Breaking in?

[medic87]

I've been shooting for a while but I had never heard of "breaking in" a gun before joining this forum. (might have something to do with the fact that I'm a country boy...) Anyway, could someone tell me how to break in my new RRA and Steyr M40-A1? Are you guys talking about a certain rate of fire, or just blowin off enough rounds to loosen things up a bit? Thanks.

 

[Simon Yu]

I've been shooting for a while but I had never heard of "breaking in" a gun before joining this forum. (might have something to do with the fact that I'm a country boy...) Anyway, could someone tell me how to break in my new RRA and Steyr M40-A1? Are you guys talking about a certain rate of fire, or just blowin off enough rounds to loosen things up a bit? Thanks.

Basically the standard process of cleaning and oiling a new gun, then spending time with it so things loosen up and smooth out. Not as much of an issue on newer designs outside of stubborn pins.

 

[h2u]

Some will say "seasoning" a barrel is very important. This is accomplished several ways, but I always do the shoot once and run a patch through it every round for the first ten and then shoot twice and run a patch through it for the next 50 rounds. Then fire away. Others do more cleaning before shooting away.

 

[medic87]

Alright, just what I needed to know... Thanks guys. Hope everyone's 4th is goin good.

 

[JeepDriver]

For me, breaking in a gun means shooting about 1000 rounds through it to make sure it's reliable.

I don't do the shoot 1 round & clean.

 

[navycrna]

I do it basically the the same way h2u does it. I had never given it much thought either until I bought my FAL from DSA and they discussed the process on their website.

 

[JCB003]

For me, breaking in a gun means shooting about 1000 rounds through it to make sure it's reliable.

I don't do the shoot 1 round & clean.

Me either. When I get a gun I squirt a little CLP in there and fire away. I must have put 300 rounds in my G17 the day I got it. The only guns I have not fired at least 100 rds with the day I picked it up was my Colt .45 WWI model and my Hk P7M8. I have only shot them few times maybe 50 rds total.

Tomorrow I'm going to shoot my Hk P7M8 which I don't shoot often.

 

[alucard0822]

I clean, remove packing oil, and oil every pistol before shooting it the first time, then just bore snake it every mag until it has it's first box through it, then field strip, clean, and lightly oil with WD-40 after 100 rounds. I clean it lightly (bore, lockup and metal contact surfaces) and use WD-40 every 100 rounds or so until it has 500 through it. At that point it gets a full strip, thorough clean, and militec or S&W synthetic lube, and then it just gets cleaned when it needs it from then out. The wd-40 prevents galling, but allows the metal parts to wear, and contact surfaces to seat. I go through this proces with everything, and it smooths them out well, but is probably not that neccesary in newer stuff.

 

[ChannelCat]

Basically the standard process of cleaning and oiling a new gun, then spending time with it so things loosen up and smooth out. Not as much of an issue on newer designs outside of stubborn pins.

Don't do what dummy (me) just did with his AK-74, take it to the range and start shooting only to find that it was shipped new with a thin layer of Cosmoline and doesn't rechamber correctly.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=7703

If you have a new Soviet block designed battle rifle or other new import, I would field strip it, remove the stock (especially if it is wood), then wipe and soak the parts with mineral spirits. Then, put the firearm back together, and clean it with Break Free, Hoppes, or your other favorite cleaner as Simon suggests.

I did this AFTER going to the range. I hope to try my newly cleaned rifle this Sunday at Cresap.

 

[alucard0822]

Don't do what dummy (me) just did with his AK-74, take it to the range and start shooting only to find that it was shipped new with a thin layer of Cosmoline and doesn't rechamber correctly.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=7703

If you have a new Soviet block designed battle rifle or other new import, I would field strip it, remove the stock (especially if it is wood), then wipe and soak the parts with mineral spirits. Then, put the firearm back together, and clean it with Break Free, Hoppes, or your other favorite cleaner as Simon suggests.

I did this AFTER going to the range. I hope to try my newly cleaned rifle this Sunday at Cresap.

if there is even a chance of cosmo in the chamber, it gets a 20ga brush chucked in a drill, and a steady stream of brake cleaner as the brush spins in the chamber.

 

[medic87]

Don't do what dummy (me) just did with his AK-74, take it to the range and start shooting only to find that it was shipped new with a thin layer of Cosmoline and doesn't rechamber correctly.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=7703

If you have a new Soviet block designed battle rifle or other new import, I would field strip it, remove the stock (especially if it is wood), then wipe and soak the parts with mineral spirits. Then, put the firearm back together, and clean it with Break Free, Hoppes, or your other favorite cleaner as Simon suggests.

