How to break-in the barrel of a new gun... Things only your gunsmith will tell ya

Keep in mind a modern rifle is a machine of the utmost in precision engineering.. You don't fry in an unseasoned cast iron skillet and you wouldn't jump behind the wheel of a Ferrari without performing that all so important break-in... So why would you pick up a new rifle and not perform a proper break-in???
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not many dealers or gunsmiths will tell ya about the right way to break in your gun/barrel but there is a proper procedure...

First understand the the milling and machining process of producing a new gun leaves tiny micro pores and burs in the steel... the barrel... In bygone days when accuracy was measured in Barns (Couldn't hit the side of) Breaking-in (Burnishing) of a new barrel was not something of any great importance...
but nowadays where even the most modest rifle comes with a MOA warranty... how you break in your barrel is critical...

As soon as you get your new weapon home I advise you field strip it... give it a good cleaning and oiling... just because now is when you want to learn the inner and outer working of your gun... better to do this in the comfort of your own home then out on the range while trying to clear a misfeed with the range safety officer yelling...

Okay time to fire... but for these first 30 to 50 shoots... you'll want good high quality full jacketed ball ammo... forget the surplus crap... this first box needs to be the good high dollar stuff...the why is because were gonna use that ball ammo to polish your barrel....New Ammo too, noting that have been let out in the pickup to freeze and reheat over and over... for this, blow the cobwebs out of your wallet and buy the good stuff...

We start with 10 rounds
Now you shoot one round...no more... break out your cleaning rod and use a good copper solvent...give your barrel a good scrubbing... then you take a second shoot and clean it again... and keep doing that... One shoot then clean your barrel for all ten rounds.... after 6,7,8 rounds you'll stop seeing copper fouling in the rifling... but keep going until you shoot all ten...good cleaning afterwards...

Now you continue shooting... cleaning between every 2 shots... once you've shot 30 you should be good but I do all 50, just to make sure...

For black powder guns it's the same deal.... only... use the hardest lead bullets you can get... clean between every two shoots and shoot at least 30 rounds...

you don't need to do this for a shotgun unless it has a riffled barrel

that's it... how to break in that barrel...

Great info thanks! How did you get this info? Did you tie a gunsmith up and electrocute his testicles?

reply to post by DaddyBare


hi op
thats great, can i ask this
ive recently purchased a newish .22 air rifle
ive only shot 1 pellet
and beaing in the uk we are restricted to 12flbs of power
anything more than that is classed as a firearm
my spring was changed for a more powerfull 1 just before i bought it
so as i said ive fired 1 shot
can i still use your principle of breaking in or do i have to do something different
ive been reading about dieseling but im an amateuer
so your advice would be most helpfull....cheers
dave

reply to post by DaddyBare


Thanks man! How did you know I was about to buy a 30.06?

It makes sense, but would have never thought about it. Would you say this would increase the barrel life? Seems to me like it would.

S+F for being right on time.

Originally posted by groingrinder
Great info thanks! How did you get this info? Did you tie a gunsmith up and electrocute his testicles?

No

... I am the gunsmith... retired Marine Armorer and had my own store for a while... thinking about starting up another one too... And I'm pretty found of my "Huevos" the wife likes em too...

reply to post by davesmart


No your fine... just give it a good cleaning and go through the break-in...
beside you were looking for an excuse to go shoot weren't ya???

thanks for the tip!

reply to post by groingrinder
he is a Marine, just the look he can give you will make you talk, it has to do with their eyes.

Originally posted by Ittabena
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

It makes sense, but would have never thought about it. Would you say this would increase the barrel life? Seems to me like it would.

Yes it does... once those micropores are sealed there's no place for corrosives to get a hold of the steel...
Simply using a brush might knock down the burrs but this is the best way to condition your barrel

this is great knowledge...Thank you OP it makes perfect sense but I have never had it explained to me so I had no idea..Thanks again

reply to post by DaddyBare

retired Marine Armorer

Nice, My dad was a DI for the Corps at the end of WWII and the beginning of Korea. Needless to say, I didn't get a childhood.

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by davesmart

 

No your fine... just give it a good cleaning and go through the break-in...
beside you were looking for an excuse to go shoot weren't ya???

hahaha
ur bloody right
i was looking for the excuse
cheers op

thanks s+f

been using rem oil, any recommendations for cleaner/lubricant? just curious thx

Originally posted by all answers exist
thanks s+f

been using rem oil, any recommendations for cleaner/lubricant? just curious thx

an old friend told me to try
semi synthetic oil
perhaps the op will know if thats wrong?

reply to post by all answers exist


In the field I like Otis O85® Ultra Bore®
If you shoot a lot you might want to use Break-Free

In the shop I use a lot of stuff
Hoppe's
Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner
Hornady One Shot
Brownells Oxpho-Blue for blued guns

S&F

Great useful information!

Thank you for posting this.

This makes all the sense in the world.

Metal on metal contact always needs annealing or break in to further seal that machined metal.

I have always been a firm believer in this in my cars and especially air cooled motor cycles which rely moreso upon their oil lubrication for their cooling.

Thanks for posting. I was considering some new arms for the homestead in the near future.

Thank you for your service and information. Now a question for you...If you had to do it all over again.
Would you do it again? Would you join the core?

Great timing. Thanks for this post DaddyBare!
Glad I haven't sent any rounds downrange yet

Originally posted by SNAKE13X
Thank you for your service and information. Now a question for you...If you had to do it all over again.
Would you do it again? Would you join the core?

edit on 23-8-2011 by SNAKE13X because: (no reason given)

OK I know this ? was for the OP, but I am a former devil dog too........
What kind of question is that..?(~) OK. I already know what he will say but
...Hell yes it is worth it.......
....Corps......

and ummmm. You don't "join the corps" ......you ARE the corps.....forever.
it is like your DNA is changed...for the better.......if someone tells me they are corps......
I NEVER have to question my back.....and if I need them...they come. REally. I have tried it and I never have
been let down. There are some "bad" marines....but they weren't Marines.....real Marines have
Integrity
Pride
Humility
Strength
Weakness
....and most of all,
Love for God, the country and the corps.......
...bark bark.........
OK sorry could not take the question...it made me wacked.....
God bless you OP I just bought a new gun too.....thanks. !!!!!! OK back to the regularly scheduled channel...........