[midwest swiss]

I have a NIB 7-4, and wondering if there are any Izh-specific things I should do (or not do) during barrel break-in.

That's an American E-net deal. breaking in a barrel.
Give the new Russian rifle barrel a good cleaning & shoot.....shoot....then more shooting.

Midwest Swiss

 

[Dick Deadeye]

Thanks, Swiss. I'd seen one person's recommendation on TargetTalk to use Final Finish on the Izmash BI; but then I've seen manufacturers recommend against this (even with larger bores). Lilja suggests that for rimfire, check for lead every 200-300 rounds using a damp, worn brush; but they also point-out that leading is rare on smallbore match barrels.

 

[midwest swiss]

Would that be the..... Tubb's Final Finish ???

The newer Russian rifle barrels are rotary hammer forged & are very
smooth from the get go.

Midwest Swiss

 

[ultramag44]

Give the new Russian rifle barrel a good cleaning & shoot.....shoot....then more shooting. Midwest Swiss

Agreed! :bthumb:

 

[noremf]

American myths

I have never read, or heard for that matter, a recognized writer that said or wrote about the need to "break in" a .22 barrel. Not ever.

Take the action out of the stock. Check it, clean it, lightly oil it, put it back together, and then go out and shoot it. I shoot a 10 round group on all my weapons when I get em with different brands of ammo to find the best. 50 yards for pistols and 100 yards for rifles. Then I use that ammo and save the targets via an image on my PC. After 1,000 rounds I shoot another 10 round group and compare the two. Generally, but not always, the second group shows measurable accuracy increases.

noremf(George)

 

[Dick Deadeye]

Thanks, Swiss, Mag44 and Noremf. I'll just clean and start shooting (once the rain stops) :t The investment in the 7-4 is huge, so I just don't want to do anything that I'll regret.

 

[noremf]

Regret

Thanks, Swiss, Mag44 and Noremf. I'll just clean and start shooting (once the rain stops) :t The investment in the 7-4 is huge, so I just don't want to do anything that I'll regret.

You probably already know this but just in case, I would spend some time going over the cleaning protocols that abound on RFC threads and posts.

Different ways but a common thread is that you can screw up a barrel far far far faster and worse with improper cleaning then you are gonna screw it up shooting. Personally, I have seen that happen in less than 5 minutes on a custom made weapon and it was not even a .22.

noremf(George)

 

[aom22]

Routine Cleaning/Maintenance ... All that is Needed

Barrel break-in procedures are more relative to centerfire rifles.
Copper fouling ... rather preventing copper being the primary culprit.
Such is not the case with rimfires.

With a rimfire, barrel lapping might be a beneficial procedure.
However, a BI 7-4 is not a benchrest rifle ... it is for Biathlon competition.
Scoring is either a hit or a miss.
As such, accuracy is relative ... either it is good enough or not.

Shoot your rifle and perform routine cleaning/maintenance.
If you notice accuracy is degrading ... check for lead fouling.
With a good factory barrel and good quality ammunition, lead fouling is not likely to occur.