Quick Tip: What Is "Breaking In" a New Barrel?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2020
- Brownells Gun Techs Extraordinaires Steve Ostrem and Caleb Savant tackle a thorny topic: breaking in a new barrel. What IS breaking in a barrel? And WHY do it? The rifling of a freshly machined barrel has microscopic burrs and sharp edges. "Breaking in" is the process of putting bullets down the bore to smooth out those rough spots. The goal is to round down the sharp edges so they're not stripping copper off a bullet as it travels the bore, which leads to fouling that leads to reduced accuracy and inconsistent groups. In a very minor way, you're actually lapping the barrel. The breaking in process works best on cut-rifled and button-rifled barrels. Cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined, or nitrided barrels - such as commonly found on AR-15s - don't benefit from it. Pistol barrels really don't need to be broken in because larger-diameter bullets are not so much affected by tiny variations in the bore. Likewise, break-in is more helpful for a .17, .20 or .22 caliber rifle than a .45 caliber rifle.
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Legend has it, Caleb's sideburns can break in a barrel just by shouldering the rifle.
This isnt a legend, its reality.
Great comments! 🤠
Love the comment ;)
You know, Elvis was the originator of this technique!
Funny stuff!
I always follow the "don't bother" procedure for breaking in a new barrel, it has worked flawlessly so far. Breaking in a new stock is different, it is important to perform at least a dozen cheek welds before firing the rifle.
Exactly 👍
That’s where I fucked up... I needed to do the cheek weld procedure
Ah, the lazy answer and nothing more.
@@cavscout888 did you even bother to watch the video?
@@damonthomas8955 Yep. Did you hear anything more than what you wanted to hear while watching it?
Note my REPLY is directly to your comment above. Not the video.
Kinda tough to break in a barrel when I don’t have ammo to send down said barrel.
How to break in a barrel.
Step one chamber a round
Step 2 shoot
Step 3 repeat steps 1 and 2 until magazine is empty
Does this apply to 30-shot magazine? LOL
@@anthonyshepard9606 yes it does.
No nonsense talking and time wasting. No ads. Straight to the point. Clearly two knowledgeable gentlemen. Unusual and refreshing for a TH-cam channel. Subscription added. Thanks gents.
Asked manufacturer (Q) on break in for their fix in 6.5cm, they said, just shoot it.. so far its absolutely the most accurate rifle I have ever shot.
Who was the manufacturer?
@@MavisRecon Q
You have the fix by Q?! Nice!
I seem to remember hearing that "barrel break in" was invented by a guy who wanted to sell more barrels.
Love these short no nonsense videos. More people need to see these
I've learned more about guns watching these guys for the past 2 hours than I have in the past 10 years.
I've been shooting for 52 years, and I can't count the number of "you gotta do this to break it in right" stories and arguments. A large series of books would be needed to write them all down!!!
Missed a step- we must first break in our electronic devices to accurately stare at the Out Of Stock.
LOL right
Habaha
Yep
I felt that
HAHAHA
When you shoot a new rifle, the bullet will leave microscopic pieces of copper in the microscopic pits, grooves etc. of the barrel. Those should be left alone and not "cleaned out" of the barrel. Shoot the rifle and periodically clean it with good ol' Hoppes #9. That is all you have to do. I used to be overboard about cleaning after every trip out when I fired my rifle and finally figured out that is not necessary and a waste of time.
Now, when I get the urge to clean a rifle that doesn't need it, I just go out to my shop and open up the jar of Hoppes #9 just so I can smell it! LOL
The comment so far, just plain common sense.
Content like this is why I recommend this channel and Forgotten Weapons to new gun owners who are looking to expand their knowledge of both their firearms and the community.
Years ago I heard all the hype about barrel break-in and called Tikka after a new purchase. Customer support said, 'Shoot it. The most accurate shot your new rifle will ever make is the first one fired. Every shot thereafter will be a little less accurate than the last until accuracy is unacceptable for your intended use of the rifle.' That rifle has over 500 rounds and is still sub 1/2 moa.
Later that year I did some follow-up reading about a top tier barrel maker that established one of the first break-in procedures to sell competition barrels faster. If he could get shooters to blast 100 rounds through a barrel that would start to show accuracy loss at 1k rounds, then his "break-in" procedures shortened the life of the barrel by 10%.
Smart business, that.
Glad I went with Tikka.
Nice!
Amen, John B.!
Nice 1955 hair cut.
If I'm paying top dollar for a match quality barrel, it better not need any more work from me!
