Breaking in a firearm

[Flopsweat]

I have been very fortunate with most of my purchases.
I EXPECT my personal defensive handguns to run 100% out of the box.
I don't TRUST them till I get a few hundred down them. But....
the idea that I HAVE to run 2-300 rounds of ammo before my new gun works as it is supposed to
Chaps my azz.
How about you get the thing running right before you sell it?

"As you wish. That'll be an additional $300 please."

 

[CLT65]

I had never even heard of breaking in a firearm until a few years ago. Then again, I never bought new guns back in the day, couldn't afford it.

A gun either worked or it didn't, and if it didn't, you tinkered with it until it did, or sold it with full disclosure that it had issues.

I remember a couple of guns that I helped friends with, brand new guns that wouldn't function correctly. One was a Kahr 9mm that had a tendency to jam. He said they told him it just needed "broke in". We shot several hundred rounds through it, with no improvement.

We finally called Kahr and they said to send it in. He didn't want to bother with it. I tinkered with it and adjusted the extractor, IIRC, and got it working reliably. Before anyone says I "voided the warranty", I'll mention that I called Kahr back and told them what I did. They said something along the lines of "That sounds great, must have been the extractor. We'll send you a spare one just in case".

The other problem gun was an AMT Backup .45. We wasted enough ammo trying to get that piece of junk running right, it should have been broken in twice.

Maybe there is something to breaking in a new gun, but personally I'm not much of a believer in it.

 

[ron]

Like many others have said regarding modern guns. My M&P's have all run perfect from day one. I still put several hundred rounds through them along with ample amounts of carry ammo before they are in a holster with me. I do clean them about every 100 - 150 rounds for a while.

I have had a similar experience with several M&Ps I have purchased. Three different 9 mm's and two 45's.
Ran 100% from day one. I have had a similar experience with 1911's. I strongly agree what others have
said verify every self defiance gun with shooting several hundred rounds.

 

[FourTeeFive]

The Sig P365 is super tight when brand new. Definitely needs a couple of hundred rounds through it to run smoothly. I've noticed that with a few of the sub-sub-compacts.

 

[Flopsweat]

The Sig P365 is super tight when brand new. Definitely needs a couple of hundred rounds through it to run smoothly. I've noticed that with a few of the sub-sub-compacts.

Just rack the slid a few hundred times while you're reading or watching TV. Seems to work for me. Not with that specific model - I haven't bought one of those yet - but with other brand new semi-auto handguns.

 

[TTSX]

Usually my guns are 100% out of the box, however once in a while I run into one that needs a box or so and everything settles in. Never had one need more than 100, probably far less. I've owned guns that were rough when brand new and after the first range session they're smooth even though they didn't fail. I also don't rally consider a gun "broken in" until it has a wear pattern established.

Just rack the slid a few hundred times while you're reading or watching TV. Seems to work for me. Not with that specific model - I haven't bought one of those yet - but with other brand new semi-auto handguns.

I've been known to do that pretty frequently. When I watch a movie at home I like to grab a gun of some kind and just play around with it, gives me a light break in passively.

 

[Jay Walk]

My stuff has all ran from day one. I do have hundreds of rounds through each now though.

The one exception is the Ruger SR 22, that thing turned me into a regular Gun Smith.

 

[Alexx1401]

Sounds like we may be mixing terms of making sure a new gun works as intended and shooing a new gun to wear parts that might be too tight or rough. Modern manufacturing has come a LONG way. Most guns now seem to work from day one. Does not mean people should not test out a new gun well if they plan to defend their life with it. There is no such thing as a mass manufacturing gun company that will not let out a problem now and then. Hence the point of testing a new gun out to make sure it works. Of all the guns I currently own I only have one that really did need "break in". S2K. I originally had 2 of them and both of them came from the factory rough as a corncob. Both of them would not go long before a hang up and when taking them down to clean you could see parts wearing in so to speak. After a short time they starting humming right along. Everything else has just worked. I still want to run several hundred through any new to me gun before I trust my life to it.

 

[MikeInOr]

I'm 65 years old and I remember years ago when it was a generally accepted rule that if you bought a new firearm (especially a semi-auto pistol) that you had to run 200+ rounds through it to break it in. And that being unreliable during the first couple hundred rounds was almost expected. You needed to run a couple hundred rounds through it to smooth out the internals.

Now days, it seems like people expect a gun to be 100% reliable straight out of the box.

Is this a valid expectation, or just wishful thinking?

Have new manufacturing methods allowed us to manufacture guns that are 100% reliable out of the box, or do people just have unrealistic expectations and just want instant perfection.

Opinions?

Any new semi-auto I purchase I will clean it dry, rack the slide at least 200 times, clean it, oil it and then take it to the range. I have some cheapies that this has worked great for and my new pistols have been 100% from the first shot. I.e. LCP, P32, DB9, CP33, Keltec P17 Karh CM9, Kahr CM45, Hellcat, etc. Heck, the only gun I can remember not being 100% out of the box was my $2000 Desert Eagle L5. It is now 99% which is fine for a fun range gun but not really carry worthy.

Most of my guns I purchased used and the only one of them that has given me problems is a 96 "broom handle" Mauser.

 

[Xmark1]

Just purchase a Glock. Problem solved.

 

[NobullSKS]

I would expect more……. But I haven't spent more than $725 on a new gun ever. Unless I put it together.

Still have a rule in my head that I won't carry it until I've ran 500 plus rounds through.

As someone mentioned here; any issues….. usually feeding/full battery end after far fewer rounds…. In the first box or two…… or nothing at all with "defensive", plusP, or high power ammo.

I'm not sure where I first heard about break in but I believe in it. Bearing surfaces need a good polish and a good way to do that in my opinion is to send rounds through it. I have before and still do hand polish bearing surfaces and feed ramps a bit to assist. Especially if parts are from different manufacturers.

"Break in period "..
A good way to justify range time and ammo cost…. benefits familiarity with each firearm.

I've really only encountered functional issues with .22lr semiautos, .380s and mag fed shotguns. But it really just came down to ammunition (bullet profile and velocity/power) or shell crimp style. Also when I try and get "fancy" or "screw up" hand loads.

But if I do, or when I spend big money on a firearm….. my expectations will be higher. Also….. how long has it been manufactured or is it later generation. Hopefully the manufacturer had been listening and watching.

That said…… I expect my soon to be in in hand a $300 .22lr semiauto to be flawless out of the box too…..ha. It is a Taurus after all.

 

[RX-79G]

I don't think it was ever all that normal to expect to have to break in a firearm, until the introduction of subcompact 9mms. The 200 round thing seems like it came from Kahr's owners manual.

Testing with your carry ammo? Certainly.

 

[FourTeeFive]

Just purchase a Glock. Problem solved.

They may be better now but I've had multiple Gen 3/4 Glocks and had multiple failure-to-eject and other issues. The worst in my experience were the early Made in USA Glocks; may have just been a coincidence. I still have a few Glocks but have transitioned away from that brand. Others apparently have had similar issues:

Erratic Ejection Troubleshooting Tips

Introduction: Glock pistols sometimes produce erratic ejection of fired cartridge cases. Instead of dropping the cases into a neat pile off to the right side, sometimes they come straight back at you, sometimes they barely fall out of the gun, and sometimes they spin off to the left or forward...

www.glock.pro