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Breaking in a barrel?
- Thread starter jwise
- Start date
'Breaking in' a rifle barrel is just systematizing what common sense would tell you to do anyway.
A new barrel (gun) needs a good thorough cleaning, out of the box, to get rid of factory lubes and the 'chips and feathers' of the machining process, that seem to get in everywhere in a new firearm. You don't want these to become imbedded in the barrel under a layer of torn-off jacket material or lead.
After that, the most important thing is allowing the bore to wear in gradually, and without exposing it to excessive heat from prolonged firing that will both erode the metal and open up fissures in the rough new surface to bind and catch jacket material. With firing, the bore will smooth out, and more rounds can be shot per session. There's no hard and fast rule here. The gradual process is enhanced by the firing of only a few rounds per session, and thorough cleaning between sessions. Until the rifle has fired a hundred or so rounds, it's especially susceptible to the damage I've described.
I discovered 'breaking in' about 40 years ago, because my range sessions never overheated my barrels, and when cleaned after every brief session, they all shot exceptionally well.
Your most important enemy is heat. Be patient, shoot only til the barrel is warm, keep the bore clean, and all will be well.
A new barrel (gun) needs a good thorough cleaning, out of the box, to get rid of factory lubes and the 'chips and feathers' of the machining process, that seem to get in everywhere in a new firearm. You don't want these to become imbedded in the barrel under a layer of torn-off jacket material or lead.
After that, the most important thing is allowing the bore to wear in gradually, and without exposing it to excessive heat from prolonged firing that will both erode the metal and open up fissures in the rough new surface to bind and catch jacket material. With firing, the bore will smooth out, and more rounds can be shot per session. There's no hard and fast rule here. The gradual process is enhanced by the firing of only a few rounds per session, and thorough cleaning between sessions. Until the rifle has fired a hundred or so rounds, it's especially susceptible to the damage I've described.
I discovered 'breaking in' about 40 years ago, because my range sessions never overheated my barrels, and when cleaned after every brief session, they all shot exceptionally well.
Your most important enemy is heat. Be patient, shoot only til the barrel is warm, keep the bore clean, and all will be well.
Rottweiler
New member
Yep, same process as a centerfire cartridge