It would cost you 10 times as much if the barrel makers had to do the work themselves. Krieger, Douglass and Hart all have breakin procedures for their barrels, that's good enough for me. To each his own.
@@hardball107 Did you run the numbers on that "10 times as much" figure? I ask because Hart specifically says, "We do not believe that a break-in procedure is required with our barrels." This is echoed by Shilen, whose FAQs include the answer, "Shilen, Inc. introduced a break-in procedure mostly because customers seemed to think that we should have one. By and large, we don't think breaking-in a new barrel is a big deal." Krieger does have a break-in procedure on its site, but their barrels are even more expensive than Hart or Shilen ($375 vs. $330 and $358, respectively). I don't understand how the barrels with the most DIY needed are more expensive than the ones with no additional work needed. I especially don't see a 1000% price difference between any of them.
@@DrThunder88 The break in would be all labor and with their rates mounting in a universal receiver, ammo and hours expended wouldn't be cheap. Funny what you say Hart said, I live right by their shop and I purchase their barrels from time to time. The last one was for a Remington I own and the shop people told me that it's a good idea and wouldn't hurt anything as did the benchrest guy's I shoot with. As for the others I've bought from they too have echoed that opinion. Even the new tube for my M1 Garand included instructions. As for the "exact cost" well, I'll just have to defer to people that want to crunch those numbers, let's just call it a metaphor and leave it at that, nothing's getting any cheaper.
I just have to share this. Back in the 40’s and 50’s, my Dad told me a story of a fellow worker who had bought a new rifle and asked Dad how to break it in. Dad told him that he need to shoot it at 25 yds, then 50, then 75, and finally 100. Told him if he started by shooting longer distances right off, that it would either stretch the barrel or would straighten out the rifling! The guy believed it!!
Fell for the old,...hey go get the shelf stretcher routine!🤣
I’ve watched 10 videos on this topic and I with I had watched this one first. Thanks gents.
This is the first discussion of the topic that made sense to me.
You guys rock. I've learned quite a few things by watching your videos over the course of owning various firearms. Keep it up! Keep these videos coming as new gun owners should know all this useful information.
These quick tips are great to watch for a relaxing break while absorbing a dose of basic knowledge on a wide variety of gun topics. Thanks Brownells!
This was all correct information, and well explained.
Thank you!
Thanks guys!
Please do a video about " your personal Choice " Gunsmith's tools with the link to the store
Awesome amount of information provided. Thank you, and keep up the good work.
This channel is easily my new favorite channel to watch. Great job guys 👍🏾
Poor guy
Thanks for watching!
@@brownells
You should make a video about hangfires. It happens so rarely with modern factory ammo that some think it's a myth. It would be great to inform more new shooters about it, how it happens and what to do in these very rare occasions. Is it just the composition of the primer, the one loading them or probably the storage of the primers? Maybe you can ask the owner of this compilation for footage if you need some or you could deliberately create them to show how every type of it really happens.
You should really check out hard core porn.....
@@magustrigger9195
Coomer
Excellent videos! Keep making them! Thank you!
I used match barrel break-in on my AR-10B 16" tripple lapped chrome lined barrel. Using nothing bit Hornady 168 match ammo. ArmaLite said it was a 1.5 to 2" gun. When I was done it was a .75" gun.
Nothing like clear, concise, accurate honest information. Cheers
Thanks for watching!
Good talk on the subject... I myself have seen people obsess over a barrels break on a hammer forged barrel for no other reason than they thought it should be done like all others. And you are exactly right, a cut-rifled barrel requires hand lapping and meticulous break in to achieve it's best result.
Anyone else notice the AT-4 in the safe behind them? I’m sure it’s inert but still cool.
Shhhhh
Next video is the barrel break-in procedure for the AT-4...
For the peaceful protesters. It's a modern day scatter gun.
He made a video about it in the past. Caleb said he shipped it out when he was an armorer while deployed.
Finally someone provides short and sweet info. It is more of a conditioning of the rifling, vs break in.
Thank you guys so much for the information as I have ALWAYS wondered
Thanks for giving us the “straight poop” on barrel breakins. I always feel like I get the real low down from Brownells. Great job guys.
Great information on all areas of shootings. Keep them coming.
Wow hopping back to this for a reference is a marked difference. Glad whoever made the decision to up the lighting and audio budget did so because it's a hell of an improvement.
