Barrel Break-In

[mannlicher .270]

I have been away for a while, and now I'm back, on this Forum and others I frequent you cannot help but notice passing mention or discussion on Breaking-In of Rifle barrels.
I have not yet owned and used enough firearms to form my own opinion on this, but found this link in my wanderings; http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...threadid=12582
The Gale McMillan that is talking there is the very same person with very close involvement to McMillan Family Firearms. I would therefore draw the conclusion that he may very well know what he is talking about
Comments?

[mannlicher .270]

Subsequent Info;
"I will make one last post on this subject and appeal to logic on this subject I think it is the height of arrogance to believe a novice can improve a barrel
using a cleaning rod more than that a barrel maker can do with 30 years of experience and a * million dollars in equipment . The barrel is a relatively
precise bit of machining and to imagine that it can be improved on with a bit of abrasive smeared on a patch or embedded in a bullet. The surface finish
of a barrel is a delicate thing with more of them being ruined with a cleaning rod in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use one. I would
never in a million years buy a used rifle now because you well may buy one that has been improved. First give a little thought to what you think you
are accomplishing with any of the break in methods. Do you really believe that if what you are doing would help a barrel that the barrel maker wouldn't
have already done it. The best marketing advantage he can have is for his barrels to out perform his competitors! Of coarse he is happy to see you
poking things in your barrel . Its only going to improve his sales. Get real!!!! I am not saying the following to brag because the record speak for it' self
McMillan barrels won the gold at 4 straight Olympics. Won the Leach Cup eight years running. Had more barrels in the Wimbledon shoot off every year
for 4 straight yearsthan any other make. Set the national 1000 yard record 17 times in one year. Held 7 world records at the same time in the NBRSA .
Won the national silhouette matches 5 straight times and set 3 world records while doing that . Shot the only two 6400 scores in the history of small
bore and holds a 100 yard world record that will stand for ever at .009 of one inch. All with barrels the shooter didn't have to improve on by breaking
them in."

This is another quote frm the Late Gale McMillan.
You can find all his correspondence from this particular forum (now closed) at this link;
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...=gale+mcmillan
Very Interesting reading, although you don't get the context of the comment.

[BILLY D.]

hi

there are beau coup barrel makers and most do it differently. draw your own conclusions.

i do the one shot clean, 2 shot clean, up to 10 and say screw it and start using the rifle. i have so many rifles the only one i'll ever wear the barrel out in is an overbore 6,5x68 ai. that thing is a real blowtorch.

the rifle will let you know if you are mis-treating her. to me most barrel wear takes place because the user gets the barrel toooooo hot. that ruins more barrels than anything. under normal conditions a barrel will outlive it's user.

i've read gale mac's disertation on barrel cleaning and break in and it is the most comprehensive.

just like chicken soup, "it couldn't hurt already."

[BILLY D.]

just got to thinking, what in the hell you doing up at this time of day? then i looked at your screen block and seen new zealand.

gee, i get smarter every day, can't wait till tomorrow.

that made me think. i read a signature somewhere that goes, "i guess the world won't end today cause it's already tomorrow in new zealand".

[mannlicher .270]

Yeah, its not so much that process he had a massive problem with, it was the use of abrasives. He seemed to hold in contempt those that spread that aws the way to do things.
Have to wonder why you are awake then lol.
We may be seen as 3rd world down here sometimes, but just remember we are always that day ahead of you

[BILLY D.]

i've heard a lot of banter about the tubb system of smoothing barrels. from what i hear it erodes the throat. i would never use abrasives in my firearms. for one thing i don't feel qualified enough to do so. thats a job for pro's.

i guess if you had a beater of an old mil surp barrel it might smooth things out a bit. i certainly wouldn't use it on a good barrel.

i've always considered new zealand to be a beautiful place. i've read several articles about trout fishing there. of course we know how documentarys are, they only show the good stuff but even so your country looked fine to me.

have a good one.

[royinidaho]

I think McMillan was talking of barrels of his quality not for what I see coming out of some of the factories.

The higher the quality of the barrel the less of a break in is my thinking.

I did a break in on a Lilja barrel per Dan's instruction. No copper appeared after about 6 shots but it keeps shooting better and better all the time. By better I mean velocity and accuracy continues to increase for the same load.

I'm working a project just for fun on a new Remington 338 RUM barrel. I'm going to bore scope it thoroughly w/video. Do the Tubbs final finish process then rebore scope w/video.

The barrel that came off of the action, a 338 Win Mag shot super well. On the order of 1/2 moa, 3 shot groups @ 2800 FPS w/250gr Gamekings and Wildcats.

Bore scope revealed may chips and gouges at groove edges. One groove had a deep scratch from throat to muzzle. But it still shot well.

Throat was just beginning to crack @ about 350 shots.