New barrel break in?

I just received a Clark 6.5" barrel for my M41. I'm taking it to the range today and just curious how long does it take for a new barrel to become consistent? I could be overthinking this but I've heard and read all sorts of notions about seasoning the barrel and such. So far I'm very impressed by the appearance of it. The rifling is much sharper than the S&W barrel on it so I think I made a good decision and the balance is very nice.

It takes 12.3 shots to season the barrel

Chris Miceli wrote:It takes 12.3 shots to season the barrel

LOL   I was thinking 6.6.

Crisco and an oven...? 

Really I think you can just shoot it and it'll be ok.

Don't forget, you can send it to Rome to have the Pope bless it, but only if you're Catholic!

2 to 10 shots depends on the ammo is what it takes for the groups to shrink after I clean mine. 

I send mine to Mecca where they shove the barrel up a goats ass, dance around the Koran and then the Iman wipes is clean with his beard while chanting Aloha Snack Bar. It takes some time to get it back but those crazy bastards do it for free.

orpheoet, I also own a Clark barrel.  I don't remember a 'break-in' period but that may be because I was a Marksman/Sharpshooter at the time.  However, like a previous commentor, whenever I clean the gun, it won't cycle correctly until I put 5-10 rounds through it.

Chris Miceli wrote:It takes 12.3 shots to season the barrel

But only at sea level.  High elevation....takes longer.  But that is because it's colder.

Jack H wrote:

Chris Miceli wrote:It takes 12.3 shots to season the barrel

But only at sea level.  High elevation....takes longer.  But that is because it's colder.

Ahh yes, also something with yeast and germs

I recall one barrel provider saying something like
Clean well
Shoot one round and clean, repeat 5 times
Shoot 2 and clean, 5x
Shoot 3 and clean, 5x
etc. for 50-100 rounds

Hammerli says clean no more than once every 1000 rounds.

Jack H wrote:I recall one barrel provider saying something like
Clean well
Shoot one round and clean, repeat 5 times
Shoot 2 and clean, 5x
Shoot 3 and clean, 5x
etc. for 50-100 rounds

I remember something like that but thought it was more for high power rifles. And also thought it was just for barrels that weren't hand lapped. You're basically performing the lapping process with bullets and a cleaning rod. I just shoot the damn things and clean every trip.

all kinds of rifle break in procedures out there... only thing it really does is smooth our the chamber throat which can have some sharp edges depending on how the chamber was reamed and finished.

No one has ever statistically proven that break in does anything except accelerate the wearing out of a barrel. 

As noted above, a few fouling shots may be needed to settle. Just shoot it. It'll be fine.