The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Your personal method of breaking in a pump shotgun

inSight-NEO · September 23, 2009, 06:52 PM

This is how I "broke in" my pump shotgun:

A. I completely disassembled it (within reason), cleaned it and lubed it after taking it out of the box for the first time.

B. I took it to a local range and shot it. Again, and again, and again....Roughly 30 rounds or so.

C. Brought it home and proceeded with point "A" once more.

D. Took it out a few week later and implemented point "B" yet again.

Add, rinse, repeat.

Im not sure if this is the "proper" way, but from what I gather, unless we are dealing with a high-end rifle (essentially, weapons intended to remain accurate over vast distances) or something of that nature, no real "break-in" period is truly necessary (including modern handguns).

To be a bit more precise, I once spoke to various manufacturers about this very topic (Sig, Benelli, Mossberg, Springfield Armory, etc.) and not one of them mentioned any real necessary "break-in" methodology as pertaining to their guns. The closest was a Benelli rep who said that after roughly 25-30 rounds of ammo I could consider the "break-in" period over. Even then, it was mentioned that this "break-in" period was not really all that necessary.

Now, Ive heard various accounts (particularly concerning handguns...rifles notwithstanding) of those prefer methods similar to the following: shoot 10 rounds, clean, shoot 20 rounds, clean, shoot 40 to 50, then clean again, ad nauseum. Meh....I just do not think this is necessary. Upon first shooting any of my current weapons (roughly 100 rounds for handguns and 25 rounds for shotguns) I simply deep cleaned the weapon...paying particular attention to the bore. Then, I did it again for the next outing or two. After that, basic maintenance took over and "deep cleaning" then only happened (and still does) once or twice a year. This, of course, is all depending on how often the weapon is fired and what is fired through it.

In essence, the "break-in" period simply involves keeping the weapon clean and shooting it...over and over. The only caveat being that I tend to avoid using the "hotter" loads until I have broken the 100+ round barrier. Im not sure this is even necessary for the most part. But, I tend to do this as "lighter" loads help me become more acquainted with the weapon and its various nuances.

September 23, 2009, 06:52 PM	#3
inSight-NEO Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2008 Posts: 608	This is how I "broke in" my pump shotgun: A. I completely disassembled it (within reason), cleaned it and lubed it after taking it out of the box for the first time. B. I took it to a local range and shot it. Again, and again, and again....Roughly 30 rounds or so. C. Brought it home and proceeded with point "A" once more. D. Took it out a few week later and implemented point "B" yet again. Add, rinse, repeat. Im not sure if this is the "proper" way, but from what I gather, unless we are dealing with a high-end rifle (essentially, weapons intended to remain accurate over vast distances) or something of that nature, no real "break-in" period is truly necessary (including modern handguns). To be a bit more precise, I once spoke to various manufacturers about this very topic (Sig, Benelli, Mossberg, Springfield Armory, etc.) and not one of them mentioned any real necessary "break-in" methodology as pertaining to their guns. The closest was a Benelli rep who said that after roughly 25-30 rounds of ammo I could consider the "break-in" period over. Even then, it was mentioned that this "break-in" period was not really all that necessary. Now, Ive heard various accounts (particularly concerning handguns...rifles notwithstanding) of those prefer methods similar to the following: shoot 10 rounds, clean, shoot 20 rounds, clean, shoot 40 to 50, then clean again, ad nauseum. Meh....I just do not think this is necessary. Upon first shooting any of my current weapons (roughly 100 rounds for handguns and 25 rounds for shotguns) I simply deep cleaned the weapon...paying particular attention to the bore. Then, I did it again for the next outing or two. After that, basic maintenance took over and "deep cleaning" then only happened (and still does) once or twice a year. This, of course, is all depending on how often the weapon is fired and what is fired through it. In essence, the "break-in" period simply involves keeping the weapon clean and shooting it...over and over. The only caveat being that I tend to avoid using the "hotter" loads until I have broken the 100+ round barrier. Im not sure this is even necessary for the most part. But, I tend to do this as "lighter" loads help me become more acquainted with the weapon and its various nuances. __________________ Guns are similar, for instance, to automobiles; in the hands of the sane and responsible, they are generally harmless. In the hands of the insane, careless or malicious, they both become deadly. Blame the person, not the means....mechanical/inanimate objects have no mind of their own. Last edited by inSight-NEO; September 23, 2009 at 07:13 PM.