mausermate wrote:Also, good barrel manufacturers preach the process.
If a barrel manufacturer gives instructions on what to do with one of their barrels I certainly won't dispute it. I've read a few myself though and they've typically been very different to what the self-proclaimed experts on the net say.
My summary on the few I've read would be that it's more about cleaning the barrel and putting a modest amount of rounds through before cleaning ones or twice to iron out any prominent burs and the like. 15 or 20 rounds etc. Not a hundred + like some people say is essential.
mausermate wrote:Lets assume the imperfections are there and that the inside of the new barrel is rough. Particles of the fired bullet get caught on the rough bits and each time another bullet is fired more is caught on the rough barrel and also the particles of the previous bullet. More shots are fired without cleaning and the fouling builds up.
I am also guessing that pressure and heat would vary up the length of the barrel if the fouling was not distributed evenly. Does this have a long term effect on your barrel? If so, can this be remedied?
Can we go back to the start. get the smooth mirror finish? or is the damage done? have the edges been smoothed a little, bumps pressed in hard, have we created a situation where the inside is now smooth but bumpy. No turning back.
At the end of the day your ramming 1 bit of metal down another bit of metal behind a flaming hot jet of pressurised gas. There is going to be wear, how 'perfect' do you need the barrel to be?
With sensible use and cleaning routine any barrel will give you good life. Personally I just clean my rifle after each shoot and that's enough. I don't shoot at the range much any more but if I was going to be shooting all day long for some reason I'd probably give it a quick clean after 50 rounds and give it a rest for a while before resuming. (TBH I'm picking a number out of the air a bit there).
That's enough for me. Personally I don't think there is anything to be gained by going to obsessive levels or cleaning and running in.
mausermate wrote:The bloke that advertises "properly run in" does that mean that's a good thing or it doesn't matter.
To me, that would mean the guy has probably treated the barrel well, so that's a plus. By that though I just mean it was cleaned before shooting for the first time and hasn't been shot abusively or gone without cleaning for long periods. That fact that it's been 'properly run in' doesn't do anything for me though.
mausermate wrote:The bloke that knows nothing about guns, bought one, fired 50 rounds and wants to sell....did he run it in, probably not. Has he stuffed the barrel, can we fix it or doesn't it matter?
For me personally, if I was confident he'd cleaned it thoroughly to get the factory grease etc out of it before firing 50 round through it wouldn't put me off.
Not trying to argue all your points here or anything, just my opinions on these things