7 Ways People Accidentally Damage Their New Guns

[@conservativesniperhunter7439]

Mate I want to commend all of you guys from different gun channels that collaborate with each other. It’s an awesome thing to see. We all gotta stick together for the greater good.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Absolutely, this is super fun bringing people together, and I'm learning a LOT from these guys!

[@anon_y_mousse]

@@jaxsdad2037 I have to admit, it's my favorite cat meme and I've probably got a dozen copies of it across multiple computers because I end up saving it every time I see it.

[@johnwallace7694]

@@Ultimatereloader We are all just a bunch of gun geeks .

[@erickelly5395]

Jim needs to make his own social platform for hunting/gun enthusiasts

[@jaxsdad2037]

Another man of taste👍

[@Ultimatereloader]

That was fun, thanks for having me on the channel Jim!

[@KathrynLiz1]

As a gun smith I have been tasked with "de-goofing" a few guns... Break-in? I think with modern button rifled or cold forged barrels it's not needed. The old cut rifled barrels did seem to benefit a bit from a careful break-in. The primary thing with a new barrel is to make sure it is clean and DRY.... no oil... at least for jacketed bullets. In fact every time I get a new (or used) gun I take it apart and CLEAN it. It's amazing how much crud you can find in a new gun as well as a well used one. Your chronograph will show escalating pressures long before there are physical signs from the case ifyou listen to what it is telling you. If loading from a moderate load (which you should be as a start point) note the velocity increase for each powder increment (and those increments should be even). When that velocity jump is significantly more than the previous few you are at the bottom of that dangerous exponential pressure curve, so back off to the last increment or the one before that if you are likely to encounter hotter weather than the one on test day. You can be running dangerous pressures long before your cases or primers show signs. Waiting for those signs is using the huge margins of safety in modern arms in a way that was not intended. Just because the gun does not fail this time, doesn't mean it won't later if you persist with hot loads. Hot loads are rarely the most accurate in any case.... Keep safe out there... the pressures we deal with are LETHAL.... be careful. Reloading is not difficult, but it needs care and the utmost precision.

[@NC-xk1eg]

Agreed...everything you said.

[@coyote520]

I made it a practice a long time ago: the first thing I do with ANY new gun, pistol or rifle, is CLEAN it. I am probably a little OCD when it comes to cleaning, but I find it pays.

[@rickypitman1035]

I'm old and done that crap old guns when new might need shooting break off. Buy barrel polish mirror very little work tubes in my stuff

[@jdfflats1]

Putting a new gun in the safe is great. Closing the heavy door and clashing them all together...Priceless

[@CtrlAltRetreat]

Finding it isn't closing right and deciding to push a bit harder is next level.

[@GetMeThere1]

Another one is regarding good triggers in bolt guns in particular: They DO NOT need to be oiled! Oiling can turn an exquisite trigger into a gummy mess, lol. if you DO get your trigger wet (hunting in inclement weather, usually), give a good going over with the hair-drier. Related: putting a wet gun (even SLIGHTLY damp) into an air-tight case. When you open six months later...OOPS! Again here, the hair-drier is your friend.

[@maxsterling290]

I'm having goose bumps when I see these familiar amazing gun community youtubers/tutors all together and talk about precision shooting bolts and nuts. Way to go!

[@vincef5832]

All good folks that make good gun videos. Goose Bumps? What happens when you see beautiful women together? Do you get the hives or go into anaphylactic shock? Lol

[@buckaroobonsi555]

I get disgusted when I see it. Sure would be nice if the average working man was represented. Maybe next we can get hunting advice and gear tips from a bunch of boys from boarding schools or from Ivy League Trap and Skeet team! These guys are dripping with privilege and money! Not my peep's!

[@andyherzfeld9492]

All great information and on point with problems I have run into. One mistake I have made more than once is forgetting to torc down the scope after I get it adjusted in the rings and wonder why I am shooting all over the place. Now it is one thing I check on every scope before I shoot. Another problem is breaking down guns for cleaning and not reading the manual first or refreshing yourself if you haven't done it in a while. You can wreak havoc on a firearm if you do not disassemble or assemble properly.

[@melissasmess2773]

I have firearms I haven’t cleaned in decades, they are just fine and accurate. You start going crazy cleaning and ruin barrels.

[@mrplumsak]

I usually don’t comment on videos and get annoyed with “great video” comments. This was truly a treat to see all of you guys together. This ranks up there with the Cartridge Wars vid, my friend (friends)!

[@harryodell9497]

Always clean a brand new gun before you fire it. Its usually coated with some sort of rust inhibitor thats sticky and collects dust and debris. Especially inside your barrel

[@MrCxiong116]

Yes, cleaning a new gun showed a lot of dirty stuff on a clean patch. Always clean new gun, some even have light rusts still in the plastic bag.

[@scottstottsgaming]

Not "always" depends on the gun.

[@leeturner3143]

Cleaning before firing is huge. My most expensive rifle had surprisingly large metal shavings in the chamber and throat on arrival. Great rifle but glad I checked and cleaned it first. Only one chance to start off right.

[@midwestbd7144]

Same with my bergara but I was too excited and shot it anyways. The first 3 rounds didn’t group the best but after that it’ll shoot 1/2 moa.

[@kodywoodward]

You definitely had some awesome guests in this episode!

[@hardingdies7811]

Just took delivery of a Savage 110 APEX LH in 7RM, with the bolt separate from the rifle. Even with the instruction manual (which if you read my previous post, I DID READ), it was difficult to get into the action - mainly because the instructions were a little vague and the 'button' you had to push was VERY strong and awkward. SO I went to a dealer and even he had trouble. Love the gun, hate the bolt 'release'.

