"Breaking in a Rifle Barrel"

[leggyarcher]

I overheard a conversation the other day about breaking in a rifle barrel. What is meant by "breaking in a rifle barrel", and what is the procedure for doing this?

[raktrakr]

what youre doing basically is cleaning out the burs and smoothing the rifling,increasing accuracy and the life of the barrel. I think its doing something else too but I dont remember right off. The precedure I ran across a few years ago was for doing an AR15 using 100 rounds. you shoot 5 shots,cleaning between each shot with wire bore brush and swab,15 more cleaning between every third and 20-30 more cleaning after every 5th and then on up to 100 cleaning every 10th, and allow some cool off time in between, you dont want to overheat the barrel during this process.
It all sounds complicated and a waste of time, but the difference can be 5000 rounds or 30000 rounds. As for a hunting rifle I would probably only use 20 rounds cleaning in between each shot

[C.L.Button]

When doing that cleaning, do you use a bore scrubber liquid and a brass brush ? Then run oiled patches thru until they come out clean ? I had heard that it was better to use a nylon brush rather than a brass brush ? Any truth to that ?

[raktrakr]

nothing was said about the bore scrubber or type of brush, but yes on the oil

[leggyarcher]

Should you coat the bullets with some type of abrasive to accelerate the process?

[kycowboy]

you getting into guns now leggy I thought it was a bow for you

[kybowhunter1963]

one shot...then swab the bore with Hoppe's (or similar)...patch till clean

two shots...then swab the bore...patch till clean

three shots...then swab...etc...etc...

then 4, then 5, then 6....


all the way up to 10 shots


by this time you have accomplished the goal.

It is like seasoning the metal on a brand new metal/iron skillet (as a comparison)

[leggyarcher]

you getting into guns now leggy I thought it was a bow for you

I am interested in EVERYTHING. :)

[raktrakr]

Should you coat the bullets with some type of abrasive to accelerate the process?
No need, the bullet itself does the cleaning/smoothing of the rifling. the bore brush is used to clean any copper fouling,or build-up that occurs

[C.L.Button]

Raktrakr the reason I asked about the Bore Scrubber and the type of brush was that I heard someone say as you continually run a wire type brush thru the bore, it tends to take edge off the rifling eventually ?

Maybe in 20,000 rounds that maybe true ? I could see that happening in a rifle that was used in competition , but not in the average hunting rifle that fires maybe 1500 rounds in a persons lifetime ? What do you think ?

[trust me]

Taking the edge off the rifling is what you are trying to do...the rifling process leaves lots of brittle burrs and such inside the barrel. If not removed, they will strip the copper off the bullets until it builds up and harms accuracy. Getting rid of them in the beginning creates a smooth bore that is easier to clean and stays cleaner, while yielding better accuracy.

Some do run abrasive pastes through a new barrel, or coat bullets with the stuff. I just run the brass brush through, shoot a few, and so forth. Like 99% of hunters, i won't shoot enough to damage a barrel in my lifetime.

[Auk1124]

I'm a little on the anal side about it but I use Kroil to get out powder fouling first, then an aggresive copper remover (I like Sweet's) on the copper, then another Kroil patch to get out all the copper remover, then patch dry. And I clean like that between each shot for 20 rounds, then clean every 5 shots for another 20.


Make sure if you do some variation on this you got a good bore guide and a good single piece cleaning rod (either steel or coated), or you may end up doing more harm to the barrel than good.
Like everything else, there are some very knowledgable people out there who insist all this barrel break in stuff is voodoo, but I figure it can't hurt.

[trust me]

AMEN on the single piece cleaning rod! It just makes sense. When you run a tight patch through the bore, that rod flexes inside and rubs the bore at some point. If that cheap jointed aluminum rod (the ones we all have) has grit imbedded in it, that grit is just like sandpaper on the bore. The joints on the rod couldn't be good either, rubbing against everything.

Get a one piece rod, clean from the bore, never the muzzle, and leave it dry. Don't ever leave it swimming in oil. It can actually create swelled spots in the barrel if a bullet has to squeeze past all that oil.

[skin_dog1]

Best way to break in a rifle barrel is to sell it to someone that doesn't bow hunt and practice with your bow instead:D . If you insist on hunting with a gun then take the advice from the other guys. Me personally, I just take it out of the box and swap the barrel after every shot for the first box of ammo then I stick it back in the safe to gather dust!

[Multidigits]

Should you coat the bullets with some type of abrasive to accelerate the process?

This is a good way to speed up the process. You can lap the barrel for improved acuracy by using a lapping compound on your bullets as you work through teh first few hundred rounds. You can also do it with a cleaning rod and a bunch of patches, but it takes a while.

[mossyhorns]

See, you learn something everyday. I thought that "breaking in a barrel" meant brow-beating it until it would cook supper and clean the house without being told to. :D

[C.L.Button]

THANKS Trust me,,,

I understand now. I always thought that the edge was supposed to stay sharp. It is kind of like when we used to bevel the ports on a 2 stroke drag bike. Better flow and no sharp edges to catch a piston ring on.

I need to find a good hickory stick to use for a barrel rod now. Throw away those Aluminum 3 piece rods I have. :eek:

Shoot , let cool, then clean the bore,,, Makes great sense to me. THANKS,,

[skeeter]

The last new one I bought I shot it snaked it- shot it snaked it ,so on. Shes true too do For what I want her too do ..