What are the steps you take to break in a new rifle barrel?

[Bypass]

Keep posting. I am making a list. Started my people who try to sell rusty weapons list earlier today. Goes along with my list of people who duracoat to cover up flaws in weapons from rust pitting to cracks in steel.. Welcome to my people who don't know **** about how to properly break in firearms no buy list. Then there is the I built my own AR list and I used a no/no go gauge to check head space so my frankin weapon is way better than a factory Colt list.

 

[captdave77]

Trying to break in a chrome lined barrel on a gun that will realistically never be better than 1.5 - 2.0 moa gun is a waste of time IMHO. This basically applies to any AR, unless it's a stainless barreled precision gun. Break in may give you a minor improvement in accuracy, but it won't shrink groups in half. It will help consistency by reducing the effects of barrel fouling, but from an accuracy standpoint, it will take a good shooter and good glass to see any difference. I've done it on a precision AR and my bolt gun, but can't say it made any appreciable difference in accuracy. It has made cleaning easier though. IMHO, Unless you're a benchrest shooter, it's really not a big deal. I never break in my chrome lined ARs, I just shoot 'em.

I broke in a DPMS carbine with a chrome lined barrel and got sub MOA out of it.

 

[Hyrb]

You guys may be right about Bypass!

 

[Bypass]

You guys may be right about Bypass!

You mean the part about him being right all the time new guy.

 

[mtdawg169]

I broke in a DPMS carbine with a chrome lined barrel and got sub MOA out of it.

That is impressive and I'd say it's the exception to the rule for chrome lined barrels. When you say you get sub moa, are you judging the guns accuracy by 3, 5 or 10 round groups? I generally use 10 round groups to determine the true accuracy potential of a barrel.

ETA: Do you know what kind of groups that barrel shot before you performed your break in procedure?

 

[Bypass]

That is impressive and I'd say it's the exception to the rule for chrome lined barrels. When you say you get sub moa, are you judging the guns accuracy by 3, 5 or 10 round groups? I generally use 10 round groups to determine the true accuracy potential of a barrel.

ETA: Do you know what kind of groups that barrel shot before you performed your break in procedure?

So you think the more rounds you fire the better the test results? Why not 30 round groups?

 

[NWSharpshooter]

So you think the more rounds you fire the better the test results? Why not 30 round groups?

A three or even five shot group sub moa means nothing. You need to shoot a ten shot group to tell a guns true capabilities. When you shoot a ten shot group you often realize that wasn't a flier.

 

[captdave77]

I have no idea how it would have shot before I broke it in because I don't even sight a rifle in until it's broken in.

I use standard three shot groups to zero.

 

[Bypass]

A three or even five shot group sub moa means nothing. You need to shoot a ten shot group to tell a guns true capabilities. When you shoot a ten shot group you often realize that wasn't a flier.

 

[BHJ]

I broke in a DPMS carbine with a chrome lined barrel and got sub MOA out of it.

I didn't want to start anything Capt'n D but my chrome lined S&W M&P with proper break in also shoots well under 1"at 100. When mtdawg was talking about 1.5"-2" ARs and speaking of barrel break in as a waste of time I was thinking "well maybe if you properly broke em in you'd have much better than a 1.5"AR" also I have found 3 shot groups to be an indicator, 5 shot groups to tell the tale, and 10 shot groups absolutely confirm what I already know from shooting 5 shot groups.
Just my.02