Break-in Period?

Guyon

New member
I've seen a few posts here that mention a break-in period on new guns. Is this a myth or a reality?

What exactly is the break-in period supposed to do to a gun? Is a certain kind of ammo involved?

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Guyon
NRA & GOA Member
 
Hello. I had owned some pistols that worked fine from the get-go and others that stuttered until a couple of hundred rounds had been fired. Then they began working fine. That's an example of "break in" for lack of better words. It does exist, but not for all guns at least in terms of reliability. Best.
 
Just to add, no there is no special ammo involved. It some times take a few hundred rounds for a gun to function correctly. But sometimes it is just a bad gun. Depends on the malfunction. Mostly it is feeding problems, or trigger pull, that just need to be worked out by use, or know what part to polish.
 
For me, the break-in period is the amount of time/ammo (usually about 200-300 rounds) that a new gun must digest, without malfunction, before I'll trust it for self defense.

Some folks will not carry a gun if it malfs at all. I just fix the problem and start the process again.

Mikey
 
Guyon,

Of my handguns, only the "1911A1 type" had a break-in period. My full-sized, stainless Kimber Custom had a 1 to 2 percent jam/failure-to-feed rate for about the first 400 rounds; thereafter, it has been flawless. I performed no repairs or unusual maintenance -- the pistol simply "smoothed out" and I've now fired several thousand additional problem-free rounds.
 
My rule is 200 rounds for any autoloader. I believe this allows certain moving parts to wear in and facilitate normal operation (slide to frame, barrel to slide, springs to wear in, etc.).

Revolvers don't need a break-in. :)

Justin

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Justin T. Huang, Esq.
late of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania


[This message has been edited by jthuang (edited August 14, 2000).]
 
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