Love you guys, great how just the facts are presented, just straight knowledge and very little opinion, up unless it's an exception or gray area ... Keep the great information coming
I really appreciate this! Although there weren’t specific instructions with my ER Shaw I ordered it shoots better every time. However I ALWAYS clean my guns after I shoot them since age 13. THANKS!
Great information as always gentlemen.
"Just shoot the darn thing."
Krieger of Krieger Barrels
Thanks for this video, had many older heads tell me I needed to break in my barrel for my first build...well I have a cold hammer forged chrome lined barrel so I’m good to go...
Thank you for making this video. I knew it would be informative. Keep up the awesome work.
Thanks for watching!
OUTSTANDING INFORMATIONAL COMMENTARY. I have several barrels that I need to shoot/break-in and I was wondering if I need it to break them in. But from this information here I think I know which ones I should and which ones I should not choose to shoot-in. Thank you Brownell team members.
You guys have great informational videos. Inglewood, California.
🐢👀👍🇺🇸
Thanks so much for watching!
I can’t get over these videos. They get better and better. As a new shooter I started listening to this and immediately thought “Oh my god I didn’t break in my AR barrels!!!! They’re ruined for sure!!!” Moments later...that very question was covered in the video. Please keep it up. These are so informative. I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into these videos. It has made me go to Brownell’s first for any of my purchases.
Great info.... thank you. Something I have been wondering about
You guys are the best! Thanks.
Thank you for another great video.
another good well produced video guys ; thanks !
I had never heard of barrel break in until recently. I was picking up a new pistol local shop and this guy getting his first rifle asked the salesman "so my buddies all say i need to break in my barrel, how do I do that?" My ears perked up thinking i had been doing something wrong for years. The salesman says it is really just urban myth and he never worries about it. Just go shoot it to get used to and clean it after wards and you are doing the same thing. Made me feel so much better. I called my grandpa and my dad on way home and both have never broke in a barrel. Tall about moment of slight worry. I asked a gunsmith about few days later. His response was "the factory test fires the guns before sending them out in most instances anyway. As long as you clean when you get home from store you should be good"
Great information.
Thank you for the film
new clean it ..then shoot it ...then when done clean it put it away .. repeat every time after shooting ..
Simple yet effective, just like most things in life
This is exactly what I do,,,don't over think it and stress on it just keep it clean
More content please. You guys do a good job
Working on it!
I was happy to see the rifle I purchased had break in instructions.
I think this is great advice, thank you.
Great info!
When I worked retail firearms sales and this question came up often. To set the record straight I called the tech support for Ruger, Remington, Browning, Christensen, Weatherby and Bergara and all of them told me very clearly is barrel break is NOT necessary. That's due to the nature of modern manufacturing methods.
If your the barrel is made with cut rifling then its likely that you'll need barrel break in. However for the minority of hunters, long range shooters and competition shooters you'd have to check with your custom barrel maker and follow their recommendations.
Most of the customers I sold your standard, everyday, over the counter rifles were convinced if they didn't break in the barrel they would ruin the rifle.
Barrel break in is more significant for precision bolt action rifles. Run of the mill, 2-4MOA chrome lined, _M4gery_ semiautos probably don't get as much benefit from this care. Guys, you're on a roll with controversial topics. When are you going to do the one on 45 ACP vs 9x19?
Oh gods no. These guys cover a lot of controversies but no. No no no no noooooo. Not the the most undying debate ever. 9mm vs. .45acp. I will settle it once and for all right now. That debate will go on until our grandkids or great grandkids will finally be able to first try out the laser vs. plasma small arms debate.
@Joseph Putnam If you have it on a rest, and see the groups start to spread out or notice stringing, or you just notice the barrel get too hot, you should probably take a break. Some people like to use barrel coolers for that, I've also seen people pour water down the barrel to cool it down quicker. I'm not the most experienced of shooters, so hopefully someone else will reply with better information for you.
@Joseph Putnam having a little heat in the barrel as well as in your lubricants or gun solvents is actually a good idea, the pores Are more open to where you are going to get a better "smoothing out" effect due to the larger surface area your are able to cover when it is hot or warm versus cold.
The 45 acp helped us win both world wars, the 9 mil fits more rounds in a similar size magazine, therefore it is a tie. I don't know why I wasn't asked to solve this debate in the first place, it could have saved so much time and ink.
@@j.mangum7652 Easy answer .40S&W 😉
Love all your videos.... Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Thanks for watching!
I don't always do a "break-in" but I usually run a lot of strokes with jag and patch coated with JB bore paste. That seems to work for me. Enjoy your videoes.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Outstanding video and presintation.