[@vettepilot427]

I’ll add a couple: 1.) Overheating the barrel trying to zero the gun. I see a lot of inexperienced folks at the range trying to zero a gun that could literally fry an egg on the barrel. This doesn’t take much with thin profile hunting barrels. As the group opens up from barrel temp, they chase each new impact trying to zero which makes the problem worse. 2.) Installing a muzzle device incorrectly or installing the wrong size. This can happen with brakes or suppressors, and can cause accuracy issues from bullet strikes (wrong caliber) or damage to the barrel if the thread is mismatched or cross-threaded. We had one customer who finally got his flash suppressor on his brand-new AR to “break loose” so he could install a new one only to realize it was pinned and welded.

[@melissasmess2773]

😂

[@joeprestera2239]

What can happen if you overheat the barrels?

[@TacticalTerry]

​@@joeprestera2239 Overheated barrels tend to wear down their throat (fire cracking and erosion) faster. Can hurt accuracy in the long term.

[@ronladuke7235]

I learned about reloading and rifle accuracy back in the 1970s from a couple of brothers that were gunsmith’s and avid bench rest competitors ( these guys had a 200 yd underground range for testing) and the match grade barrel blanks they used they did a break in procedure. But I am sure machining processes have improved and barrel manufacturing is probably the biggest improvement in modern rifles? I was there one day and they shot a 10 shot 200 yd group one tiny slightly elongated hole! Unofficial world record! This was over 40 years ago lol, accuracy is not a new thing, it’s just easier now!

[@buckaroobonsi555]

Not so much. Machining has not improved that much in absolute terms. The level of precision to make a match rifle has not improved since WWII. Now ones ability to make far more precise mass produced rifles has increased if a company wants to embrace those technologies! Likewise the precision and machining techniques needed to make a precise rifle barrel has not improved. What has improved is the technology to make mass produced barrels with much more consistency and with more precision. The ability to mass produce high quality brass has improved and the consistency of powder and primers from lot to lot has improved. That does not mean we always get that though even though the ability to do so is present. The purity of brass has improved as the number of sources for raw material have been eliminated. As the smaller mills have been put out of business the availability of very pure raw materials has increased.

[@jamesahoffman]

Having just a little bit of gun grease at the muzzle of the barrel (had a Mosin put away for winter storage, this one day, it got grabbed for an impromptu range day, wasn't cleaned, and ringed the barrel bad enough to jamn the bayonet and required cutting the barrel down, it ringed right at the front sight!) So always remember to clean and check out the firearm!

[@jwmcniel]

I blowed up a 6.5 Grendel AR. I was using a known safe load, having fired many rounds with no problems. I reloaded a new batch with same recipe and BOOM! I think I had reloaded some 9mm just before changing to the Grendel. I think I did not empty out the pistol powder from the dispenser and loaded the first few rounds with 28.6 grains of HS-6. (I was loading the 9mm with 4.6 grains) Well, I pulled all of those bullets and dumped all the powder and I threw out the can of powder (TAC) I was using in the Grendel, in case some of that pistol powder had contaminated it. Lucky for me, I still have 10 fingers and two eyes! Only my pride and rifle were hurt. It completely destroyed the lower and the upper receiver had a distinctive bulge.

[@VS0097]

On the point of barrel break in, like Pete I generally clean any firearm fully before taking it out for the first time. I've had guns that are dirtier right out of the box than after I shoot 100 rounds through them!

[@WHOTEEWHO]

Great to get to hang out for the week! Thanks for having me on!

[@davew7687]

Barrel break in: 40+ yrs of firearm experience, 22 1/2 of which was infantry, never heard of this till the last couple of yrs. Never seen it in ANY booklet that comes with the firearm. Wonder why.

[@miked.8209]

Yeah I don't buy this break in bs either.

[@waynemensen4252]

The Caldwell lead sled can break a stock. The gun store I go to most, has had broken stocks on their range. I don't add weight to my Caldwell. It holds my crosshairs steadier than other methods I've tried. So, I use it to sight in. Then, I practice with whatever I plan to shoot with. My pack or trigger sticks.

[@indydurtdigger2867]

I've an old Savage .222 that was all but given to me by a pawn shop. The person that owned it didn't know the safety locked the bolt, used pliers and who knows what else on it. When they gave up they pawned it and the owner didn't know any better. When he discovered it he thought he got taken. She's scarred from the dummies but still stacks her shots.

[@barrettanderson2781]

I never do barrel break-ins. But something that has helped my accuracy is running a patch of alcohol through it after using CLR. I know the CLR can be a little acidic and harder on weaker barrel steels. But a small patch of alcohol has helped a lot. I've heard of people using Zippo lighter fluid too, but I've never used it.

[@barrettanderson2781]

As an aside, Cortina is where I heard about the alcohol patch. Credit where credit is due.

[@GH_EDITS23]

Thanks, guys! 1 to add: I’ve bent my rear sling swivel stud by shooting from my dad’s old lead sled. Recoil jammed the stud into the metal (poor design) stock cradle at the butt end of the sled. Double check any new-to-you rifle stabilizing systems you employ before pulling the trigger!

[@barrettanderson2781]

Good call.

[@theblindsniper9130]

I'm a fellow guntuber and I'll have people ask me things on messed up firearms like I'm their gunsmith haha Slamming revolver cylinders throws off timing, especially on cheap guns Aftermarket muzzlebreaks and their poor install Crooked adjustments from an eyeball install scope A scopes zoom feature jammed on the scope mount Stuck cases from incorrect headspace on home builds Carbon rings from handloads trimmed to short Stuck or damaged brass from overpressured handloads Cleaning or lubed with incorrect applications, resulting in rusting Purposefully dropping and damaging a new gun so you dont have to worry about scratching it And quite a few more lol

[@georgelewis9127]

Always reset your torque screwdriver to 0 inch-pounds after tightening a set of screws with the same specs.

[@chipsterb4946]

For 2 reasons: to avoid the mistakes they mentioned. Plus it’s a good habit because you should always store the torque wrench set at zero. Otherwise it will lose calibration.

[@quickgearshifter2719]

@@chipsterb4946 yep! As an engine builder I also know this is a must for torque wrenches.