I did this AFTER going to the range. I hope to try my newly cleaned rifle this Sunday at Cresap.

Not cool.... I used a LOT of WD40 when I got my SKS.... Thanks everyone for the good advise... I'll let y'all know how it goes.

 

[xd40c]

I think break-in period varies from piece to piece. My H-K never miss-fired once. My M&P 40C though jammed on eject several times till it hit about 200 rounds. P89 and Walther P99 never missed a beat either.

 

[h2u]

For me, breaking in a gun means shooting about 1000 rounds through it to make sure it's reliable.

By that definition, I don't think I own a firearm that is "broken in"....

 

[mdjamesd]

With my 308, I shot one round, then cleaned, and repeated for about the first 20 rounds..then shot 2, and cleaned for 20 rounds, then for 5 and ten rounds...

As for my XD....Well, lets say, it got a nice diet of about 1,000 rounds it's first day at the range.

 

[Falkus]

Glock doesnt need a break in, I love my Glocks and I will never give them up !

My G23 has been my "future CCW" for maryland but it will be a long battle before I see it,

However, My FLA CCW should be coming in shortly and I will be carry in VA and FLA when I go there to visit.

 

[JeepDriver]

By that definition, I don't think I own a firearm that is "broken in"....

I didn't know you shot your guns

 

[trbon8r]

Breaking in a gun so it works properly is an increasingly popular phenomenon created in no small part by certain 1911 manufacturers that make their guns out of spec. The hope is that the average shooter will probably put a box or two of shells through the gun, clean the gun and put it away. They realize it will probably take the average guy a long time to run 500 rounds through his gun. The manufacturer feeds the shooter this BS telling the poor victim that bought a defective gun to shoot 500 or 1000 rounds for break in, hoping he will just go away, or stick the gun in a drawer and forget about it.

There was no "break in" required for GI contract 1911 pistols. They were expected to work out of the box, and kill Germans and Japanese. I know the question wasn't meant to pertain specifically to 1911s, but it seems the 1911 manufacturers are one of the biggest proponents of the "break in" nonsense.

 

[h2u]

I didn't know you shot your guns

Just the .22's Cant afford to shoot anything else.

 

[Simon Yu]

Breaking in a gun so it works properly is an increasingly popular phenomenon created in no small part by certain 1911 manufacturers that make their guns out of spec. The hope is that the average shooter will probably put a box or two of shells through the gun, clean the gun and put it away. They realize it will probably take the average guy a long time to run 500 rounds through his gun. The manufacturer feeds the shooter this BS telling the poor victim that bought a defective gun to shoot 500 or 1000 rounds for break in, hoping he will just go away, or stick the gun in a drawer and forget about it.

There was no "break in" required for GI contract 1911 pistols. They were expected to work out of the box, and kill Germans and Japanese. I know the question wasn't meant to pertain specifically to 1911s, but it seems the 1911 manufacturers are one of the biggest proponents of the "break in" nonsense.

One of the non-mil spec features on modern 1911s is a feed ramp that will feed hollow points though, so there is some gain from tweaking the design. While I wish the mid-range 1911 companies would split their mid-range offerings into defensive and target pistols with the appropriate tolerances so that the former would be as reliable as military issue ones were with hardball, I do recognize that mil-spec is not always the end all of quality. After all, MREs are mil-spec as well.

 

[trbon8r]

One of the non-mil spec features on modern 1911s is a feed ramp that will feed hollow points though, so there is some gain from tweaking the design. While I wish the mid-range 1911 companies would split their mid-range offerings into defensive and target pistols with the appropriate tolerances so that the former would be as reliable as military issue ones were with hardball, I do recognize that mil-spec is not always the end all of quality. After all, MREs are mil-spec as well.

As you mention, not every detour from the original design is bad. Sights the shooter can actually see, and a grip safety/hammer combination that doesn't chew your hand up come to mind. The trouble is with the actual execution of these changes, and making sure they are done properly and with the right materials and QC.

The original GI spec 1911 was never designed to feed hollow point bullets. If hollow point bullets are what you desire to shoot, any decent smith can do a feed ramp and throat job for 75 bucks. That is an easy fix. What concerns me are the more costly or impossible to fix items such as barrels/slides that are improperly machined so they don't lock up properly, internals made out of pot metal, extractors made out of the wrong material to save a buck, poorly installed plunger tubes that come loose, plastic triggers or mainspring housings, etc.

The 1911 is an expensive pistol to manufacture properly, and has a ton of items that can keep a bean counter up all night rubbing his greedy little hands together with glee while trying to find ways to cut corners. This is where trouble begins..........