The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

The pub one of this cleaning regime is that a new barrel will have burrs on the leade which at the beginning will strip more than usual amounts of copper. You'll want to remove the copper before it builds up and starts damaging your barrel. The breaking in period is considered the duration of removing the burrs after successive shooting and cleaning. Many people have different opinions and methods for doing this so it's best to resort to the barrel makers suggestions (or rifle manufacturer if using a factory built rifle).

If a new barrel has burrs then it hasn't been made properly. Modern machining techniques should result in a barrel with no such problems, hence if there are such defects present the barrel should be returned as unfit for purpose. There's no excuse for poor workmanship nowadays (if there ever was...)

meles meles wrote:Modern machining techniques should result in a barrel with no such problems

What are the modern (vs old) techniques for chambering and throating?

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Modern kit can cut, hone and polish to just a few microns, and does so automatically. No ooman error, just reliable, repeatable, precision manufacturing to tolerances that could only be dreamed about a decade or so ago. It can cost less too !

meles meles wrote:Modern kit can cut, hone and polish to just a few microns, and does so automatically. No ooman error, just reliable, repeatable, precision manufacturing to tolerances that could only be dreamed about a decade or so ago. It can cost less too !

Most gunsmiths just use a lathe - should they therefore be avoided?

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We ought not to confuse gunsmiths with barrel makers, ooman.

meles meles wrote:We ought not to confuse gunsmiths with barrel makers, ooman.

Indeed. As has been pointed out several times in this thread, and to you in past threads, it is not the barrel manufacture that is the concern. It is the chambering operations which can cause tooling marks in the leade, running perpendicular to the lands such that they can pick up copper. How can these be avoided?

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By proper machining techniques with good cutters on a lathe if necessary, or, for better results, electro-discharge machining of the chamber. Sometimes the old ways aren't the best...

meles meles wrote:By proper machining techniques with good cutters on a lathe if necessary, or, for better results, electro-discharge machining of the chamber. Sometimes the old ways aren't the best...

Interesting, but I haven't heard of any gunsmiths that spark-erode chambers - are there any in the UK?

The bottom line is: the consumer doesn't really know whether his 'smith has used techniques and tooling that leave a flawless leade or not, so it is prudent to spend a couple of hours running-in, is it not?

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I have tended towards the load,shoot until empty, reload and repeat until bored.... but then I was trained as a Pipe fitter and abusing hot metal was a prerequisite skil in those days....