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Anyone Still Do This to Break the Gun In?

1K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  fnfalman 
#1 ·
When I started shooting in the early 1980's a common piece of advice from the "seniors" (all WWII vets) was to take a new 1911 lube it well. Shoot shoot shoot. Lube well shoot shoot shoot. Repeat the cycle like well, a lot. Finally, clean it after 2k rounds or so.

The theory was the bits and pieces of powder, brass, etc and ample lube would "smooth everything out. I don't know about that, but a lot of them had really great GMs.

So..who does this now?
 
#2 ·
Not me personally. I take them to the range, clean and well oiled. I’ll shoot it like I stole it. Run 200 rounds first day, and run it hard and hot, but then clean. Wash, rinse, repeat for me.
Personally I think with tight tolerances I want it to run hard, but not dirty.
Works for me. I can’t say that is the best or the only way, but all of my 1911s run like a top.
 
#3 ·
Most every semi-custom or custom 1911 I have owned I have done the following. Field strip and inspect. Lube to a rather wet state. Shoot 500 rounds of ammo, usually ball ammo. Clean and run 200 rounds of the ammo I plan to use, if it is to be a carry gun. I then clean, oil normally and holster it.
 
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#5 ·
The method I used for my tightly fitted Colt was to first completely break down the gun and clean it plus lube liberally, shoot 250 rounds, field strip and relube, shoot 250 more, complete disassembly and clean everything. From now on, I'll only break the gun down every 1000 to 1500 rounds. But field strip and lube every 250 or so rounds. Might be a little ocd but it worked for my gun, much smoother than when new. If only this shooter could shoot to the level of the firearm.

I'm confident that the gun can go through more rounds before field strip, but I do notice the lube needs attention after a few hundred rounds.
 
#6 ·
The method I used for my tightly fitted Colt was to first completely break down the gun and clean it plus lube liberally, shoot 250 rounds, field strip and relube, shoot 250 more, complete disassembly and clean everything. From now on, I'll only break the gun down every 1000 to 1500 rounds. But field strip and lube every 250 or so rounds. Might be a little ocd but it worked for my gun, much smoother than when new. If only this shooter could shoot to the level of the firearm.
Tightly fitted Colt?
 
#7 ·
That is incorrect. My F-I-L WWII Veteran was a Staff Sergeant in the Army and small arms instructor. He said you cleaned your weapons when you have the opportunity. The ammunition at that time was corrosive and you needed to clean ASAP. Now my Dad and my Uncles all were at war then but everyone had different experiences.

After Boot Camp you never had to qualify again. You were at war. You may need to resight a rifle but that was about it. And a 1911 in those times will never get to 2,000 rounds.
 
#15 ·
That is incorrect. My F-I-L WWII Veteran was a Staff Sergeant in the Army and small arms instructor. He said you cleaned your weapons when you have the opportunity. The ammunition at that time was corrosive and you needed to clean ASAP. Now my Dad and my Uncles all were at war then but everyone had different experiences.

After Boot Camp you never had to qualify again. You were at war. You may need to resight a rifle but that was about it. And a 1911 in those times will never get to 2,000 rounds.
I think my sentence wording was misleading..they were all WWII vets hence "senior." The practice they cited had to do with their civilian GMs-which most of the guys I knew shot many thousands of rounds.

Unfortunately, I attended the funeral service of the last of these vets from the club in August...
 
#9 ·
I use toothpaste to lap the slide to the frame. Put the old gritty colgate on slide and frame and give it 247 strokes, clean and repeat, clean lube and shoot. Smooth as glass.
Kinda same thing but I use simi-chrome metal polish, on a S&W 66 I took the side plate off, filled with simi-chrome and dry fired, maybe 1,000 times, cleaned out and applied some Molybdenum disulfide to all places where metal rubbed metal.
 
#10 ·
Tightly fitted Colt?
I have a stainless Series 70 that at first was a little too tight in the barrel fitment to run without the slide sticking. A little sanding of the slide lugs, then some lapping of both the lugs and rails with JB Bore Compound got it running smoothly. Just because the slide/frame clearances are relaxed doesn't mean the rest of the gun isn't tight.
 
#13 ·
Most every semi-custom or custom 1911 I have owned I have done the following. Field strip and inspect. Lube to a rather wet state. Shoot 500 rounds of ammo, usually ball ammo. Clean and run 200 rounds of the ammo I plan to use, if it is to be a carry gun. I then clean, oil normally and holster it.
same for me. Every 1911 I have didn't "need" the break in (i.e. no malfunctions) except for one: A Dan Wesson 1911 bobbled some rounds for the first 500 rounds. Then is "cleared up".
 
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