Posted on 10/30/2009 8:24:14 PM PDT by Retain Mike
Many obsessive riflemen “know” a lot of things about the insides of their barrels. They know they must break-in barrels and that any bore only slightly smudged by the passage of bullets will shoot less accurately compared with a barrel as clean as Aunt Josie’s kitchen floor.
First, let’s examine “proper” barrel break-in. According to just about everybody, this is accomplished by firing one shot, cleaning the barrel of all powder and copper fouling, firing another shot, cleaning, etc. Advice on how long to continue this tedious routine varies from 10 to 30 rounds. The procedure supposedly smooths the bore, making it much more accurate and less prone to jacket fouling. Some even claim that a barrel that isn’t broken-in “properly” will be ruined forever, unable to produce the half-inch groups necessary for the slaying of white-tailed deer.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanrifleman.org ...
Yea, this sounds like a newby goofball pontificating about something he knows nothing about.....
More gun barrels have been ruined by obsessive cleaning than by neglect.
True fact.
That was an interesting article. Looking forward to reading some of the letters.
When I hear the extremes that some people go to when cleaning their barrels, it kind of makes me cringe.
Yep.
You bet. Especially military barrels that have been cleaned with steel cleaning rods.
I clean all my guns with hot lead.
;>D
The most accurate of the Europeanrifles which could be bought cheaply recently has been the Swiss K31 straight pull.
I have tried the Firelapping product on a Bone Stock Springfield M1A, the Standard Model.
It had about 100 rounds thru it and still would only group around 5-6 Inches.
To be fair, I was not shooting Match ammo, It was for Break In.
After the FireLapping and a thorough cleaning with Kroil and some Dry patches, It shot more like 2-3 Inch groups.
Still not using Match ammo.
Next Range trip it will be Gold Medal Match.
For cleaning, I am lazy. I would prefer to just give it a patch with Kroil and then dry Patch it before next use.
all of the benchrest shooters i know practiced modest barrel break in regimens. first ten shots were fired individually, the barrel was allowed to cool, and then given a quick cleaning between each shot. then a few five shot groups were fired at slow pace, then ten shot groups up to 100 total rounds. considering the groups these guys used to shoot, i’ll listen. personally, i take ten individual shots, let the barrel cool and wipe it for each shot, then move to ten round groups up to fifty shots. i can’t shoot anything like as well as those guys.
Over a discussion of Dewey rods which I own, I told a guy that using a military steel rod was foolish since the rubbing on the sides would ruin the barrel.
He claimed it was impossible since barrels are “just as hard as a ball bearing”.
That’s when the conversation stopped.
Ah yes the barrel analistas surface again. I also have several old military rifles. One in particular is an Argentinian Mauser. Had a tight spot in the middle of the barrel. Put a light coat of some gunsmiths magic on several bullets and fired them. Gun now shoots better than many modern rifles. It is over 100 years old.
He needs a half inch group to kill a white tail? Just how small are the deer where he comes from?
Thinking he forgot his /S.
“That’s when the conversation stopped.”
Yep. No sense arguing with fools. Having machined MANY custom barrels, I can tell you that barrels are just another steel alloy.
Was at my knife shop a few minutes ago an saw this man with a Evil Roy shooting school hat on an asked him if he was indeed the “real” Evil Roy of SASS fame an he was.....Gene P hisself !
Got to talk guns with him an such for a few as he was visiting family here !!
Good man......traded hats with him an invited him to my range to shoot next time he is in the area !!
I didn’t ask how they tap the barrel for a scope mount. I just found out a gun barrels RC rating is around 40. A knife is around 60.
Jim Carmichael “the Rifle”, the best rifle book out there.
Just my humble opinion.
I've taken to using those cloth barrel cleaners that have the wire brush built in. Just drop the jag down the bore, apply some Break Free to the bristles, and pull it through.
There's no chance of damaging the rifling or the crown using them.
They fold up nice and tight so they fit into a cleaning kit, too.
L
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