Breaking in a new gun

[sbryce]

I just bought a Beretta 92 FS. There is nothing in the manual about breaking in the gun. Isn't there a particular way that a gun should be treated for the first 200 rounds or so? What is the correct break-in procedure for this gun?

Also, is it possible to make patches for cleaning a gun out of some sort of bulk material? What would you use? Would it be cost effective?

 

[Woody]

There is no really proven way to break a gun in. Some people spend alot of time breaking in the barrels of rifles but that is for long range shooting.
As for your Beretta make sure the barrel is free of obstructions. Make sure gun is unloaded first then check the safety to be sure that it works. Load a magazine to full capacity and hand cycle it through the gun. In other words load full mag in gun and chamber a round then pull slide back and eject the round that is in the chamber and release slide and chamber another round. Do this till mag is empty and see if the slide stop works. If everything works you may want to lightly oil the main spring and add a few small drops to the locking lugs. That should be all there is too it. Grab some muffs & ammo and go down to the range a have some fun.

 

[James K]

Hi, guys,

Some very tightly fitted match pistols do require some breaking in to function, and all guns will work more smoothly after some use. But for the most part, IMHO, the "break in" story began with shoddy pistols that were not made right in the first place. Rather than admit that they made junk, the manufacturers claimed that failures would be avoided if the guns were "broken in". Of course, the breaking in made the gun a used gun and (by no coincidence) usually took it past the warranty period.

Jim

P.S. Do not confuse "breaking in" with the very necessary test firing with carry ammo. Anyone using an auto pistol for serious purposes should make sure the gun functions properly with the carry ammunition. If it does not, no amount of "break in" is likely to correct the situation.

JEK


[This message has been edited by Jim Keenan (edited October 02, 1999).]