[@blondebimbobee8969]

So if I need to tighten a bunch of different things to different to different torque values, I need to set the torque wrench to zero each and every time I change the torque on a wrench or just each time I'm done using it.

[@chipsterb4946]

@@blondebimbobee8969 just when you’re done using it. However, if you reset to zero every time you put the torque wrench down, you’ll get into a good habit. It might also help if you tighten scope ring bases first at a higher torque setting then need to tighten rings at a much lower setting. You reduce the risk of accidentally applying 35 ft/lbs to ring screws that are supposed to be only 15 ft/lbs.

[@CapucheManSept7]

Good avice here

[@leonardogarcia2506]

This one might not be very common, but I had a friend who brought me his rifle because he put it in a new stock and couldn’t open the bolt after that. Well what happened was there were screws for the stock and screws for the action. Just like whootee said about scope mounts or bases, new action screws can be longer or sometimes the screw for the back of the action is shorter than the front action screw. Long story shortened, the front action screw was too long and jammed into the bolt head in the action. That’s why the bolt would not lift. Also, that can happen with rifles that say they use rem 700 scope mounts. They can be too long and jam into your bolt head. I did that on a Sauer 101. Lol. I don’t remember if it was from a pic mount or the Talley one piece rings but the front screws did go further into the action to where they did touch the bolt head.

[@duck-n-cover477]

I think barrel "break in" is more about working the gun normally to shake it up a little, letting things find a "home" if they need, then recheck torque on screws.

[@michaeldavila2325]

Now I'm no expert, I am however a tool and die maker with over 35 years experience. ALWAYS !.... check the thickness of your action, or barrel using dividers, a veneer caliper, or a small depth gage, as well as measuring the length of your screws, before you drill, and tap, " flat bottom, blind hole tap", for any mounting rail, scope ring, or device to your firearm. Even if the firearm is predrilled to receive a scope rail or scope rings. In the case of older firearms that have cap plug screws, "where scope mounts may have been installed, or removed or predrilled & tapped" you want to check those as well before afixing new mounting hardware. You will avoid severe disappointment by measuring before acting..... Just a thought.

[@creakycracker]

As a retired Tool & Die maker I second this man's post. And please invest in a good gun screw driver set before working on firearms....Happy Motoring!

[@FORDEVR]

Barrel breakin is no nessasary. Do it if you want. one manufacturer admitted it was only suggested because ppl ask for it. In test done there was no noticeable improvement or loss of accuracy.

[@kirkboswell2575]

"Barrel break-in" .... "yes or no" .... "truth or folklore" .... Personally? I think the answer is a little bit of "yes" to all of it. Our grandfathers never did it and were fine - but they were also mostly happy with 3 inch groups. I think the break-in question started when everyone started looking for half inch or less groups. When seeking such accuracy, very small things can make a noticeable difference in results. Lapping a barrel is a great way to improve accuracy, but it's REAL REAL EASY to go "too far". Just like hand fitting a bolt stop in a revolver, sometimes just one short file stroke is "too much" and you have to start over (I've done that). "Breaking in" a barrel is a way to provide "some" lapping of the bore without any worries about "too much". Higher quality manufacturers do that in the factory. AND its not necessary if you're happy with 2 inch groups. There's also fire lapping where lapping compound is put on the bullet, then loaded and fired. Also a good way to lap a barrel, and just like hand filing, easy to go too far - stick to the written instructions when doing it. And, i also believe in "seasoning" a barrel. A cast iron skillet requires seasoning to function properly and keep food from sticking. Just as good as teflon when done right. Seasoning a bore is a black powder technique provides me (subjectively) with slightly faster speeds, easier loading, and less rust. All good things, and all theoretically transferable to modern steels and bullets.

[@youtubesucks-yx6kk]

Meanwhile there are still some 22 lr rifles floating around from the 50s, that haven't been cleaned since then, that can still hit a dime of the first try. I would be curious to see if there is any talk about "break-in" in some of the really old manuals. Or what a machinist that isn't paid by the company would have to say about break in. Short of cleaning out some grease and oil left from a factory, I can't find a legitimate reason. Unless there is pitting and really bad machine marks that are getting filled with the copper fouling, none of the whole break in period sounds logical at all. Cleaning after a couple shots to break-in a piece of metal just doesn't sound logical.

[@syn4057]

Welp, this came out about 3 weeks too late. Bought my first bolt action 300 blackout (Ruger American Ranch), sighted it in, didn’t think to clean a brand new in the box gun, none of my friends have ever done that; it’s brand new. Never knew to check the bolt for that twist. Couldn’t get tight groups, but was hitting well within a hogs vitals, so I let it be. Though it was the ammunition; that could still be the problem, but now I’ll break the gun down, throughly clean and inspect every part, and look for the break-in procedure for the barrel; if there is one. Luckily, I’ve only sent 5 rounds down the barrel and the bolt slid in perfectly. This video is saved and getting sent to all my friends.

[@markk9794]

@6:50 Once saw a guy with a brand new Christensen Arms 7MM Rem Mag injure adjacent shooters because a cleaning patch left in the action blew out through the muzzle brake. Lacerations incurred.

[@twistednixon2911]

One of my handloading mantras is -there's no sense in trying to get a .308 to do .300wm speed, just buy a .300 wm-. I have also accidentally mixed two gunpowders together in a powder dispenser 🤦‍♂️.

[@gsitzkowitz]

My barrel break-in story. Years ago I got a Thompson Encore in 25-06. As a reloader I immediately went to the store to get components and saw the now discontinued moly coated Nosler bullets. I did no break-in and shot the gun. I’ve owned several Thompson Center guns over the years and because of that I expected the highest level of accuracy. The 25 shot terrible! No matter what I put through it. I sent the barrel back to Thompson and they re-crowned it. It still shot terrible. They replaced the barrel an in talking to them they gave me their break-in procedure. 1st, no coated bullets at break-in. 2nd, shoot, wet swap, dry swab for the 1st 20 rounds. Next 3, 3 shot groups with wet/dry swab between the groups and you’re done. I’ve done this with every rifle since then and every one shoots under an inch consistently! Yes, I’m the guy with the Thompson Compass that shoots under half MOA regularly!

