Break in from SEAL pal

[JIMBOINVA]

A good pal is now a retired SEAL. He was a career long distance guy. Went to work for a long arm manufacturer and is now teaching again. He - and so many other SEAL NCOs and Warrants - helped me over the years while I was an intel geek for the SEALS. Thought I'd share his input.

I recently asked him about a break in for my new MR556. Here is what he advises:

Biggest thing on the chamber types mostly applies to guns with .223 barrels as they need to be careful not to shoot 5.56 mm. The 5.56 mm ammo your gun will shoot is 5.56x45. Your gun will shoot either .223 or 5.56.

The biggest concerns would be price, level of accuracy desired, or effect desired (i.e. hunting or home defense or limited penetration). Black Hills or Hornady in a 75-80 grain BTHP would be my choice, at least to start, for an accuracy and defense round.

When I say starting, I mean buy it, shoot and zero with it and see if it meets your accuracy needs at the distance you want.

After that for just target shooting I would use either a .223 or 5.56 in 62-64 grain medium quality like American Eagle made by Federal or other similar type depending on cost.

I would not buy cheap steel jacket rounds if there are any in those calibers or steel projectile ammo, stick to brass cartridges and copper jacketed rounds. I would also not buy someone else's reloads under any circumstances.

I would break in the barrel following the steps below. Some folks say it is a superstition but if it is, it won't hurt to do it!

Clean bore, shoot 1 round, clean bore, repeat process through first 10 rounds.

Then repeat shooting 2 rounds fast, clean, 3 rounds fast, clean, 5 rounds fast, clean.

Cleaning should be done with a good copper cutting solvent like Shooter's Choice. Keep muzzle end lower than chamber end to prevent excess fluid from entering trigger/lower receiver area as it is corrosive.

Use a bore guide made for AR-15. Always patch after using this fluid till barrel is dry and when finished for the day run a final patch through with Breakfree to apply a light coat to the inside of barrel for storage.

[kraigwy]

I'm no SEAL but I've been shooting the AR/M16 since early '67 when I was given a bit of training with the M16 in the 82nd prior to being set to Vietnam.

First they (the M16/ARs) don't care if you feed them 5.56 or 223s. Shoot what is most accurate in you're gun.

Preferably reload to tailor ammo for you're gun. I agree about not using steel case/bullet ammo. Not just for the AR but for any of my guns.

I break my gun in a bit different then the ideal presented in the original post.

I but the gun, clean out the oil out of the barrel that came with the gun, then sight it in. The barrel is now "broke in".

Worked great for my White Oak Service Rifle upper I use in HP Competition to 1000 yards.

That's the way I break in all my guns/barrels.

[buckhorn_cortez]

There's always the dissenting point of view on breaking in a barrel. Gale McMillan was a target shooter, stock maker, and one of the greatest barrel makers of all time. Here's a link to the compiled writings of Gale on elaborate barrel break-in procedures.

He basically thought it was a waste of time and never proven to make a barrel shoot better, and may contribute to a shorter barrel life.

In 40 years of shooting, I've never subscribed to the shoot, clean, shoot, clean, etc. method of barrel break-in. I just go shoot the gun keeping the shooting session to 10 shot round counts to not overheat the barrel. I clean the barrel when it looks dirty after shooting as needed.

The AR that I have came with instructions from the manufacturer that no barrel break-in was needed as the barrel had been lapped at the factory.

[MikeGunz]

Ive never heard of breaking in a barrel, very interesting.

[Dfariswheel]

Barrel break in is a hotly debated subject.

Some manufactures say to do it and list how they think it should be done, some don't mention it at all, and a few say not to.
Barrels that are hard chrome lined can't be broken in.

Best advice is to ask the maker of your barrel or rifle what they recommend and follow it.

[Venom1956]

Wow a 300 win mag barrel only gets you 1000 rounds?! I wonder how much life is left in the barrels of some of my guns.

[Art Eatman]

I started reloading for my '06 in 1950, following the family '06 tradition. None of us had ever heard of "break-in". Phil Sharpe, in his "Complete Guide To Handloading", commented about the burnishing effect of shooting lead bullets, but copper-clad bullets burnish as you keep using any rifle.

I first learned of breaking in of barrels when it was mentioned here at TFL. 1999? Disremember. About all I can say is that I shot a helluva lot of sub-MOA groups from many different rifles without ever doing the procedures so many have lauded.

