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Q: What are your thoughts? Are the others just real stiff until you break them in? Does the action continue to loosen over time so it needs adjustment? The three I mentioned seemed to work real smooth right out of the box so I am leary of having to “break it in”.
A: I recommend that you always clean a new firearm before firing. Factory-applied ‘shelf-life’ preservative – or thick ‘military’ protectants (like Cosmoline) may not be conducive for safe operation of a firearm.
After the initial cleaning, firearms will undergo two types of break-ins:
One: The ‘mechanical’ break-in of the action (lock, trigger, hammer, slide, ejector, bolt, etc.)
and
Two: the ‘chemical’ conditioning of the barrel (the bore).
The mechanical break-in just gets the parts used to each other to operate smoothly. That which needs to wear becomes worn. The design of a precision firearm may have some ‘almost too close’ tolerances that need to become ‘just right’ with use.
The ‘chemical’ break-in of the barrel influences repeatable shooting characteristics and indeed much has been written about barrel break-in.
Some recommend clean/lube after 1 round; clean after 5 rounds; clean after 10 rounds, etc.
http://www.rifle-accuracy-reports.com/barrel-break-in.html
Some don’t.
http://www.snipercountry.com/articles/barrel_breakin_II.asp
In my opinion, the type of ammunition you use is a key factor.
If you shoot corrosive (older usually bulk, or milsurp) ammo, clean after each day.
Modern factory ammo? Clean each week.
And always clean and lube for extended periods of storage.
There are many opinions out there and your mileage may vary.
A clean bore, kept clean, cleans more easily after each use. And that’s a good thing.
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