How do you "run in" a new barrel?

[Quarters]

My rifle with its shiny new barrel is nearly ready for collection. I've never had a new barrel before so I never had to go this. Can anybody help me with the process. It's a 303 by the way.

Thanks

[Steve E]

This is my method, others may do something different.
Shoot 1 and then clean until you have shot 10 rounds. Then shoot 5 strings of 2 shots cleaning between each pair. Then 5 strings of 3 shots cleaning every 3 rounds. Then go and shoot cleaning every 15-20 shots until you have shot about 100 ends. Then clean as per normal very day or 100 rounds or so. You should get very little if any copper fouling by doing this. This is how I have run in all my new barrels and it works for me.

[SevenSixTwo]

Not doubting you but can you explain the science behind this regime?

[John MH]

Just shoot it.

[ovenpaa]

Border say shoot one, foam for 24 hours and repeat for a week.. S&L say shoot it as you would from the start and clean without any solvents. Who makes the better barrel.

Personally I shoot 3 to confirm zero and patch out, shoot another 3 and repeat then 5 shots and patch out and then another dozen or so before home for a proper clean, I would expect my rifle to be shot in within 40 shots if the barrel is of a reasonable quality.

[Gun Pimp]

Not doubting you but can you explain the science behind this regime?

I'll try.

Match barrels do not need running-in - they are hand-lapped to a mirror finish. What we need to run-in is the tiny 'ramp' that the reamer cuts as a transition from the leade into the rifling - usually called the 'throat'.

If you look at these ramps under a borescope, they looks like the edge of a file - and act like one - stripping copper off every bullet you fire - until you've fired 40 - 60 rounds. The throat will then be smoothed out.

Of course, you could fire all 60 rounds at one go - then clean out all the copper but, believe me - it will take you a week - seriously! Even then - without the aid of a borescope, you may not remove all the copper. Leave copper in there and.....copper begets copper - your match barrel may never perform as it should.

It's much easier to use the method described above and de-copper as you go.

I have a nice photograph - but can't upload it but, I could send it to Ovenpaa if anyone is interested.

[ovenpaa]

Vince, yes mail it over please and I will post it up.

[breacher]

Can open. Worms everywhere.

[meles meles]

*Charges in, knife and fork at the ready*

[PaulR]

My rifle with its shiny new barrel is nearly ready for collection. I've never had a new barrel before so I never had to go this. Can anybody help me with the process. It's a 303 by the way.

Thanks

I've shot a few match barrels in over the years and the method I use is to coat a batch of 100 bullits with engine valve lapping paste (50 course, 50 fine) shoot them then clean the barrel.

You get a lovely shiney bore with all those strange spirally machining irregularities removed and just gleaming clean metal surface.

Using this technique, you also increase the chances of breaking the 10/X ring line because the bullits make a strange elongated hole............