What does break in period on a gun mean?

Question

what does break in period on a gun mean does it mean its going break after a certain amout of shots

Answer 1

When a barrel is made, there are tiny microscopic machine marks inside the bore.  The machine marks need to be worn down and filled up until the bore is nice and slick.  If you just shoot regular ammo through it, it will take several hundred rounds to wear down and fill in the machine marks.  If you use some of the cartridges made especially for polishing out the bore, it only takes 20 or so rounds to polish the bore.  However you do it, the preiod of time it takes to wear down and fill in the machine marks in your bore is called the break in period.

Answer 2

generally they are talking about how to shoot and clean it for the first 500 rounds fired - rifles and handguns

clean it very thoroughly before shooting first time - barrel could have heavy coating of anti-corrosion material

shoot it some but not enough times or fast enough to get barrel very hot

clean bore, shoot some, clean bore, etc.

number of rounds fired between cleanings isn't magic

also applies particularly to weapons used for defense

some new handguns (autos) are really tight when new and need to wear-in the parts before they are really reliable

usually you are talking around 500 rounds

you really need to fire about that much to make sure the ammo you are using functions reliably in your gun

some guns simply don't like some brands of ammo or some bullet shapes

some autos shoot well with ball (fmj) but not with  hollowpoints

and you need to train yourself with that gun

Answer 3

If you don't understand what a "break in period" is you are either:

1. Too young to buy a gun.

or

2. Should not be allowed to own a gun or reproduce.

If 1: Ask an older relative.

If 2: Don't do an older relative.

Thanks!

Answer 4

CIH(RET) is some what correct. All those that say there is no break in,  are mis informed. As CIH stated, when a barrel is riffled it is either a button pulled rifleing, broach cut or polygonal. All these types do the same thing, and that is to give a bullet a spin, and stabilize the flight

Durring the process of building the barrel, there are always tooling marks, and open pores inside the barrel.

When a bullet passes through a new barrel, the pores get filled with copper, and the marks that stick out will score the passing bullet.

Breaking in the barrel will close the pores, and eliminate the spurs. You see as the bullet passes, the pores get clogged with copper, but do close up a bit. If you remove the copper, you will close up the pores with each shot, and the spurs will just get "shot off" so to speak. If you do not do this, the pores will exhist for years to come, forever scoring the bullet as it passes. Thie will affect accuracy.

The most common way to break in a barrel is as follows.

First get a good copper solvent, not Hoppes no 9; that is a carbon cleaner. I use Butches bore shine. These are ammonia based cleaners. You will also need a good rod with a brass Jag in the caliber of you rifle.

Now shoot one shot, then push at least 5 copper solvent soaked  patches through the bore; one at a time please, just 5 total. Then let it sit for about 2 min. Then start pushing clean patches through until the patches dont have any greenish blue on them; that is the color of desolved copper.

Repeat this process for the first 20 rounds. Then shoot 3 shot groups and clean the same way for 30 shots. Then shoot 5 shot groups and clean for total of 50 rounds.

Some say that the barrel is broken in after the first 20 rounds, but a very hard steel(one that is cryogenicly treated), may need more. This will produce a smooth bore in the hardest of barrels.

I generally will clean after 20 rounds after this.

It may not be needed for the average hunter who shoots a Deer in the vitals, but for a military/police sniper, it is essential. The tooling marks can score a bullet so much that it makes a 2 inch group at 100 meters as opposed to .5 inch at 100 meters. In the police sniper game, not missing is as important as hitting the target.

I own 2 precision .308 rifles. One is an auto AR10-T, and the other is a 700 built custom. My best group with the bolt is 3.25 inch in the bull  5 shot group at 500 meters using Black Hills 175 grain match .308. If the barrel was not broken in properly, this would not be possible.

Hope this explains what you asked.

Answer 5

>>What does "break in" period on a gun mean<<

Firearms require no "break in" period.

Airguns, specifically, spring piston airguns do. It usually takes anywhere from 500 to 1000 shots for an initial break in period. High quality springers will continue to "wear in" for a very long time. They function better the more you shoot them.  

Answer 6

I think its a myth and a bunch or baloney...... When you get a new gun - make sure its lubricated...... Shoot it - clean it and thats it.....

This esoteric break in stuff is nonsense to the average guy.....

The only time I ever break some thing in is just an excuse to get out of the house ---- Hey honey - I got to go break in my gun for deer season... See Ya! --  Works everytime!!!

Answer 7

Beats me. Of my several dozen firearms only one was bought new and unfired (I think).

Actually, on any new piece of machinery that hasn't been operated more than a few test cycles you may have some minutely rough surfaces that will smooth out as they wear against each other. That's what a "break-in" period is. On that one new gun, a 12 gauge Stoeger autoloader, it failed to fully eject two spent hulls in the first 100 rounds but has functioned perfectly ever since. Yes, it did seem to have a little "break-in" time.

There are also those who believe you need to "break in" the bore of a new rifle barrel through some precise occult ritual of firing a certain number of a particular type of bullet while cleaning the bore after carefully prescribed intervals of shots and insuring it remains in a certain temperature range, with the moon over your left shoulder and a shaman dancing counterclockwise with a white buffalo in an oak grove...