Turn your firearm break in cleaning world upside down

[Member 5605]

Hmmm, I wonder what the benchresters do.

They don't clean until the groups start to open up.

If a gun is shot clean it doesn't shoot as well as if it's been shot 5-10 times before.

I was looking this up a while back. They go to the range the day before and test before a competition. If it shoots good the box it up and get ready for the next day. As @AndyinEverson stated about older muzzies the same goes with the fouling gunk in their bench rest rifles.

You are stupid to enter a match with a clean bore.


Edit: (1-28-17)
If you shoot with a clean bore then you need to for accuracys sake always shoot with a clean bore. If you decide to go against that logic and realize that metal like cast iron works well when it's not super clean then you can go shoot a hundred rounds and see how the pattern does. At some point yes, it will be dirty enough that your groups open but that could be after 200 rounds+.

My Remington 700SPS with handloads that are .025" from lands shoots damn good without cleaning. it does better than I can do (9 months ago when I stopped shooting for the summer). Precise ammo and a light trigger + good barrel means good shots. I have probably 150 rounds without cleaning so far.

 

[BillGabby1]

I intended to put a gag on half the forum denizens with that comment, it's working!


I'm actually a cruel man sometimes.

LOLOLOL
Gabby

 

[Dan Adams]

Like many of those on this forum, I heard all sorts of barrel break-in advice, much of it contradictory. So when I got my new Ruger Precision Rifle, I emailed Ruger. They have always replied to my emails within hours—simply incredible customer service. Once again, I got a reply the same afternoon: just clean it before shooting, and then shoot it. Clean it when groups start opening up. For most shooters with good ammo (i.e. non-corrosive primers), that's after about 600 rounds.

 

[DizzyJ]

I clean my rifle when groups get larger.

Need to watch the videos though.

This.

I've yet to strip the copper out of my inexpensive Savage .223 bolt action. Probably got over 1,500 rounds through it now. Still shoots sub 1/2 MOA groups.

When it stops shooting with this kind of accuracy, I'll strip the copper.

A lot of long range shooters want that copper laid down to help with accuracy. From what I've read, 40 rounds should get you back close to copper equilibrium.

 

[Core]

I don't have TV,just webbernetter You tuber and finding movies. So I subscribe to Long Range Shooters of Utah. Kinda like T. rex good long range stuff
So the guy goes to the shot show and talks to John Kreiger? about barrels,cleaning and break in. Then he talks to George Gardner from GA Precision on the same topics
Very interesting information that isn't exactly what I have heard from most "smarter" gun folks about break in and how many rounds before cleaning
500????? Yep that's the story
Hey worth the ten minutes or so on the first and I'll finish watching the half hour one in a it
Have fun

I use Froglube so it's best to degrease the entire gun, and apply Froglube prior to shooting. Froglube dissolves carbon so pretreating is a good way to season the barrel and contact surfaces. Shoot the gun slowly for 200 rounds and clean. Clean every 500 rounds or if you plan on storing the gun. If the barrel is non chrome lined, I swab some liquid Froglube through it before I case it. If you use petro or synthetic you'll need both a solvent and a oil or CLP. With Froglube you still need to clean, which is much easier due to the carbon dissolving properties. I use Froglube Solvent and Degreaser. I only use the Degreaser for new guns and parts with standard oil to strip them prior to Froglube application. The Solvent is just for the chamber and barrel like once a year. Keeps it simple, and it's non toxic and doesn't make you smell like petrochemicals..

 

[pharmseller]

I have a very detailed and meticulous process. Its straightforward but complex.

Insert bolt




Mount a scope






Boresite




Go to the range




Shoot the heck out of it





Go home





Put it away














P

 

[mjbskwim]

Here's Bartlein Barrels' guys on the subject

 

[Glock Jock]

I clean my gun when I get home.

 

[orygun]

The rifle in my avatar pic is a blued steel Ruger in 30-06. I knew nothing about barrel break in when I bought this gun. I shot my best 100 yard 3 shot group ever with this gun. I would clean it when I felt it needed it and/or when hunting season was over and I put it away for the winter.
The rifle I hunt with now is a stainless version of the same gun. I'd heard about barrel break in stuff, so I shot 4 shots (full mag) and cleaned until I had run 20 rounds thru it. It will shoot under an inch, but I've not yet been able to get it to shoot as well as the first one. Probably just the difference between two rifles.
One thing I know for sure, as I've seen it with more than just these two rifles, a clean bore doesn't put the first bullet right where a slightly fouled bore does. Usually the 2nd round does, but I never take a chance. I make sure the gun has a few rounds down the barrel after cleaning when hunting season starts.
Two years ago I went to my first Appleseed event. One of the 2 day Known Distance events. No cleaning during those two days and over 200 rounds fired. Yeah, it was dirty (and it got real hot!) but it still shot very well. On the second morning, I shot the 8" plate at 250 yards. Cold bore, one shot. Have my Morgan patch from that one. Later I went to a one day KD "qualifier" and put a shade over 100 rounds thru it. Showed up with the gun sighted in and the bore sparkling clean. No hit that morning.... and I knew better.