[@omegaman6770]

Interesting. I’ve never performed a barrel break in and I’ve never had any issues. Most recent purchase was a budget Ruger American Predator 22-250. Sighted it in with Federal 55gr. and proceeded to shoot a 3 shot group you could cover with a dime at 100 yds. A break in period of the barrel isn’t a bad idea though as it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 👍

[@youtubesucks-yx6kk]

Does anyone have any theory as to why it would make any difference at all? I can't really think of any. (I'm not trying to discredit your experiences, just slightly confused as to how cleaning after a few rounds could change the chemical makeup of a high or even okay quality chunk of steal) You would think if a barrel is already made halfway decent and finished in a factory, no amount of cleaning is gonna change any imperfections or lack there of. I could understand slight imperfections that may get loaded up with copper fouling after the first couple handfuls of rounds, but that wouldn't explain the constant cleaning after every couple rounds unless we are talking muzzleloaders. Maybe a few shots warms up whatever Grease and/or oils that are left inside making it easier to get out, then the first swab makes sense. But even then why not just clean before the first use and call it good? Idk I'm struggling to find any logical reasoning for it. I just can't imagine a finished product like a barrel, being so horrible that it truly needs a break in period, and if it was that horrible from the factory I would definitely be looking for a refund. Now I kind of want to talk to a metal worker and see if they have any theories as to what, if any difference a break in period really would make or if they would think it's necessary at all

[@gsitzkowitz]

@@youtubesucks-yx6kk As I understand it, not saying I’m right, but the reason of the cleaning between rounds is to make sure you’re not “burnishing” any thing into the metal. If you do it will cause problems of barrel consistency later. In shooting the barrel you “season” it you might say. I’m a jeweler and if we roll metal though dirty or dusty rolling machine that metal gets imbedded with that dirt or dust. After cleaning if the dirt comes out it leaves pits. If the dirt doesn’t come out even worse! Very difficult to deal with as for all intense and purpose, the metal is contaminated. I believe it’s kind of the same thing. You don’t want to imbed any residue in you barrel until it “sufficiently” hardens as metal will do. Anyway just my take.

[@youtubesucks-yx6kk]

@@gsitzkowitz interesting, I suppose that makes a bit more sense, I just always imagined the finished on the shelf product would already be as tough as it can be under normal conditions. I can certainly see how sand or other things could mess it up though considering water cutting does use sand to help cut through steel. To me it always sounded like one of those things that could have been an issue that happened along time ago and people just kept the "break in period" mostly because that's how they grew up. However your explanation as a jeweler does make it make a lot more sense and makes me wonder if I was wrong about it not having an effect lol. I'm not trying to talk down about either method though. if you're happy with your collection, that's really all that matters. thanks for the information ✌️

[@jeffsikula2920]

As far as reloading...you have to consider what your expectation is for velocity to help determine if it's over pressure. For example..a 6.5x47L. shooting a 140g bullet at +2900fps is over powered even if there is no sign of it. What if for some reason that round stays in the chamber...a hot chamber because the barrel is a little hotter than you want? I believe this is the REAL reason temp stable powders exist...It's not the atmospheric temperature...it's the chamber temperature.

[@a.saldana5253]

I ruined the barrel of a very nice browning a bolt chambered in .223 Super short magnum. I was at the range and it was hot outside, I wasn't keeping track of my round count Like I should've been. After about 15 to 20 rounds back to back noticed my grouping at 100 yards looked like a shotgun spray. Ran a borescope down the barrel later that day and I absolutely cooked the rifling. That was my favorite coyote gun. I'll get it fixed one of these days

[@kellyrick4365]

Great show. It was nice to see several people I follow in this one!

[@francoisbm6785]

Great video! I dented an expensive scope following torc spec from a ring manufacturer; now I only use the tiny tool they provide and tight until I feel it's enough. Also, I am in the process of altering a wooden shotgun stock to fit me and I am discovering that it is an art and science and I am already anxious about the wood finishing part!

[@lindboknifeandtool]

As long as you have a top coat plan, and a series of grits of sandpaper, you’ll be totally fine.

[@scottmont1966]

Boiled Linseed oil

[@jeffclement8588]

my great contribution to how to stuff a barrel was this little gem, doing load development on a new 6.5 creedmoor IBI barrel, using a magneto speed chronograph and i used a snug fitting piece of wooden dowel in the muzzle to get the gap right over the bayonet, forgot to remove it and sent a round down and the reasult was'nt flash, luckily no one was hurt except my pride, ended cutting two inches off the end to get rid of the mess and all was good, it has now got 2300 rnds down and it still shooting well, no guessing the jokes i copped for many week after.

[@wedge308]

Page 1 of every manual is clean and inspect your firearm before use. If you don't run a snake or patch down a barrel before shooting at a minimum, you better be prepared to "stick a thumb in it" if something goes wrong.

[@CraigWilsonAust]

One thing i found & it wasn't me acrewing up the gun, i bought a Ruger American with a synthetic stock. I took it to the range, ran it in & was concerned that it just wasn't anywhere near accurste. No, i wasn't expecting miracles. What i found was the stock was misaligned & was rubbing on the left underside of the barrel. Now every rifle i buy i roll a business card up & run it the length of the barrel in the stock. If it stops or becomes hard to run through, i mark where on the stock, remove the stock & sand/file it until the card runs smoothly through.

[@joquin4618]

Awesome work sir! Enjoyed the guest appearances 😊

[@te243win7]

Did a trigger spring job on a savage axis drop testing to listen for the firing pin to drop, last drop heard a pop! Wasn’t the firing pin, split the plastic stock 4” right up the back. She sports a new laminate stock now.