Bottom line is that I go along with Gale McMillan--or he came along with me. I'm unsure as to which of us started first.

[10-96]

I think I tried to follow a barrel break in procedure once- maybe twice. I enjoy and appreciate firearms which are capable of fine accuracy as much as the next guy- but I just don't see the benefit of a break in.

I, for one, appreciate everyone who imparts their SEAL friends wisdom here even though I wonder why so few actual SEALS come here to deliver such knowledge themselves. One thing that I would indeed find very interesting would be a sensible discussion on various shooting topics between all these SEAL experts and all the various Marksmanship Unit folks from all the various services. Now that would be a thread of threads!

[kraigwy]

One thing that I would indeed find very interesting would be a sensible discussion on various shooting topics between all these SEAL experts and all the various Marksmanship Unit folks from all the various services.

Funny you should mention that. There have been a lot of books about and from SEALS lately. Quite a bit about SEAL Sniping.

What I find funny is Brian Webb's "The Red Circle". Webb was a SEAL Sniper Instructor, and was Chris Kyle's (American Sniper) instructor.

Webb was the only SEAL I read about who admitted that in SEAL training the SEALs used the Army Marksmanship Unit as their primary marksmanship instructors.

The AMU is and has always been (Since Pres Ike started the AMU Program in 1956) the leading edge in marksmanship and sniping.

So my thinking, instead of going to SEALs for advice, why not go to who the SEALs go to.

That being the Army Marksmanship Unit. The AMU partnered up with the Civiliam Marksmanship Program (CMP) to provide all US citizens with programs on marksmanship and fundamentals of marksmanship.

[BLUETIP]

I've even heard of guys putting jewlers rouge on the projectile to smooth the bore.hows that for barrel break in.

[Sturmgewehre]

Barrel break in is voodoo. No one has ever proved it does anything other than waste time and money. The whole notion is relatively new. Match shooters from previous decades never heard of such a thing and shoot dinky groups.

I've never broken in a barrel and never will, unless you consider shooting it like normal breaking it in.

Steel cased ammo has been around forever and even the US military used it at one time (45 ACP).

Heck, Hornady is even making steel cased match ammo now.

Here a good article: http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=18747

I've been running steel cased ammo for about 20 years now through everything from machine guns to ACRs and never seen any signs of damage or premature wear on any parts.

[RT]

http://www.snipercountry.com/Article...el_BreakIn.asp

http://www.6mmbr.com/gailmcmbreakin.html

[iraiam]

I consider myself to have fallen for "barrel break in" ONCE. During the "break in" process, which felt more like a ritual than anything else, I got the distinct feeling that I had been hoodwinked. I sighted the rifle in and considered it finished.

I've been running steel cased ammo for about 20 years now through everything from machine guns to ACRs and never seen any signs of damage or premature wear on any parts.

That's because the steel used for the cartridge cases is considerably softer that the steel used in any part of any firearm.

[Palmetto-Pride]

I have always heard it like this "How is a few dozen rounds going to influence a barrel made for thousands to be shot thru it?" Now that makes sense to me I have never done it and never will most of my rifles will shoot sub MOA and a few will shoot 1/2 MOA if I do my part.

[Jimro]

"Barrel break in" is a subject that will never die.

A good barrel doesn't need broken in. A poor barrel may benefit from it.

Don't bother trying to break in a chromed or nitrided barrel.

Jimro

[Eghad]

Now if only some in the Army would listen to the AMU. Those guys are top notch instructors.

Barrel Break In? Buy it clean all the storage lube off it lube it good then shoot it till I get tired. If my guns will digest steel cased stuff for plinking then I use it sometimes.

[Art Eatman]

No disrespect toward SEALs, but I really doubt that their program coveys ultimate expertise in gunsmithing or metallurgy--which are quite different from using, maintaining, cleaning and field-repairing.

[Quentin2]

... clean out the oil ... then sight it in. The (new) barrel is now "broke in".

I agree with Kraig, this is the way I "break in" a new gun. Just check the barrel for obstructions, run a dry patch through and shoot.

I do use steel case, it won't hurt your barrel.

[johnwilliamson062]

I knew guy who worked for GM in the 90s. He said everyone who worked there would drive a new car directly to an oil change place(or change when they got home). The reason being any sloppy tooling would wear in during the first few miles and resulting shavings needed to be removed ASAP.

