A break-in period is simply the first hundred or so rounds (some guns more, others less, others not at all) for all the parts in the gun to "mate" and function properly.

Typically revolvers don't have a break-in period as they usually can function 100% out of the box. Like I said above some semi-auto pistols really dont require this break-in period either and they function 100% right out of the box.

Many makes and many models will be subject to various minor FFT, or FTF issues during the first few hunderd rounds (the break-in period) so if you read on these forums about failures of that nature often times you will also see questions or statements about the break-in period of the gun.

Hope this helps.

Generally, the tighter the tolerances of the gun from the manufacturer, the longer the break-in. (Not always)

Tighter fitting, hand-fitted guns, like many custom 1911s where the pieces fit together with ZERO gaps, require a little time and a few hundred rounds to break in. Kahrs are notorious for this too. They are TIGHT from the factory.

Glocks are notoriously ultra reliable from the box. They also tend to be the loosest, "sloppiest" guns out there. They are "accurate enough" for their intented purposes, but the part to part fit is designed for ultimate reliability, not ultimate accuracy.

Older "GI" Model 1911's were built "loose" to hand battle-field conditions, and were very reliable. More recent "art piece" 1911's are built VERY tight, and tend to be a bit more finicky... especially new.

Most Glock/M&P/XD/Sig/HK etc guns will run 100%, lubed or not, cleaned or not, tossed in the mud, frozen in ice, soaked in water... becasue they are designed FOR that purpose.

Try tossing a custom-built, $3000 1911 in a bucket of dirt for a week, and then shooting it... OUCH.

I will put 200-300 rounds of ammo of various bullet-type, velocity, and manufacture through any gun before I consider it reliable for carry. Then, I consider it "broken-in"... Such WORK!!!!

Then, I check it reliability about 100 times per week... JUST TO MAKE SURE...

JeffWard

A proper break-in?

Involves pulling the trigger untill you are happy, or, out of ammo- whichever comes first.

Guns start tight, then get loose.

Some have an accuracy/cycling 'sweet spot' for a spell before getting 'shot out/loose'. That sweet spot depends on the ammo it likes the best at that particular time/temp etc. etc. etc.

It all boils down to clearances.

Breaking in (or running in) usually involves taking it easy on a machine of some sort for a while till parts are bedded in and heat cycled- like in an internal combustion engine. This term get's used a lot for other things as well.

Shoot, service as needed, rinse and repeat.

Your mileage will vary.

One other relevant point to breaking in a Taurus gun; Field strip them and clean them thoroughly before you fire them for the first time. These guns are shipped from Brazil and are packed in heavy packing grease or cosmoline. Some dealers clean them some don't. I own 6 Taurus handguns. 4 of them were very clean, properly oiled and ready to run right out of the box. The other two, both revolvers, were packed full of gunk that needed to be removed before shooting. Not removing this grease can cause some very serious problems with your new gun.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm new to handguns and my first purchase was a PT92SS and have run about 500 round thru it with zero FTF or jams. My choice of ammo so far has been Blazer almunimum. My issue with this gun is the accuracy, I notice the barrel has 1/32" play at the tip of it and it rests on the slide to the bottom right which is where it is shooting. So I made a brass shim to center the barrel and take most of the play out of it. That shim helped a lot with the accuracy and still the gun burns thru ammo with no issues.

I recently picked up two more Taurus handguns and have not shot them yet, both 24/7's, one is a Pro and the other an OSS both in 9mm. Keeping the caliber the same to help keep ammo costs down.

Originally Posted by ShaneTbolt

I notice the barrel has 1/32" play at the tip of it and it rests on the slide to the bottom right which is where it is shooting. So I made a brass shim to center the barrel and take most of the play out of it. That shim helped a lot with the accuracy and still the gun burns thru ammo with no issues.

Cool fix. Most Taurus semi-auto (the ones I've examined anyway) do have that "play" of the barrel that you mention, but as for me and my PT111 pro which I got to shoot for the first time yesterday I've had no accuracy problems. In fact after the first 50 rounds or so the gun was more accurate then I was expecting. Nice 3'' to 4'' groups at 7 yards....thats good for me anyway lol. I know others around this forum could probably do alot better.