in crap?. His answer was Mac, My share of the market is about 700 barrels a year. I cater to the target crowd and they shoot a barrel about 3000 rounds before they change it. If each one uses up 100 rounds of each barrel breaking it in you can figure out how many more barrels I will get to make each year. If you will stop and think that the barrel doesn't know whether you are cleaning it every shot or every 5 shots and if you are removing all foreign material that has been deposited in it since the last time you cleaned it what more can you do? When I ship a barrel I send a recommendation with it that you clean it ever chance you get with a brass brush pushed through it at least 12 times with a good solvent and followed by two and only 2 soft patches. This means if you are a bench rest shooter you clean ever 7 or 8 rounds . If you are a high power shooter you clean it when you come off the line after 20 rounds. If you follow the fad of cleaning every shot for X amount and every 2 shots for X amount and so on the only thing you are accomplishing is shortening the life of the barrel by the amount of rounds you shot during this process. I always say Monkey see Monkey do, now I will wait on the flames but before you write them, Please include what you think is happening inside your barrel during break in that is worth the expense and time you are spending during break in

posted by Gale McMillan 1999

I filed that one away.

Bob

[Homer03]

Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels - Centerfire Maintenance

[limazulu]

Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels - Centerfire Maintenance

It says normal maintenance is to clean after 25 to 30 rounds. I guess you're supposed to stop during a service rifle competition and clean your barrel

These must be for bench rest shooters.

I think Krieger barrels have instructions. Try looking at their web site.

[relics6165]

Thorin6:

When I bought my WOA upper, I asked John about break in procedures for the barrel. He said shoot it.............

[thorin6]

There seems to be two different procedures.
If you have a chromed barrel, there doesn't seem to be any break-in period.
If you have a non-chromed barrel, it appears that the shoot/clean cycle will result in a more accurate barrel, although it isn't clear how many times you have to cycle through the shoot/clean cycle.
Appreciate all the thoughts. I will try the shoot once/clean cycle for the first 10 shots, then shoot three/clean, then shoot five/clean. Part of the cleaning cycle will be to make sure the copper is remove as much as possible.
I'll see if this makes any difference, as I also have a new chromed-bore barrel to try as well. Should be interesting to see if there are any differences.