True? IDK. I sure hope/think that they are doing a better job now.

This may correlate to barrel break-in.

No disrespect toward SEALs, but I really doubt that their program coveys ultimate expertise in gunsmithing or metallurgy--which are quite different from using, maintaining, cleaning and field-repairing.

Agreed. The 223 556 bit seems off the mark by all my experience and all knowledgeable sources I have ever had access to. I have an acquaintance who is a SEAL. He is not a "Gun Guy," or a "knife guy," or a "radio guy" or all that interested in any of the equipment he must rely on. I am sure he knows the specific equipment he is issued inside and out and how to do field repairs on it and probably the same for most of the equipment he expects to come across in the field, but no more. Of course, it could just be he doesn't think it is worth his time to talk to me about it. I would find that odd as I have spoken to him about motorcycles and that is a subject I am woefully ignorant of. Literally all I know is I went 150mph on a BMW and it was smoother and quieter than my Dad's Lexus at 30mph AND a BMW 1200 would be my first bike if I didn't know I would lay it down before I got it off the lot.

[Bart B.]

Here's one of the first things I observed and learned decades ago when I started competitive rifle shooting. The folks who shot the highest scores, won the matches and set the records never broke in a barrel any way whatsoever. People shooting lower scores often used many different barrel break in procedures. Go figure.

[JimPage]

Bluetip: I have firelapped a couple of barrels. (jeweler's rouge on bullets to smooth out the rough spots in the bore.) I didn't notice a change in accuracy, but it sure did make cleaning the bore simple. It's so smooth that usually just one patch with solvent and one to dry will clean the barrel after a few hundred rounds.

On the other hand I have a friend who is a fanatic about the process and about cleaning who can shoot a group of .223 at 100 yrds that has all the bullet holes touching. More than 6 shots just leaves one hole.

[Art Eatman]

I've yet to read of anybody's complaining that an elaborate break-in process hurt anything. I figure that folks oughta do what they think is right.

[Metal god]

It's my understanding barrel break-in is to do just that . We all break in are guns just by shooting and cleaning like normal . It's my understanding . you break-in a barrel to get it shooting it's best with as few rounds through it as posible . The theory is your smoothing and clearing out any imperfections in the barrel . We all do this with the normal use of the gun ( 500 rounds down range in that time been cleaned 10 or so times = barrel broke in ) Now if you have one of those calibers that is hard on barrels ie 243 , 300 win mag . Do you want to put 500 or 50 rounds through it to have it shooting it's best .There is something that makes me think that barrel break-in is legit . Is it not exactly what your doing when you lead lap a barrel . If one thinks barrel break-in is unnecessary that same person most think lead lapping is a waste of time as well . I also would think if a barrel is lead lapped there would be no nned to break it in .

[Skadoosh]

As much as some senior members poo-poo barrel break in, I believe properly breaking in a new barrel is a valid and necessary procedure to prevent shortening a barrel's life and ensuring it's maximum potential accuracy.

Armalite agrees

[p loader]

Skadoosh, your post made me wonder what the military says about the topic. I'm no match shooter but do know how to google "Army Sniper Manual" and was surprised to find the following listed in FM 23-10.

Barrel Break-in Procedure.
To increase barrel life, accuracy, and reduce cleaning requirement the following barrel break-in procedure must be used. This procedure is best accomplished when the SWS is new or newly rebarreled. The break-in period is accomplished by polishing the barrel surface under heat and pressure. This procedure should only be done by qualified personnel. The barrel must be cleaned of all fouling, both powder and copper. The barrel is dried, and one round is fired. The barrel is then cleaned again using carbon cleaner and then copper cleaner. The barrel must be cleaned again, and another round is fired. The procedure must be repeated for a total of 10 rounds. After the 10th round the SWS is then tested for groups by firing three-round shot groups, with a complete barrel cleaning between shot groups for a total of five shot groups (15 rounds total).

The barrel is now broken in, and will provide superior accuracy and a
longer usable barrel life. Additionally, the barrel will be easier to clean
because the surface is smoother. Again the barrel should be cleaned at
least every 50 rounds to increase the barrel life.

I guess like others have said to each his own. I've never broken in a barrel and I've never cared to shoot sub MOA groups. All up to personal preference and what we like to do with our guns.