[@VictorKeithDHHS]

I'm happy you brought up the barrel break in thing. Some time's I feel its a lot of hot air being blown up the pipe. Growing up I never heard of barrel break in. My father and Uncles never did that stuff 30 years ago. People say technology has improved everything in rifles, does that mean rifle barrels of the past are better than those of today if you have to break it in?

[@jmgates09]

I wanna know is it true Tikkas don't need break ins

[@adamkadir3803]

Breaking in barrels have never made sense. From a purely theoretical point, how does 'breaking in a barrel' even occur?

[@buffybuff992]

@@jmgates09 guns dont need "breaking in full stop" but tikkas and sakos have several rounds fired down them in the factory anyways so any burs or bits and pieces will be blown out anyway.

[@MarcusJGrey]

@@jmgates09 My Tikka's so far have been great out of the box. Barrel break in is fudlore

[@evanhandelong7685]

You would think with modern manufacturing, the finish inside the barrel would be almost perfect from the factory. No need to break in

[@RWeeks-hx9ut]

When putting loctite on scope base screws, make sure you apply it to the screws and don't use too much. It will get into your action and cause bolt operation issues. It is really hard to get dried loctite off of the inside top of your action.

[@johnutting9615]

Use Blue loctite on screws this will hold the screws but is able to be broken if the screws need to be loosened

[@RWeeks-hx9ut]

@@johnutting9615 I did use blue Loctite, but used too much. Got inside my action and caused issues with the bolt catching and dragging while cycling.

[@Heisenbrick]

Loctite takes about 24 hours to fully cure, don’t be impatient.

[@johnutting9615]

Try some acetone on a cottonbud to reach inside the reciever to soften and remove excess.

[@RWeeks-hx9ut]

@@johnutting9615 That's how I finally got it out. Acetone on long qtips.

[@4NaturesStory]

Great video. Thanks. Lots of good tips.

[@seabisquit2]

This one may have already been mentioned but, never, ever ever use “Damprid” in a gun safe! I hung a bag on the door of my gun safe several years ago and did not look in the safe for about six months, when I did, I discovered that the bag had leaked onto several of my pistol’s stored in the door. One was a 1967, supposedly unfired Colt Python.357, YIKES!!!!! Needless to say, it was severely damaged by rust. It took me a year to get the rust to the point I could move the action. Another week of 4 hours a day cleaning and sanding to get it to shoot.

[@youtubesucks-yx6kk]

Get some of the dry packs like the ones that come in shoes and jerky. You can get packs of 100 of them pretty cheap online. toss a handful in the safe and really anywhere else you want to keep fresh.

[@adamlucas4753]

@4:32 - Mistake No. 4: Barrel break in, there's also a bit of a missed middle ground as well, a lot of barrel break-in procedures sound like it's between completely made up black magic and sales gimmick. As opposed to "Wipe down the action and barrel to get the machining/shipping/storage gunk off." where I can see the problem of gunk and the goal of getting gunk off being achieved. The break-in essentially comes down to an oxymoronic "keep firing and cleaning until the barrel shoots good, and then it's broken in". I don't begrudge anyone who fires 3 shots, clean, repeat X2 but it's frequently by their own admission, not science. Personally, the idea borders up against bad manufacturing and engineering. If your manufacturing process ends with your user performing voodoo to get your product to standard operation, even if you've got the documentation to prove performing voodoo works, your manufacturing/engineering is sub-par.

[@blueeyeddevil1]

RE: Mistake #7 and AR variants, Ballistic Advantage is one of the worst offenders. For all of their barrels, they place the barrel data where the handguard and gas tube pretty much obscure it. Not good when you have uppers for 6.5 Grendel, 6 ARC, 350 Legend, etc. along with your .223/5.56 upper. Faxon gets it right, placing the data closer to the muzzle. Love the BA barrels for their value, but that "feature" is a bit of a drawback.

[@newerest1]

I write the caliber on the dust cover with an oil paint pen

[@blueeyeddevil1]

@@newerest1 Good idea, though depending on penmanship, the esthetics could be negatively impacted. Still, it beats a face full of shrapnel.

[@mikedesilets3324]

I bought a used PCC and it was misfeeding. Action screws were loose. Runs like a champ now.

[@k_enn]

After a reloading session, I always remove the power from the powder measure so I cannot forget what powder is in there. And, like you suggest, always start with a light or starting load from a reputable manual and work up - as soon a you see any high pressure signs back the load down just a bit. Do not blindly trust a load you found on some internet forum.

[@davidcudlip6587]

I only reload shotgun shells now, but I have a few different recipes for 1 or 1 1/8 ounce loads. I always label the reloader's powder cannister with masking tape with the type of powder I'm using

[@mikaleisti6359]

Awesome video once again. Great to see those guests with you sharing your knowledge to us.

[@oldschooljack3479]

All the guys in this video have vastly more knowledge and trigger time than me... but I do have some insight to share: I didn't damage my gun but I learned a valuable lesson on torquing action bolts... My gun shot decent but would occasionally throw fliers or just have inconsistent grouping from one shooting session to the next. So I researched and one of the remedies was to torque the action screws. The manufacturer of my rifle recommended 55 in/lb of torque... So I got a torque screwdriver and tightened to 55 in/lbs. and went shooting... The rifle shot like garbage. Proven loads were horrendous. I wasted hours and money burning up components trying to rectify the issue... Then I remembered I had set the action bolts to factory torque specs... And I also remembered a video of two shooters who started low on torque and went up in 5 in/lb increments and showed how it affected groups. So I backed off my torque and started working back up... At 35 in/lbs my proven loads started shooting one ragged hole. So that's where I left it set... And now I verify it before every shooting session. Sounds like VooDoo but it made me an absolute believer. Try it for yourself. Scope rings: Buy the best damn scope rings you can afford. Good scope rings will allow a lower end scope to perform to its full potential. And inversely, poor scope rings will render the best scope out there virtually useless. I have sworn off aluminum scope rings forever and buy steel. I personally use Warne rings. Are they the best? I don't know... But they have proven themselves for me. And they are steel. And a big plus, made in America.

