From: Gale McMillan <" gale"@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Barrel break-in necessary?
Date: 7 Jan 1997 20:40:25 -0500

Mike Sumner wrote:
 > ...

As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels
with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the
prescribed break in method A very large number would do more harm than
help.  The reason you hear of the help in accuracy is because if you
chamber barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting
clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the
rifling.  It takes from 1 to 2 hundred rounds to burn this bur out and
the rifle to settle down and shoot its best.  Any one who chambers rifle
barrels has tolerances on how dull to let the reamer get and factories
let them go longer than any competent smithe would.  Another tidbit to
consider, Take a 300Win Mag. that has a life expectancy of 1000 rounds. 
Use 10% of it up with your break in procedure for ever 10 barrels the
barrel maker makes he has to make one more just to take care of the
break in. no wonder barrel makers like to see this.  Now when you flame
me on this please include what you think is happening to the inside of
your barrel during the break in that is helping you.

Gale McMillan
NBSRA IBS,FCSA and NRA Life Member

From: Gale McMillan <mcmillan@getnet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Good barrels for Rem 700 in .308?
Date: 10 Feb 1996 12:50:53 -0500

Consider this, every round shot in breaking in a barrel is one round off 
the life of said rifle barrel. No one has ever told me the physical 
reason of what happens during break in firing. In other words to the 
number of pounds of powder shot at any given pressure, is the life of the 
barrel. No one has ever explained what is being accomplished by 
shooting and cleaning in any prescribed method.  Start your barrel off 
with 5 rounds and  clean it thoroughly and do it again. Nev Maden a 
friend down under that my brother taught to make barrels was the one who 
come up with the break in method. He may think he has come upon 
something, or he has come up with another way to sell barrels.  I feel 
that the first shot out of a barrel is its best and every one after that 
deteriorates until the barrel is gone. If some one can explain what 
physically takes place during  break in  to modify the barrel then I may 
change my mind. As the physical properties of a barrel doesn't change 
because of the break in procedures it means it's all hog wash. I am open 
to any suggestions that can be documented otherwise if it is just 
someone's opinion forget it.

Gale McMillan

From: Gale McMillan <" gale"@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Remington 700 break in
Date: 8 Aug 1997 00:01:07 -0400

Arthur Sprague wrote:

# On 29 Jul 1997 22:50:26 -0400, whit@cs.utexas.edu (John W. Engel)
# wrote:
#
# #This is how (some) benchrester break in barrels, and it does work.
# #The mechanism is that the bore has pores in it (microns in size).
# #If you simply shoot a box or two through it without cleaning, the
# #pores fill up with gilding metal, and stay that way.  If you
# #follow the above procedure (and they mean *clean* between shots!),
# #the pores are "smoothed over" with each successive shot.  A barrel
# #correctly broken in is MUCH easier to clean than one that is
# #not.  If it is a good quality tube, it will also be more accurate.
# #Regards,
# #whit
#
# Well, the range hours here are quite limited.  On my first trip I
# managed to fire a whole fourteen rounds, with a thorough cleaning
# after each round.  It couldn't hurt!  Fun gun!  Difficult to think of
# .223 as a battle round after experience with .30-06 and .45ACP, but it
# surely going to be a pleasure to shoot.
# Thanks to all for their advice.

This is total hogwash!  It all got started when a barrel maker that I
know started putting break in instructions in the box with each barrel
he shipped a few years ago.  I asked him how he figured it would help
and his reply was If they shoot 100 rounds breaking in this barrel
that's total life is 3000 rounds and I make 1000 barrels a year just
figure how many more barrels I will get to make.  He had a point it
defiantly will shorten the barrel life.  I have been a barrel maker a
fair amount of time and my barrels have set and reset bench rest world
records so many times I quit keeping track (at one time they held 7 at
one time) along with HighPower,Silloett,smallbore national and world
records and my instructions were to clean as often as posable preferably
every 10 rounds.  I inspect every barrel taken off and every new barrel
before it is shipped with a bore scope and I will tell you all that I
see far more barrels ruined by cleaning rods than I see worn out from
normal wear and tear.I am even reading about people recommending
breaking in pistols. As if it will help their shooting ability or the
guns.
Gale Mc.