Thank you!
Thank you!
I'm one of those guys who actually reads owner's manuals. The only rifle I have that the "manufacturer" recommended breaking-in the barrel is my Century Arms C-308. I went to the range and followed the instructions. My C-308 shoots well and is very accurate. I've read negative reviews of this rifle especially for accuracy and will bet that the whiners just did not follow instructions.
I've always found it a little hard to believe soft copper jacketed bullets will smooth out hard barrel steel in a few shots. I consider a barrel "broken in" after a couple hundred rounds with no particular cleaning protocol... sometimes no cleaning at all!
T D B it’s not removing material it’s just smoothing over small bits and such. Just because something is a softer material doesn’t mean it can’t effect a harder material. You can bend steel all day long with a plastic hammer.
If that’s your thing a barrel would never wear out or foul out ?
softer things have worn down or smoothed harder things for thousands of years, look at water going through a creekbed and the stones in it, it smooths them, gently taking down the rough from it, look at rubber bands, we can see they are soft, and bottlecaps are harder, wrap a band tightly around a bottlecap, it will eventually bend it, ive seen it happen. hard can be affected by soft, and you dont clean your barrels? i was taught you need to clean them, in concealed carry class.
@@feralbigdog you dont need to clean firearms nearly as much as people make it out to be. Especially on things like ARs, Glocks, shotguns...
I think it was Col Jeff Cooper who said that cleaning your rifle after every use is a way gunsmiths generate more business replacing rifle barrels because over cleaning will wear out a barrel prematurely.
Great info. Thanks!
Hey @Brownells, Inc The description is from yesturday's video on Gun myths and steel cased ammo
The manufacturers say, in confidence, that the only reason they provide break-in instructions is because their customers demand one. Hardened steel cannot be "broke in". Shooting it will fill in the imperfections in the rifling and, up to a point, improve accuracy. Keep the carbon and dirt, etc. cleaned out but don't worry about copper until buildup begins to effect accuracy. I then only clean out SOME of the copper but not all. To each his own.
The only barrel I’ve ever had to break in was my 338 Lapua. Spent some big $ on that thing. I did exactly what the directions said. It was a pain to do, but it’s my favorite rifle.
As a teenager, breaking in my new Model 94 meant taking it down to the beaver pond and shooting bullets into dead tree trunks right at the waterline to see how many feet straight up we could get one of those rotten old trees to launch. When one box of shells was gone, that gun was ready to hunt!
That makes sense to me!
I've noticed that I have more issue with cycling issues during "breakin" period than accuracy, though I'm not shooting at a 300+ yrd range. I find that until 500 or so rounds at shot, that cycling stabilizes. you dont need to worry as much about the what ammo you buy, etc. My latest shogun, it didnt want to cycle well with cheap target loads.....higher velocity rounds shot with no issues. I broke the action down....polished with 2000 grit sandpaper, only the friction areas. Basically just polished off the factory black finish on those locations. Now it shoots anything I put in it.
Beautiful rifle!!!
Really enjoy your videos
the only new barrel that I ever had was a 1938 VZ 24 and I actually noticed that it shot better as I used it. I didn't have any plan to brake it in, just shot it and cleaned it when I went home and the next time it was better.
That was Very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Brownells, fighting that break-in barrel fake news ; ) Love you guys!
In germany this really makes no sense. You never get a brand new, never fired rifle. It doesn't matter where the barrel comes from or who installs it, before you can make even one shot, the proof house (german: Beschussamt) has already fired a above max pressure load through the barrel. You don't know what projectile is, that they used and often you get a dirty gun, that you have to clean before ever shooting it.
Same here too, I've never bought a new rifle or pistol that hadn't been fired.
THANK YOU! someone in the professional community who gets it and doesn't believe you have to break in your average barrel. Breaking in a barrel is usually almost ALWAYS with match grade stainless barrels. Barrels with coatings or nitrided don't need to be broken in. You don't know how many times I've had to tell people "no, you don't have to break in your PSA nitrided barrel" as they shoot 3 rounds, clean it, shoot 3 more, etc for 200 rounds . lol
Hey, not sure if you’ll see this, but I love the hair! The sideburns are great, and thanks for the informative video
Caleb is the youngest old guy ever.
Lol
Caleb Savant looks like he was born in the 50s. I had that haircut when I was a boy lol. With big plastic glasses 🤓
Caleb Savant wise beyond your years. :)
Military experience does that to a person... you get lots of real world experience in a relatively short time.