[@wdtaut5650]

12:14 So, what is the answer? I have been told using a lead sled can cause damage to scopes. Assuming reasonable quality stocks and scopes, how likely are they to be damaged?

[@nevadadesertrat267]

Whats funny here as far as barrel break in. The more rounds somebody can convince you use during " Barrel Break In" The sooner you will be back to buy a new barrel. I learned that from a barrel manufacturer. NDR

[@melissasmess2773]

At $4 a round it’s good business for everyone…6.5PRC🤑

[@armeddiver]

The only issue I have had building a gun was too long action screws. I was mounting a Magpul Hunter 700 SA stock to my first Zermatt Arms Action. I took them out and cut/machined them to the correct length. I have not had that problem with any of my other builds. The big reason (knock on wood) that I haven’t had any issues is I learn from mistakes usually other peoples. Videos like this one keep me from making the same mistakes. I am a big fan of Piet at Impact Shooting and have followed his advise on cleaning before firing a gun the first time ever since he made that video. I do not do a barrel break-in. I am shooting factory ammo (mostly Hornady) and I get sub MOA groups at 100 yds with most of my guns. I have watched a lot of KZbin Videos on the subject and with the exception of Pieter, I haven’t see anything that convinces me it has any merit. Every time you fire a cartridge there are changes to the chamber and barrel and those changes will be exaggerated especially if you are shooting loads with varying chamber pressures and velocities. Thank you for this video and it is awesome to see the collaboration, especially seeing that Piet came all the up from South Africa.

[@matthewbeaver5026]

I've had 2 of these come together to be one My dad replaced the stock on a old savage 110. One action screw is just a smidgen to long. The bolt will catch on it and not allow it to fully seat. Have to back out the screw just a little bit. Close the bolt. Then tighten screw back just til its not contacting the bolt. Prob hold better groups if I filed down that screw just a bit.

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

So Cool to see all you guys together!

[@davejones67]

How about epoxied and action into the stock? Did it by mistake in a Mauser 3000 because of the odd shaped recoil lug with the dished out sides. Thought it might happen and it did but it shoots great!

[@justahologram2230]

Wrong ammo is the main thing that ive seen trash new guns, in the 6yrs i worked as an RSO all three rifles that got destroyed were people accidentally using the wrong caliber

[@paulalexander1093]

I had a pound of IMR4007. I had not seen or heard about the recall on the powder. The first round fired detonated. The stock cracked, and the bolt wouldn't open. I was able to walk away with very minor scratches. I shortly found the recall. When I called hogdon, they were very surprised I had loaded rounds without any immediate problems. They said I was very lucky and very helpful in getting things fixed.

[@sociopathmercenary]

Detail stripping your gun and forgetting to take a picture while it was still in mostly one piece. The resultant trudge through KZbin videos to find a savior. Lol

[@ingelri2]

I don't recall ever seeing a set of scope rings where the end of the screws were pointed at the barrel of the scope. That one was a head scratcher to me. Regarding barrel break in, using the rifle as it's intended is going to "break in" the barrel. I think people have simply given a fancy name to a normal practice. Regarding reloading, all powder and bullet manufacturers are going to err on the side of caution due to liability, and there will always be a margin of error built into the published maximum load data. I think you missed one of the most obvious and probably common ways to mess up a gun and that's cleaning a rifle from the muzzle and/or improperly from the breech and damaging the crown.

[@melissasmess2773]

I was expecting this conversation when I saw the video title, very important information. Have also heard that repeatedly cleaning for some break-in procedure ruins the barrel accuracy and only clean it once after purchasing and never again because copper doesn’t ever fowl the rifling.

[@keatoncyre9926]

The scope ring screws protruding thru the ring cap and hitting the scope was poorly explained. In the case he was referring to, the owner was using some sort of scope rail accessory where the ring cap has threaded holes so a section of pic rail can be mounted on top for red dots and stuff like that, those screws were too long and crushed the main tube.

[@ingelri2]

@@melissasmess2773 I only clean my rifle barrels about once or twice a year.

[@kimoldham3328]

How can you tell if the manu. stamps the barrel in the wrong cal. I bought a TC contender stamped 222 rem that was 223. No harm but stretched brass. Noticed this after 2 rounds fired.

[@nedkarp8468]

Hey Jim, what scope in the $2000 and under range would you recommend for a precision chassis rifle in 300 PRC? I want all the good features and great glass. Thanks for your input. Love the Rock Chuck Olympics.

[@IMPACTSHOOTING]

Fantastic meeting you guys! Shoot straight boys!

[@whiskeytango9769]

I don't break in barrels. I just shoot and clean as normal. I also like to buy quality, I have owned a number of Tikkas, they all shoot excellent, never broke-in a barrel on any of them. I do make sure that I clean a new gun before shooting it for the first time, and I check the torque on all bolts and screws.

[@alexmunn5321]

I agree with Pete... clean ,clean ,clean before anything gets put down range. Make sure all is tight to spec ... single most important thing to be done prior to shooting. For me cleaning happens with my rifles after 5 to 6 shots at range . I do not nor ever have followed any formal shoot and clean process for break in . The pre-work is key then a good cleaning after sight in .

[@Eric-z2r6k]

I had to laugh at the disclaimer “Caldwell has done extensive scientific….” You mean the company that sells the lead sled says it’s fine?? LOL sorry but a gun likes to move. Wood CAN split.

[@TheBeefSlayer]

I’ve bought new Leupold scope rings. The lowest detachable rings. They had same torque specs as the higher rings but the lower rings have much less metal. They totally cracked before I got 3/4 of the way to the proper torque value.

[@andrewrowe5668]

Yeah hear you about barrel break in etc, suppose the jury is still out on this topic, however I've lashed out for a few top grade barrels and did the break in process, yep time consuming etc, but was it worth it, have to say yes for me, as the time and money invested had resulted in some exceptional great times!

