Revolver Barrel Break in.

[Bigscot]

Back 20+ years ago when I bought my SRH I knew nothing of barrel break in. Don't know if there is anything to but the last 3 rifles bought new I did a shoot 1 clean, shoot 1 clean etc, etc, etc. The barrels do seem to clean up easier than others.

I ordered a SBH in SS and will be picking ip up next Sat. (Hopefully). I was planning on loading up 25 or so jacketed and do the same break in through each chamber.
Any thoughts on breaking in a revolver barrel?

Bigscot

[felix]

No difference, but assure no frame constriction first. You might risk making the constriction tighter if the cylinders and barrel are not entirely concentric. ... felix

[waksupi]

With rifle barrels, we found that stainless steel required no break in, and would shoot good from the start. Chrome moly barrels would take a few hundred rounds to get the best accuracy.

[felix]

True, Ric. However, a money shooter (BR) won't use a barrel that will not shoot the prescribed "load" from the very start no matter what the barrel is made of or from whom. I've seen folks junk a barrel after two groups. No, it's not fair to the barrel maker, but considering the time and money invested in travel, the grouping ability must be there on immediate demand. ... felix

[Larry Gibson]

I like to shoot 300+ top end jacketed loads through a new revolver as "break in". Besides giving 300+ shots for practice it has seemed to "break in" revolver barrels as good as fire lapping or any other procedure.

Larry Gibson

[BOOM BOOM]

It has been said by many that rifle groups will get measurably smaller after the 1st 100 jacked rounds. This has been my experiance as well.
I do not know if that applies to handguns.
But the old time bullseye shooters used to shoot many more (maybe 1,000) rounds before they considered a revolver/pistole to be broke in to shoot a match with (IIRC). I have a habit of shooting at least 100 jacked rounds before I start doing any accuracy loads:Fire:

[44man]

My friend bought a Ruger SBH Hunter and when sighting it he was shooting 1/2" groups at 50 yd's. Shoot the gun first, might not need a thing.

[9.3X62AL]

My new revolvers and autopistols get 100-300 rounds of factory jacketed rounds run through them as soon as they come home. This accomplishes several tasks.

1) Creates brass for the making of real ammunition with cast boolits.

2) Gives the gun and its warrantee a lawyer-proof test-drive. If something catastrophic is waiting in the wings, it will likely happen very soon after firing commences. I like having factory ammo on board for such eventualities. None yet, though.

3) The Redcoated Pretenders do a decent job of smoothing things out for the subsequent home-poured boolits. I've only had a couple revolvers show indications of crush-fit constriction at the frame/barrel junction--that was remedied with fire-lapping after the redcoat treatment.

[cajun shooter]

I also think that a few hundred of them copper things will start to smooth a new barrel in. Put it this way, it puts you and your new playmate out together, no harm no foul.

[mold maker]

The SBH barrel would take up to 600 rounds to firelap. Just shoot it and enjoy it knowing it will get better with age.

[44man]

If you don't have a constriction at the frame, Ruger barrels are very smooth. My BFR's were dead smooth too and shot cast like a rifle right from the get go. I never had any leading.
I hate to pay for jacketed anymore and gas checks are plain nuts! [smilie=1:
That's a good enough excuse to just start with cast.
I have trouble with my 45-70 BFR with WLN and WFN boolits. They go through deer too fast and do little internal damage. I need to make them expand. In the mean time I used the Hornady bullet on deer. They do a wonderful job but I just feel guilty. Once the silver stream is in the blood, jacketed feels like cheating! :drinks:

[45 2.1]

I have trouble with my 45-70 BFR with WLN and WFN boolits. They go through deer too fast and do little internal damage. I need to make them expand.

Someone you know has several cures for that. GC, PB and HP.

[Bigscot]

Well I am going to pick up the new toy tomorrow. Got 100 rounds of J's loaded up using old ones I won't use for anything else. May buy a few more and then it's boolits only from then on if everything goes ok.

Thanks for all the replies, thoughts and information.

Bigscot

[Lloyd Smale]

never felt a need to break in a rifle barrel and certainly never a handgun.

[crabo]

I break in my revolvers and pistols by firelapping.

[curioushooter]

I've never bought a new revolver that planned on shooting cast bullets in. And furthermore, I've no 44 jacketed bullets in my possession. It seems highly wasteful to me to blow 40 cent j-words out a barrel just to "break it in" when I have zero intention of ever shooting it was jackets.

Can break in be accelerated with abrasives. I've firelapped rifles before. Any reason why this wont work in revolvers using the finest level of abrasive? Throats are probably undersized anyway. Cro-moly barrel.

[DocSavage]

3 Rugers in 45 Colt had to be fire lapped 2 had the chamber mouths reamed,before fire lapping barely restriction at frame barrels very rough after lapping/reaming much smoother. Ruger stainless is a bear to lap out.

[curioushooter]

Ruger stainless is a bear to lap out.

This is why I want one in cro-mo.

I plan on getting a Ruger Flatop 44 special Bisley. I understand these are nice and my strategy was to fire lap FIRST then send the cylinder to doug for reaming all 6 to .431 or .432.

[rockrat]

I use JB compound on a patched bristle brush to lap the barrel. If a constriction, I run a bit of the JB on a lubed boolit and just shoot a cylinder full and re-check

[curioushooter]

JB is aggressive enough? Or was this like a year long lap job?

[Adam20]

I miss Felix

[samari46]

I think "Molly"? one of our members that passed away did a few posts regarding using JB paste either on the bullets or in the barrel
and reported good results. Course this was sometime back so maybe a search might turn up his old posts. Frank

[JSnover]

I've tried the traditional method with J-B: Cleaning rod and elbow grease but only on used guns that seem to need it, like fouling or loose groups if I can't nail down the cause. The break-in period is unavoidable. You can speed it up if you think you must but I wouldn't unless I thought there was problem (I'm not a competitive shooter).

[Chemoman]

i always smooth out the forcing cone on any revolver i buy. the factory ones are never to my satisfaction. oh yes,two were. my two ruger lcr revolvers. had good forcing cones. then i check the front of the cylinder to see if a bullet can slide through it. all my uberti colt and my uberti remington passed this test. my ruger bisley didnt pass the test. sent the cylinder to doug guy and he made it right. i dont get the break in for revolvers that shoot nothing but lead. i know this is about revolvers but my 45/70 that only shoot paperpatched bullets with no lube, the bore shines like a parabolic mirror. i think on the revolver the lining up of the cylinders to the barrel, the cylinder opening size and the forcing cone and the muzzle crown is where accuracy is at. a good trigger is also important.

[canyon-ghost]

I have used lapping compound, very sparingly. I used 5 rounds in my 41 mag. You can, but firelapping is a bit unnecessary. Only had one box(50 rounds) of Jack-copper to start with. I did smooth up the forcing cone with lapping compound on a jag. My 41 measures out to .4095 at the muzzle. I left it a tad tight. I don't recommend using all that much copper, it's too hard to get out of the barrel, the fourth time you clean it because it's leading, you'll understand.

Revolvers (especially Rugers) don't require that much break-in.

Ron

[canyon-ghost]

Oh, my lapping compound came from a Wheeler scope lapping kit (220,320 grit).