Barrel Break-In Procedure

[Despoiler]

Today it was a nice clear and bright morning, and because my wives father was stopping by for a visit, and I promised her that I would be here to visit with them, I resisted the temptation to run to the range first thing this morning for an hour to fire the new savage model 10 that I got for Christmas from my wife. Every time I get a new gun I plan on breaking in the barrel and then due to time constraints I never quite do it as recommended. This time I am going to break in the barrel. So one day this week I am going to take a day and visit the range and do it right.

I have heard of many different schools of thought on barrel break-in, this is what I got off the savage website:

STEP 1 (repeated 10 times)
 Fire one round
 Push wet patches soaked with a powder solvent through the bore
 Push a brush through the bore (5 times in each direction)
 Push dry patches through the bore (2 times)
 Push wet patches soaked with a copper solvent through the bore
 Push a brush through the bore (5 times in each direction)
 Push dry patches through the bore (2 times)
 Push a patch with 2 drops of oil through the bore

STEP 2 (repeated 5 times)
 Fire a 3 shot group
 Repeat the cleaning procedure from STEP 1 after each group

STEP 3 (repeat 5 times)
 Fire a 5 shot group
 Repeat the cleaning procedure from STEP 1

They recommend the use of a patch with 2 drops of oil after the cleaning so that you are not shooting with a dry bore. I have never heard using oil in the bore before is this a good idea? It is also advised by savage to use a powder solvent and copper solvent from the same manufacturer to be sure they are chemically compatible. Which makes sense.

So do you guys really think that breaking in a barrel is worth it, and how do you break in a new barrel? And my biggest question would you swab the bore with oil?

[NorCalAshnjikov]

What kind of rifle?
What kind of performance do you get now?
I wouldn't bother with that (kinda lazy) but instead try FinalFinish®
as mentioned in
http://www.chuckhawks.com/affordable_accuracy.htm
No patches, no rod, no oil, just rounds for you to shoot

You can read more about it at
http://www.jarheadtop.com/article_finalfinish.html http://www.davidtubb.com/finalfinish.html

[Arby]

Allen, in my humbleopinion, breaking-in a barrel, or seasonong it is one of the most important steps you can perform. It's probably fully seasoned, however, after the first 10 rounds, and certainly after the first 20. Don't worry abouth the oil patch, most all solvents have a certain amount of lubricating qualities, and in this case you're trying to create barrel friction, not reduce it. I only oil my bores for storage; be it a day or a year, and dry them prior to shooting or hunting. As for chemical compatability, most powder solvents, i'e', Hoppe's 9, will be compatable with most copper solvents; you get into trouble when mixing different copper solvents like Shooters Choice, and Sweets 7.62.

A properly seasoned barrel will be much easier to clean from now on, and the barrel's accuracy should remain consistant for the life of the barrel, which in most cases with hunting arms far exceeds the life of the owner.

[JAMES]

That procedure sounds reasonable to me. Except, like you, I don't get the two drops of oil thing. I don't get my hands on many new rifles or barrels, but I have broken in a couple. I took the approach of getting the barrel squeaky clean (clean of oil, as well) for each of the first few rounds, and then proceeded pretty close to what you provided in your post. Both barrels that I remember ended up with excellent accuracy, but I really don't know if it would have mattered with or without the break-in. Great results; no baseline to compare with....

[wirehunt]

You may not like the way I break mine in but here it is: Drive somewhere safe to shoot, then sight in at 25 yards. Ten or 15 shot's then put the target out to 75 yards, put another ten shots through. Then go home and give the barrel a skung out. Ready to rock and roll! and sighted in. Can't work all this one shot clean, two shot's clean thing.

[lefty o]

break in makes a barrel easier to clean, and is well worth the time and effort involved. total of 10-30 rnd depending on the quality of the barrel to start with.