[@MrClubfoot90]

Also with the length of the screws having it press against the gasblock from your rail.

[@hardball107]

All very good comments and advise. On the break in issue, I do a abbreviated break in on all my rifles and the one's I set up for friends and family. I don't believe in super high end rifles, they are nice but in a hunting situation for most people a middle of the road rifle set up properly really fills the bill. That being said I really like working with Savage rifles weather it's a Axis or one of the 110 series I've had fantastic luck with them even the used ones that someone said wouldn't shoot. A good cleaning, torque check on the action screws and 1 shot and clean 3 times, 2 rounds of 3 shots and clean, 5 rounds and clean and a 10 shot string and clean and you're all set. It even worked on a on a Ruger M77 I resurrected in 270 I bought for $100, built in '77 the owner said it just sucked, shot patterns. A good general cleaning and service and taking the bore back down to bare steel with passes of JB got it ready for break in. It is literally one of the smoothest and most accurate rifles I own for a hunting rifle shooting under, very under 1 moa. Did the same thing with a Savage 12FV in 6.5 Creedmoor and an DCM M1 Garand, both fouled beyond belief, that M1 shoots to 1" at 100 yards and the 12FV with a Vortex 6x24x50 will hold 3/8" 5 shot groups at the same distance with my handloads. All I can say is it works for me.

[@MrSonic1953]

Another way I found that you could potentially mess up a weapon is after a long hunting or shooting day, leave the loaded magazine and a round on the weapon. Someone I know purchased a rifle at a pawnshop, and when arrived home, the magazine did not want to come out, and the person was smart enough not to pull the charging handle and squeeze the trigger. The magazine was rusted in place and it took some effort to remove it. Also, there was a round in the chamber (waiting patiently).

[@tanarosegreen6175]

I have never been to a pawn shop that didn't clear any gun before handing it to me.

[@oneeyedwillie1]

Years ago (like about 40) my brother-in-law had ordered two rifles from the same manufacturer one a 30-06 (his) and the other in 7mm (my sisters). They didn't show up until shortly before hunting season. So was in a bit of a hurry to get them ready. The sighting in of the 06 went great. But the 7mm wouldn't fire. Tried a couple brands of ammunition with the same results. Took the rifle back to the store where he had purchased them from and after several of the employees had messed with it, they discovered that they had purchased a 7mm Rem. Mag not a 7mm. No damage and my brother-in-law used for years afterwards. So make sure the ammo fits the firearm.

[@philhanson7624]

Great video discussing things that happen with a new firearm.

[@directive5147]

My 1972 Marlin 45-70 can attest to the fact that you can absolutely do damage using a lead sled. I not only managed to break the plastic butt plate, but also put about a 4" fractured in the wood butt stock. I have since ditched the sleds and now only shoot with bags and bipods.

[@lelenbates3367]

First thing I do is disassemble a new firearm thoroughly inspect the parts for obvious defects, check the bore and check the chamber, clean it, lube it, and cycle the action at least a hundred times if it is a semi auto. Before I fire the first round I check the safety and and make sure it will not fire out of battery through dry fire testing.

[@davidcudlip6587]

Word. I don't trust a gun manufacturer employee who might of had a bad day or could care less about me make the final inspection

[@brsmith2801]

Really enjoyed this video and seeing all of you. Can't wait to see how everyone finished in your rock chuck championship turned out.

[@CalzaTheFox]

I can vouch for the last one. Ruger Precision Rimfire, bolt wasn't going in no matter what I tried (seemingly). Well, with a bit of torque, I got it turned into the right position, and it slid like buttered glass. Don't force your gun if it ain't an AK.

[@futurechamp2]

Before I had any knowledge of all this, I would clean my 10/22 with a steel rod that would scrape the inside of the barrel. That was before I started using a crown protector

[@mbrewer69]

All of my rifles (2-25 years old) are all MOA rifles and have never done a barrel break in. I think cleaning is more important for long life and accuracy.

[@brent3569]

I was cleaning my 1950s vintage Remington 740 that was malfunctioning due to never being thoroughly cleaned probably since it was made. So I cleaned the barrel after removing it with CLR which worked great but then I needed to clean the bolt after disassembly in the ultrasound cleaner and looking at the dull finish on the bolt parts I took them to be plain steel and used CLR again instead of just dawn. It stripped the plating of either chrome or more likely nickel from all the parts exposing the copper plating so now I have to get all the bolt parts re plated ☹️

[@andycole5957]

when I was younger and new to reloading I LOVED to see how hot of loads my rifle could withstand... Fast forward 20 years and I've learned that accuracy is obtained from consistency, not velocity. If you need more power, go with a faster caliber! If you look at the reloading manuals, the fastest load is never the most accurate (if your manual indicates the most accurate load).

[@lukenielsen1417]

I use a Caldwell lead sled because I am old and shaky but I never weight it down and once the gun is sighted in the sled gets put away until the next gun purchase.I have also had more than a few base screws longer than needed even from expensive manufacturers

[@6mileoutdoors]

I enjoyed this video. I too have done something stupid. My nephew wanted me to sight in his new 308. He had started the process at my home range before he called me out because he was struggling. I removed his scope and rings and reinstalled with proper torque settings. He had used about 3/4 box of ammo during the earlier attempt. As ai brought each shot closer to the bullseye at 100 yards, I ran out of ammo. I remembered that I had some old ammo in my safe. I started shooting this ammo and my next 3 shot went to a 10" group. I then put on my reading glasses to see that I had put 7mm-08 ammo in a 308 box...and just sent 3 shots rattling down the tube.

[@tedkoch357]

Never trust someone else’s reloads, I build a 5.56 and took it to him, he pulled out a box of ammo and started load the mag, fired the first 20 rds okay and then on the second mag the the first first rd sound real bad like you knew something had happened, after inspection I said the bolt is James and the case is stuck in the chamber, I said where did you get those rds, his reply a buddy loaded these!!! Never do that unless you trust that buddy with your life!!!