 

[Brutus57]

Shoot thet beeyotch out of the box like you stole it, clean it, repeat!

Brutus Out

 

[mjbskwim]

All three of these vids say to clean when your groups start opening up.
It goes against what I learned but I figure they know more about metallurgy than I do.

 

[safrole]

Here is my procedure,
I get a new gun I clean the grease and debris out of the rifling that comes from the manufacturer. Then I go shooting. It's pretty much that simple. The problem is that sometimes you never know what you are going to get from the manufacturer so there could be left over steel particles that could theoretically damage rifling or cause excess wear. As far as cleaning goes afterwards. You really don't have to clean a barrel hardly ever with modern ammunition. Just keep things oiled accordingly to prevent rust. I find that cleaning solvent does have rust inhibiting properties to it along with oil. As far as the action goes a lot of times I leave the manufacturers bubblegum in there for the first time out as far as I'm concerned the more wear in the action and trigger group the smoother the trigger gets. Cleaning is always a good practice though and its fun and it makes you feel good.

 

[mjbskwim]

One of the things they point out is cleaning the chamber good
But not to over do the muzzle end ever. Ruins the crown. Seems barrel makers don't like their crowns messed up

 

[P7M13]

One of the things they point out is cleaning the chamber good
But not to over do the muzzle end ever. Ruins the crown. Seems barrel makers don't like their crowns messed up

Note: @mjbskwim, I think you know this, but I'm writing an explanation for those who haven't thought about it.

Simple reason: the crown needs to be completely concentric and at a perfect right angle to the axis of the bore for accuracy. Even small abrasions where the crown hole is wowied by a few thousandths of an inch will affect your groups.
Why? The supersonic gas at 20,000+ PSI pressure is going to come screaming out at the first opening. You want that opening to be as concentric as possible or it will shift the bullet forces, ever so slightly. Bad or damaged crown means bad accuracy.
I don't know how much it affects repeatability.

Before I learned that, I used to insert my patch, brush and jag from the muzzle end.
Now I strip the gun and do it only from the breech.
The one change I have already implemented from this thread is to not use brass brushes any more, only nylon bristle ones.

 

[orygun]

Simple reason: the crown needs to be completely concentric and at a perfect right angle to the axis of the bore for accuracy.
.

This is very close, but somewhat incorrect. A "perfect right angle" means 90 degrees. A crown does not need to be 90 degrees, and most aren't. What it does need to be is perfectly concentric to the bore.

 

[P7M13]

This is very close, but somewhat incorrect. A "perfect right angle" means 90 degrees. A crown does not need to be 90 degrees, and most aren't. What it does need to be is perfectly concentric to the bore.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[orygun]

I used to insert my patch, brush and jag from the muzzle end.
Now I strip the gun and do it only from the breech.
The one change I have already implemented from this thread is to not use brass brushes any more, only nylon bristle ones.

I did, too and I think that's why many cleaning rods are aluminum, to help minimize damage. Fortunately our old Marlin .22 survived my teenage years, still has a good crown and shoots better groups than most expect it should.

While I do use nylon brushes, when I have serious lead build up, usually in a revolver, I end up having to break out the bronze or stainless brushes. Thank Gawd I don't use lead bullets in my rifles!

 

[Flopsweat]

I did, too and I think that's why many cleaning rods are aluminum, to help minimize damage. Fortunately our old Marlin .22 survived my teenage years, still has a good crown and shoots better groups than most expect it should.

While I do use nylon brushes, when I have serious lead build up, usually in a revolver, I end up having to break out the bronze or stainless brushes. Thank Gawd I don't use lead bullets in my rifles!

I put a brick of lead (unjacketed) rounds through my S&W 22A once and stopped when it started keyholing. When I cleaned it I was able to push lead strips out of the grooves with a copper brush. I mostly go for the plated or jacketed stuff now.

 

[coop44]

I know I've said it before, but cleaning the bore electrically is the best way to go. Absolutely no wear.
Barrel makers love it when you clean the barrel with brushes religously, it advances wear.
Funniest thing out there are bore snakes, go ahead and drag carbon through your bore, like that makes a lot of sense.

 

[mjbskwim]

I did, too and I think that's why many cleaning rods are aluminum, to help minimize damage. Fortunately our old Marlin .22 survived my teenage years, still has a good crown and shoots better groups than most expect it should.

While I do use nylon brushes, when I have serious lead build up, usually in a revolver, I end up having to break out the bronze or stainless brushes. Thank Gawd I don't use lead bullets in my rifles!

The guys were saying stainless brushes are a no no as I remember