Although I own and have installed many different barrels; Douglas, Bartlien, Criterian, Krueger, Bruc and McGowan. I currently have at least one of each but have slowly started replacing all with Bartlein. I have had better luck with accuracy, quality and longevity with Bartlein. As for cost, my average cost to re-barrel is from $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. A standard barrel SS blank with rifling is $450.00, fluting if you want it $150.00 then it goes to my Gunsmith for chamber that averages $200.00 to $300.00 depending on what I have done. Then the muzzle break thread, install and blend depending on the break I use, $250.00. Then rendering the action if the barrel is a different contour $125.00. I use bartleins breakin procedures.
Bartlein Barrels, Inc.
Break in and Cleaning
The age old question? "Breaking in the New Barrel", Opinions vary a lot here, and this is a very subjective topic!
For the most part, the only thing you are breaking in is the throat area of the barrel.
The nicer the finish that the Finish Reamer or Throating Reamer leaves, the faster the throat will break in.
List of cleaning items:
• Hopps #9 solvent
• Sweets 7.62 copper solvent
• Nylon brush
• Patch jag
• Caliber specific cotton patches
• WD40
• Dewey's cleaning rod
• Bore Guide
1. Shoot one round and clean for the first two rounds individually. Following this cleaning procedure:
a. Run a patch with Butch's Bore Shine
b. Run a dry patch
c. Run a patch with Sweets 7.62 copper removing solvent on a nylon brush (keep patch for comparison between groups)
d. Wait 5 minutes
e. Run 3 dry patches (keep patches for comparison between groups)
f. Run a patch with WD40 (to naturalize the ammonia in the Sweets 7.62)
g. Run a dry patch
h. Run a Patch with Hopps #9
i. Dry with patches
j. Repeat steps h and I, until clean
k. Run a patch of Butch's Bore Shine
l. Run dry patches
2. Look to see what the barrel is telling you.
a. If I'm getting little to no copper out of it, I sit down and shoot the gun. Say 4 ¬ 5 round groups, cleaning between groups. If the barrel cleans easily and shoots well, we consider it done.
3. If the barrel shows some copper or is taking a little longer to clean after the first two, shoot a group of 3 rounds and clean following steps a through l.
4. Then a group of 5 and clean.
5. After you shoot the 3rd group and 5th group, watch how long it takes to clean.
a. Also notice your group sizes. If the group sizes are good and the cleaning is getting easier or is staying the same,
6. Then shoot 4 ¬ 5 round groups cleaning in-between each group. If fouling appears to be heavy and taking a while to clean, notice your group sizes.
a. If group sizes are good and not going sour, you don't have a fouling problem.
7. Some barrels will clean easier than others. Some barrels may take a little longer to break in.
a. Remember the throat. Fouling can start all the way from here. We have noticed sometimes that even up to approximately 100 rounds, a barrel can show signs of a lot of copper, but it still shoots really well, and then for no apparent reason, you will notice little to no copper and it will clean really easy.
8. This is meant as guide lines only.
a. There is no hard and fast rule for breaking in a barrel.
9. Cleaning Always use;
a. a good quality, 1 piece cleaning rod (such as Dewey, Boretech, etc...).
b. Always use a bore guide. Whether cleaning a bolt action rifle or a semi¬auto.
i. Good bore guides and cleaning rods are available from a number of sources (such as Sinclair International, Champions Choice, Brownell's, etc...).
ii. We prefer to use the Parker¬Hale/Dewey's type cleaning Jags.
iii. Cut your patches to the proper size.
iv. If the patch squeaks going down the barrel, it is to tight.
v. Roll your patches around the jag tip like a cigarette. This gives an even patch versus poking the patch in the center. When you use the latter method the patch doesn't fold evenly. Using the first method of rolling the patch, gives you more surface area and keeps the tip of the cleaning rod centered going down the barrel.
vi. If you use a brush, we recommend one caliber smaller or an old worn out one. Roll a patch around the brush. Always push the brush, Breech to Muzzle. Remove the brush before pulling your rod back through!
vii. NEVER pull the brush back over the crown. More damage to a good barrel is done from cleaning than actual shooting. The first to suffer is the crown. The crown is the last thing the bullet touches when it leaves the gun. Any damage here affects accuracy no matter what.
viii. Cleaning Basics: Good 1 piece quality cleaning rod. Bore guide Nice cotton patches Don't drag the brush back over the crown!
ix. Never mix your solvents! Either in a jar or in the barrel, unless you are a chemist and know how they are going to react with one another and with the steel.
