CHROME LINED BARREL BREAK IN PROCEDURE

[ScottsBad]

I tried the break-in cleaning drill once on a stainless barrel. It didn't seem to make much difference. It shoots just like similar barrels I own without the break-in. And I don't/wouldn't break in CL barrels. After all, hasn't the machining (or hammering in a HF barrel) been covered by chrome? All my steel barrels are hammer forged and chrome lined. What's the likely hood a copper bullet jacket is going to alter chromed steel?

Some barrels just seem to shoot a little better than others too. I've got a BCM 14.5" BFH light weight barrel that is just amazing and spits out CBC 77gr pills into sub-MOA 5+ shot holes using a very old Trijicon 1.25-4X Accupoint. I am afraid to mess with it at all. I think I've cleaned it twice, but I don't shoot it that often either.

I've also got three identical Noveske 16" HF CL barrels. Each shoots slightly differently. I haven't tried to wring maximum accuracy out of all my barrels, but I have a general idea of their capability.

My BCM 410 16" shoots very well for a button rifled stainless barrel, but not as well as the 14.5" BFH I mentioned above. Go figure.

Lastly, the ammo you use has as much to do with how your rifle will perform as any other component. I don't have time to reload, but I always test 'relative' accuracy with a 77gr match pill. Although a 1:8 twist might shoot better with a 69gr. I'm not really that interested in target accuracy anyway, I just like to know how well a barrel can shoot.

[LMT Shooter]

So, does anyone have a named industry source, SME, or something along those lines, that recommends any barrel break-in, has a verifiable, proven reason for doing it and if so, by what method or process is this to be done?

I find it somewhat odd that not one industry professional, SME,or manufacturer that posts here has posted a reply in favor of barrel break-in, if it actually is a good idea & worth doing. I'm not being sarcastic , I am genuinely curious if there is a good reason behind doing it with any barrel, CL or not, and so far all evidence I've ever seen seems anecdotal.

[tylerw02]

Lots of barrel makers recommend it.


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[LMT Shooter]

Lots of barrel makers recommend it.


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Which ones, and do they have an explanation of how to do it & what is gained in doing so? Is there a consensus of opinion amongst a group of barrel makers?

Did you read the link in post #7?

[tylerw02]

Which ones, and do they have an explanation of how to do it & what is gained in doing so? Is there a consensus of opinion amongst a group of barrel makers?

Did you read the link in post #7?

Years ago.

Pretty much all the major precision barrel manufacturers have a policy listed. No, there is no consensus. I was told by one of the major manufacturers that they post a policy because they got tired of calls asking them what to do...it was literally to reduce call volume.


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[LMT Shooter]

I just finished reading Google results from barrel makers, and you are right, a lot of them (match grade custom makers) do recommend it, and there actually is "some" agreement among some of them about how to do it. Not so much agreement about what you are gaining and how this helps. Most seem to say you can skip it if you buy their hand-lapped barrels, also. Is there a barrel makers that has done testing to show what is gained, like where they took 20 barrels, broke-in 10, and shot them against the other 10?

After googling it, I am left thinking that barrel break-in probably isn't a problem for most AR owners. More of a thing for high level precision crowd, which does encompass a segment of the AR world.

[ScottsBad]

Break in procedure.
http://criterionbarrels.com/barrel-break-in-procedure

[vicious_cb]

I just finished reading Google results from barrel makers, and you are right, a lot of them (match grade custom makers) do recommend it, and there actually is "some" agreement among some of them about how to do it. Not so much agreement about what you are gaining and how this helps. Most seem to say you can skip it if you buy their hand-lapped barrels, also. Is there a barrel makers that has done testing to show what is gained, like where they took 20 barrels, broke-in 10, and shot them against the other 10?

After googling it, I am left thinking that barrel break-in probably isn't a problem for most AR owners. More of a thing for high level precision crowd, which does encompass a segment of the AR world.

You realize all those recommended break in procedures are for stainless steel match barrels right?

[WS6]

So, does anyone have a named industry source, SME, or something along those lines, that recommends any barrel break-in, has a verifiable, proven reason for doing it and if so, by what method or process is this to be done?

I find it somewhat odd that not one industry professional, SME,or manufacturer that posts here has posted a reply in favor of barrel break-in, if it actually is a good idea & worth doing. I'm not being sarcastic , I am genuinely curious if there is a good reason behind doing it with any barrel, CL or not, and so far all evidence I've ever seen seems anecdotal.

I have been told by people I consider SME's on this board that my SR25 will settle in after a few thousand rounds to its maximum potential. They did not proscribe any chicken blood though. Just said the bore polishes out a bit after a while basically.

[vicious_cb]

I have been told by people I consider SME's on this board that my SR25 will settle in after a few thousand rounds to its maximum potential. They did not proscribe any chicken blood though. Just said the bore polishes out a bit after a while basically.

Is your SR25 CL'd?