# New barrel break-in



## Magari (Feb 12, 2013)

Is anyone here familiar with breaking in a new barrel?

I've had to do this three times before inthe Army with 2 XM-2010s and a m107 Barret.

My method:

1 round, clean barrel (5 times)

5 rounds, clean barrel (5 times)

10 rounds, clean barrel (10 times)

In the Army, my selection of ammo is slim.

So my question is, what ammunition do you guys recommend for this? I will be breaking in a new .223 AR15 and attempting to maintain the .5MOA standard.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

To be truthful with barrel quality now days I believe breakin is over rated. IMO

I pick it up and start shooting, I don't overheat the barrel and I'll clean it when it stops being accurate to my standards ( I like consistant accurate guns )


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## titanfreak9 (Feb 10, 2013)

Barrel break in still has not been scientifically proven to be effective, but a lot of gold medallist shooters swear by it. I don't think it can really hurt anything if even it has no benefit, just an hour or so of your time to do it. I personally break in all my barrels I buy new. I clean it before even shooting it, then clean after every shot for the first ten rounds. Then I shoot ten 3 shot groups and clean and after each group. You can google barrel break in and find a lot of different recommendations, some very extreme and some moderate. It's your barrel, so it's your choice. Do what fits you and what you think is best.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

the DPMS AR that i bought recently has a break procedure in the manual

it states to clean the barrel,shot 1 rd and clean the barrel(do this ten times)

then shoot ten rds and clean the barrel(do this ten times)

and your finished

i will follow this to the "t" once it warms up enough to spend the time at an outdoor range

for now i need to get to an indoor range and break in my new P250's before i take my conceal carry course


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## HunterGatherer (Dec 18, 2012)

I've never seen a coyote wearing a gold medal....


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I do a 50 round version of magari's break-in.

I know several SWAT snipers and longrange shooters who believe it helps, and for an afternoon at the range and a little ammo who am i to argue.

As far as what ammo to use I'd just buy the cheapest, all mine are handloads with bulk bullets.


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## Magari (Feb 12, 2013)

My guess is the heavier the bullet the better when considering barrel harmonics.

Assuming a heavier round will make a barrel "ring" more than a lighter one.

There is also the question of faster vs slower rounds.

I should probably be askin this on sniper-hide.

I'll let you guys know what I find.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Yeah I'm guessing they'd know better than us guys.............soooo.... no use askin here !


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

ya cause none of us ever pick up a rifle and shoot :nut:

well after working at a dealership for near 20 years,i am a firm believer that those that make the item know best for the item

so i will do as DPMS states to do in the manual,this way i wont void the three year warranty either.


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## Magari (Feb 12, 2013)

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3895076Post3895076

Long post, worth the read if you are genuinely interested.

Still don't have an answer, however it provides a lot of information concerning why we do barrel break-ins, whether or not they are necessary, and when a barrel is technically "broken-in"

Keep in mind, these gentlemen are referring to bolt action rifles 99times out of 100.

I'll try to summarize;

Poorly made barrels incur "burs" at the throat which cause copper buildup and can decrease the accuracy of the weapon.

This is important for shooters who depend on "DOPE" (Data on Previous Engagements) because the barrel will not perform consistently until these "burs" have been delt with. The best way to deal with these "burs" is to shoot. The cleaning after each shot attempts to remove the copper buildup and assist the next round in dealing with these "burs". Once a shooter's barrel is "broken in" (aka: performance will not improve or degrade exponentially within 100-200 rounds) he is ready to acquire his DOPE. Once DOPE is acquired shooter now only needs to adjust for extreme changes in his shooting environment (angle, humidity, temperature, ect) to easily engage targets.

Now the practical side;

Poorly made barrels? How do you know if you own one? Some match grade barrels have been proven to have these "burs" so without a borescope there simply is no way to tell.

When are these "burs" taken care of? Some say its the amount of fouling you have on the end of your stick after a swipe with a cloth and deweyrod. According to these gentlemen, once you can fire one round and end up with 0 fouling, the barrel is broken in.

Do you need to break in your barrel? Ask a neutral gunsmith.

My opinion;

Military/SWAT Snipers: Honestly we can't trust our barrels to be good to go, nor can we afford our weapon systems to have a dramatic shift in POI (point of impact) when lives are on the line. So we break in our barrels. The manufacturers of military equipment are notorious for cutting corners and the Government in general when it comes to outfitting its soldiers and police. I find it hilarious when people think "Military Grade" is top of the line.

Civilians: Dont waste your time or money. If you invested a lot in your barrel then you are 9/10 good to go. Barrels have a lifetime on them and shooting 100 rounds through a 1000 round barrel to break it in is a waste of money and time. That being said if you didn't invest a lot in your barrel, there is a chance you will one day experience a POI shift. This will occur whether you clean your barrel after everyday at the range or not.

My Cleaning Ritual: Before I begin I want whoever is reading this to understand I am a sniper section leader currently in Afghanistan who is familiar with US Army Doctrine, but has been trained by the German Sniper School. That being said I am extremely meticulous when it comes to the cleanliness of the action of my rifles. As for the barrel I try not to touch it as much as possible. After a day at the range or an intense firefight I will put 1 drop of CLP on my boresnake, just before the wire brush and pull it through twice or until it is dry beyond a doubt.

repeat: Weapons action: Always clean, often with a thin layer of CLP. weapon barrel: probably a lot of copper buildup and possibly some carbon, but dry and consistent.

Note: I live in the field, its a constant battle to keep our weapons clean. A little CLP in the action can collect dust, but it will perform. That barrel stays dry as possible. I preach the above method to all my soldiers and I have yet to experience a single weapon malfunction this deployment. I do the same for our M110(ar10 style), M107(Barret, 50 cal semi-auto), and XM-2010(300WM bolt).

What will I do with my brand new ar15 once I'm a civilian?
Not entirely decided. I still have some questions concerning the life of a barrel, its harmonics, and the manufacturing process of whatever AR I choose to purchase before I can come to a conclusion on the barrel break-in procedure. I will most likely clean it the same way I mentioned before, but probably use less CLP considering I will be storing the weapon in a air-tight case or safe. I'm not too worried about rust outside of the field.However, I will definitely be bringing a small bottle of CLP on extended camping/hunting trips.
Probably the same thing I've always done.

edit: Formatting changes.. paragraphs are easier to read.


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## Scotty D. (Feb 23, 2012)

I just freeze my barrels, cryogenically..... Then I shoot 'em... :teeth:


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Most of my guns were bought used......it's beyond my time to break them in


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## Magari (Feb 12, 2013)

Yotepill. Did you read the Sniper Hide thread?


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