[@melissasmess2773]

Step father gave me some reloaded .45ACP, loaded fine for trip home. Got home and couldn’t eject it fully, hit the end of the slide trying to load it fully and try rack the slide back again but never got that far. It blew up, bullet went between my feet and into concrete floor😂 very lucky not hurt. Damn his shitty oversized machine gun reloads he gave me for my 1911.

[@Edge51]

Barrel break in is such an old wives tale made up by barrel makers to help you burn that barrel out faster. Clean it and start shooting once you build up the copper where it needs to be built up your barrel is "broken in". Now if you remove the copper you get to go through the process all over again and rebuild up that copper.

[@melissasmess2773]

Yup! You never have to break in a barrel or clean it, all BS 💩

[@Edge51]

@@melissasmess2773 I do not know if I would go as far as saying no cleaning. Not all ammo is created equally some is much dirtier than others or burns cleaner. Break in I have never seen any benefit out of high end or average barrels when I have done it. The only thing I have ever noticed that changed things not for the better or worse was copper cleaning. After removing the copper from the barrel the zero of that rifle next time I would shoot would shift. I would adjust to the new zero and as I would continue shooting my zero would go back to what it was. So I have stopped copper removal all together and clean only when I start having anomalies where I get flies but I know everything I did was right. I am not a perfect shooter and will own when I mess up a shot because you cannot get good DOPE if you cannot own bad shots and write them off as a bad shot and if you include bad shots in your DOPE then you have useless data mixed in with good data. My 2 cents is good DOPE is far more important than break in...

[@geraldscott4302]

1. Very few rifles have "action screws". And on those that do, like my Marlin Model 60, I have no idea why those would be loose. 2. Putting a "pic rail" on a lever action rifle is going to ruin it, even if it still works. That's total blasphemy. 3. Barrel break in? Never heard of it. I've owned 70+ rifles, and cleaned them when they needed to be cleaned. Never had a problem with any of them. 4. I'm not a reloader, not many are. Reloading does have to be done right. Obviously reloading done wrong can not only damage a gun but also damage YOU. 5. I've never bought a bolt action rifle where the bolt was not in the rifle. When working on a gun, NEVER force anything. If it doesn't fit, something is wrong. 6. Other than rare instances, like my carry gun, or my deer/elk rifle, back when I use to hunt, I have always used the least expensive ammo available, and aside from bad .22 rounds, which is just part of using rimfire ammunition, which is not as reliable as centerfire ammo, I've never had any problems. I do have one old, preban AR that I got cheap, that had failure to feed issues. I finally took it to a gunsmith, and he replaced the spring. He said the spring was slightly too short. It now shoots fine with the cheapest ammo I can find.

[@castbulletshooter3486]

Great topic and explanation. It is nice to see you guys get together.

[@reloadnorth7722]

I recently bought a 1975 Remington 700 ADL, 308 Win. The barrel bore had a couple rusty / dirty spots and a dead spider, lol. After a cleaning with an appropriate solvent, it is now shiny clean with no visible blemishes. Damn spiders 😃 Many years ago a buddy went hunting and always carried the rifle with the barrel down. He slipped a couple times and didn't realize the barrel had 2" of clay plugging it......until he shot and blew up the barrel......😵‍💫😵

[@Holden-McGroin]

I don’t ever break in barrels, but any firearm I acquire, I always strip, thoroughly clean, and lubricate before I ever shoot it. There is definitely all kinds of junk in there from the manufacturing and shipping process. I know people who just buy guns and go shoot them, and it makes me cringe. Lol

[@stevenclark7070]

I'm not sure if I did anything to my cz 457, but I had to send it back and have it looked at. I had used some bolt shims to see if it would help my cold bore flyer issue. I didn't see any change, so I removed the shims. But after removing the shims, I would occasionally have to lift the bolt a second time to get the firing pin to reset. When I reached out to CZ, they thought it might be that I had installed a Timiney aftermarket trigger. They recommended putting the OEM trigger back in and see if that changed anything. After a re-installed the stock trigger and took it out shooting, after a couple hundred rounds, it started to not reset the firing pin. But then, when I would try to lift the bolt to reset the firing pin, the gun would fire as I lifted the bolt. Needless to say, I shipped it back to CZ. So far, I'm not very impressed with customer service. They said it would take 4 - 6 weeks. As of yesterday, they've had it for 7 plus weeks, and all I have gotten from them is their standard email stating that my gun is in the queue, and it takes 4 - 6 weeks. Now, the gun was dropped off on the 10th of January. I had to email them to see if they received it. This would have been while shot show was happening. So they had my gun for 10 days before I received notice that they had my gun. I sent an email asking for a real update on the status of my gun. I'm waiting for a response! Com-on CZ, you can do better than that!

[@GONAVYCHIEF]

Great video. I have never broke in a barrel. I do always clean my guns after a day of shooting. I have never had any issues. I never load hot, always middle of the road.

[@MikeEaston-h9s]

Awesome vid love to see some more from you all.

[@8mmmauserman]

A common thing in the milsurp world is improperly fitted screw-drivers. It's common to find guns with really messed up screws I'm sure this happens in the hunting world too.

[@mopardoctor9966]

I have seen several shooters at hunter sight in with a pawn shop rifle that they thought 300 WM was Winchester Magnum and found out it was a Weatherby Magnum.

[@JonRangel87]

The collab we needed

[@arthurshingler2025]

Great video....! (of course ...I.... didn't need these tips(!).... ONLY because I've experienced most of these situations...! Call me an ol' fart... ok I like to shoot!!!) BUT... This is a great video with good tips, and I only wish that I had these suggestions 20 or 30 years ago. I recommend this video to all! Great job!!!

[@precisionhomesdesign]

Way cool to get all these other KZbin guys together!! You are all great.