When he is 70 he will look exactly the same just with wrinkles. Betcha
I always explained it as deburring the barrel(the rifling).
Thank You Gentlemen for putting these out! I have learned a lot from you and the others who are making these videos. I used to rely on gun magazines for most of my information but I found that was foolish. Too many theories and misconceptions out there.
Perhaps you have covered this topic before, but I keep hearing folks spouting the myth that one should not shoot .308 Winchester in a rifle chambered in 7.62X51 NATO. The amount of folks out there who are ready to come to blows is amazing!😱
Again Thank You for the informative videos. I loo forward to each one.
There is No Such Thing as a7.62 NATO chamber. What there is is a lower pressure ball ammo used in the M14 rifle which is prone to the same problem of the 30-06 M1 Garand: Failures with full power commercial ammunition. The superior FAL rifle design uses a gas regulator to adjust the pressure.
Yessir I fully understand your comment. I shoot a BM59 which is nearly identical to the M14. I basically have to shoot M80 ball ammunition for the aforementioned reason of too much power in some commercial ammunition. Certainly don’t wish to hurt my rifle. . The controversy that I mentioned is the one where people declare that one should not shoot 7.62x51 ammunition in a 308 chamber and vice versa. They state totally different pressures which in a way is true but it comes down to how the pressure measurement is taken. Typically the pressures would be nearly the same had both been measured by the same method.
its safe to say that this was a good video
The only thing do with a new rifle before I shoot it is clean the bore to get rid of factory installed protectants. A tip, try Brownells Kroil oil and JB cleaning compound.
I don't ever break in any of my guns. Not even my bench rifles. I used to and I found out a long time ago it doesn't make a damn bit of difference for my accuracy.. you have an extremely hard Barrel and everything you shoot through it is far softer than it. I shoot tack-hole groups with one of my rifles and I did not break in that Barrel. My Barrel manufacturer says, "if you would like to break in our barrel follow these suggested steps". So I called them up and asked them if it matters or not and they told me no it doesn't make a great bit of difference but clean your rifle. Periodically to knock off excess copper. That's all I needed 😁
Thx guys.....
Remington studied peak accuracy on their stainless barrels back in the early 80s and found that a barrel performs at it's best around 18,000 rounds. That's alot of ammo to "break in" a barrel!
Remington also makes ammo. They have a vested interest. Now if only Remington's quality control was good enough to trust. I've found too many sideways and poorly set primers in my Golden Sabres.
Caleb looks like the guitarist in Walk the Line
I just give a quick cleaning. Breaking in a barrel is for 1/2 and 1/4 MOA bench shooters.
awesome channel
Ruger barrels for center fires are hammer forged...so logically the hammer forged barrels has less detritus if any to remove..if concerned swab out after 3 shots...with hoppes bore solvent then swab dry fire 3 more repeat for 20 shots...if you want to go more than do so. Some folk continue a string and if accuracy falls off they clean then shoot another string and compare...
Nice thanks
All that said bores are coated to prevent corrosion especially for overseas markets so certainly clean prior to use
From what I understand, aggressively over cleaning a barrel is one of the better ways to shorten its useful life span.
I have NEVER heard of a well made barrel suffering from "overcleaning"
Strait up, no bs, Og's!!!
Caleb, good to see you're doing well. I guess any chance that you'll come back to Jim's is out-of-the question. LOL.
Sako says their barrels don’t need breaking in because they hammer forge their barrels. The man who built my 1k yd BR rifle, (Jim Borden) gave me instructions for barrel break in and one procedure he recommended during cleaning was to short stroke it. He tried to explain it to me but I never figured it out. Would you demonstrate it on one of your videos sometime? Thanks, I love your videos and always learn a lot even though I’ve been shooting for over 60 years and spent 6 years in the Marine Corps. I know what I don’t know and it’s a bunch. I sure miss Precision Shooter magazine.
Nice looking rifle!
What's the proper break-in procedure for that nice piece in the safe back there with the yellow on it
I think you answered my question about break-in on a cold hammer forged rifling barrel. I have rifled with a cold hammer forged button rifled barrel in 270 win. After firing about 10 rounds recently the barrel almost looks bright and lapped with minimal sharp edges. Your thoughts please.
I always say it's like seasoning a cast iron skillet.
I shoot, clean, store until next range session, repeat. I have 8k round on my bolt action 308 and it still holds about moa. The throat will go south from fire cracking before anything else bad happens.