Originally Posted by
Robb Jensen
Gale McMillan, of McMillan Stocks fame, was one of the finest barrel-makers and benchrest shooters of all time. Here he argues that elaborate barrel break-in procedures do more harm than good.
Comments collected from Gale's Gun Forum postings.
"As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the prescribed [one shot, one clean] break-in method, a very large number would do more harm than good."
Really? Here’s a newsflash for you and your famous stock maker: Neither myself, nor any straight shooter that I associate with has ever “done more harm than good” by breaking-in a barrel. The famous stock maker (FSM) thinks that he’s the only person who knows how to properly clean a barrel and that the rest of monkeys do nothing but damage our barrels when we clean them.
"The reason you hear of the gain in accuracy is because if you chamber a barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the rifling."
So the famous stock maker admits that there are artifacts left in the throat of the barrel (burrs)that need to be removed before a barrel can achieve its best accuracy, yet he fails to mention that even with a sharp reamer, there will still be reamer marks left on the leade of the barrel.
"It takes from one to two hundred rounds to burn this burr out and the rifle to settle down and shoot its best."
And there it is folks, the break-in method of the famous stock maker; fire two hundred rounds through the barrel to remove the artifacts left in the throat from the reaming process. (Remember this.)
"Another tidbit to consider--take a 300 Win Mag that has a life expectancy of 1000 rounds. Use 10% of it up with your break-in procedure. For every 10 barrels the barrel-maker makes he has to make one more just to take care of the break-in. No wonder barrel-makers like to see this."
Now here’s where the famous stock maker starts to become delusional, or is just flat-out lying. Remember from his statement above, the break-in procedure of the famous stock maker is to just fire two hundred rounds through the barrel. His break-in procedure uses up 20% of the barrel life for the example he uses. Yet, the famous barrel maker pretends that those using a specific break-in procedure will “use 10%” of the barrel’s life “with your break-in procedure.” I’ve clearly and scientifically demonstrated with the bore-scope views that I posted above, that a specific break-in procedure can remove all the artifacts in the throat of the barrel with a mere 20 rounds being fired. That shows that the break-in procedure of the famous barrel maker, of just firing two hundred rounds through the barrel, uses up TEN TIMES the amount of barrel life as a specific break-in procedure that only requires twenty rounds.
"Now when you flame me on this please [explain] what you think is happening to the inside of your barrel during the break in that is helping you."
Seriously?? The famous stock maker is unaware of what happens during a specific break-in procedure? Again, the famous stock maker flat-out contradicts himself. He stated above that he was aware that artifacts of the reaming process had to be removed from the throat of the barrel for the barrel to achieve its best accuracy, but now he pretends that he is unaware of that.
"Consider this: every round shot in breaking-in a barrel is one round off the life of said rifle barrel. No one has ever told me the physical reason of what happens during break-in firing."
Really? Really?? The famous stock maker again claims to have no idea what happens during a specific break-in procedure? Again the famous barrel maker is delusional or flat-out lying. I’m just a member of the general population and I clearly described with bore-scope views what happens during a specific break-in procedure. The artifacts left on the leade of the barrel are removed. This same process is described in detail on the website of one of the most prominent precision barrel makers in the business, Krieger Barrels Inc., yet the famous stock maker has never heard of this?
"In other words what, to the number of pounds of powder shot at any given pressure, is the life of the barrel. No one has ever explained what is being accomplished by shooting and cleaning in any prescribed method."
The delusions of the famous stock maker continue.
"Nev Maden, a friend down under that my brother taught to make barrels was the one who came up with the [one shot one clean] break-in method. He may think he has come upon something, or he has come up with another way to sell barrels."
Now the famous stock maker is trying to rewrite history. Precision shooters were performing break-in procedures on their barrels long before the famous stock maker or “Nev Maden” were ever born.
"I feel that the first shot out of a barrel is its best and every one after that deteriorates [the bore] until the barrel is gone."
Again, the famous stock maker flat-out contradicts himself as here clearly stated at the beginning of his article that the artifacts left in the throat from the reaming process had to be removed for a barrel to achieve its best accuracy.
"If some one can explain what physically takes place during break-in to modify the barrel then I may change my mind."
Asked and answered. Kreiger barrels Inc. has done just that, in detail, on their website. (see below)
"As the physical properties of a barrel don't change because of the break-in procedures it means it's all hog wash. I am open to any suggestions that can be documented otherwise if it is just someone's opinion--forget it."
The hypocrisy of the famous stock maker knows no bounds. He hasn’t presented one single iota of documented, factual data to support his bloviated opinion.
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