500 round break in period - fact or fiction? I say humbug!

[DukeConnor]

Windows were always dirtier on the skirt side, yes?

I scrubbed the hell out of the windows on the skirt side. Best job I ever had.

[American1776]

I remember reading on a forum, a confirmed member who was high up in the company of a large production 1911 manufacturer, said that any pistol that doesn't work right out of the box is broken and needs to be fixed.

The idea of 'breaking in' comes from the custom 1911 world, where the guns are machined so tightly in fit that firing 500 rounds through the gun actually finishes the final 'machining' process by shaving down any extra metal left over.

If you ask me, I don't want to own a gun like that. For a 1911, if it doesn't audibly rattle when I light shake it, I wonder if it's going to jam up on me. I once had a 1911 made by a reputable gun company. It came from the factory cerekoted. once every 25 rounds or so I'd get a FTRB. I suspect that the already tight gun was made too tight by adding the cerekote.

I Don't like any gun that needs breaking in.

[Sgt.K]

For a 1911, if it doesn't audibly rattle when I light shake it, I wonder if it's going to jam up on me. I once had a 1911 made by a reputable gun company. It came from the factory cerekoted. once every 25 rounds or so I'd get a FTRB. I suspect that the already tight gun was made too tight by adding the cerekote.

Just had my 1911 Cerakoted. It always had enough rattle that I didn't worry about carbon, but almost to the point where I wondered if it had a negative effect on accuracy. Now that it's koted the only rattle remaining is little yaw - roll and pitch are snug, but not tight. She's gonna get 200-250 rounds through this weekend - we'll see how it works out.

[cdi]

Correctly made 1911 pistols have little or no rattle.
They also have no functional issues and lack of "rattle" does not compromise their ability to operate in filthy, austere environments.

The classic "rattle" comes from military 1911s' (probably last new in 1945) that have had their guts dumped out on tables by typical GI types who then clean and reassemble with whatever parts they grabbed. That and 70+ years of wear, use and abuse.

[philadelphia patriot]

My HK VP9 had several failures when I first got it. HK had just started putting VP40 recoil springs in the VP9. I was shooting 115 grain practice ammo. I then put a few hundred rounds of 124 NATO and 147 grain rounds. Now my VP9 eats everything without any issues.

[Brick]

Snipped to get to the important part! Gas was 35 cents a gallon , check out cutie driving, check out cutie driving! Did I mention this was when mini-skirts were in vogue? Lots of dirty windows...

Round about that time I was working on my first bridge project. A widening job over an existing highway. You wouldn't believe some of the things those gals were doing while driving!

[Brick]

The classic "rattle" comes from military 1911s' (probably last new in 1945) that have had their guts dumped out on tables by typical GI types who then clean and reassemble with whatever parts they grabbed. That and 70+ years of wear, use and abuse.

Don't forget during the 1950s the Army (in a money saving move) called in all the existing M1911 and A1 for "arsenal rebuild" the story is they inspected all the frames, chose those still meeting spec and reassembled the guns with slides barrels and internals that had been similarly inspected and evaluated. Supposedly this was done with no further "matching" of parts.

[Bang]

You wouldn't believe some of the things those gals were doing while driving!

Yeah, but the horse usually knew where it was going.

[SevenMilePete]

Or a .22 semi auto that isn't a Ruger.

My SW Victory didn't require any breakin period. I never had a problem since day one, and lost count after 5K rounds. Even shoots standard velocity CCI.

[Markley02]

I had a Bersa that jammed twice in the first 50 rounds. Then it ran great for another 500 rounds. It definitely needed a break in. I don't care if a range only gun needs a break in. Would not carry a gun that requires a break in though.