Some barrels are lapped, Paul, like Pac Nors and other very accurate bench-rest barrels.

Lapping hunting rifle barels usually doesn't take place due to the 'hands-on' work. This would necesitate increases in pricing. Granted, a lot of rifles today are priced too high for what you get - yet they don't have lapped barrels. Too- they shoot qite well even without proper breakin.

Proper breaking in a barrel will make it shoot better, yet not many people at the range in the fall would notice the difference, nor would they take the time and spend the money to do it. They think a rifle is ready to kill animals right out of the box and about all new rifles will do just that. It depends on what you want from the rifle.

Proper breakin merely makes the rifle easier to clean and extends the shooting time before cleaning is necessary.

As I've said, it all depends on what you want from the barrel. Properly broken in barrels, like the Pac Nor's mentioned, don't copper foul at all and hold sub 1/2" groups, even when shooting tiny bullets in excess of 4,000fps. It is indeed a pleasure to use on on the gopher fields and not having to clean it for 300 to 600 rounds due to no changes in accuracy for the duration. Many other factors come into this and some powders are one of the prime 'causes' of frequent cleaning requirements. Some foul more than others, some bullets foul more than others. Sopme barels, even when broken in properly as we know the methods today, continue to copper foul and need cleaning more often than others.

Years ago, people didn't know much or anything about proper cleaning and are just now learning about this. Witness the 'farmer' who uses motor oil or some other concoction from the barn to clean his rifle/s. Another 'new' venture in shooting is "barrel breakin" & it's rewards - many are just now learning about his as well.