Cheap borescope review

[RobD]

Attachment 113990I bought a cheap [£6] borescope on ebay, and here's my experience.

- I bought a 5.5mm diameter so it would work in various calibres from .22 to .45. If only for .303s, I reckon get the 7mm diameter.
- It claims to give an image of 1280x720 pixels but I am sceptical.
- plugs into USB port on my old [2011 vintage] mac laptop, and the image can open in Photobooth which comes with the mac. On a PC I expect there are similar programmes on the computer. Some say "for Android phones" in the advert, but as far as I can tell these will work fine with a mac or pc, after all it's just a camera - you just need a basic programme like Photobooth.
- the length of the scope is just made up of a wire - the camera and lights are at the tip - so get as long as you like.
- The camera has a fixed focal length of 4 cm and within that, only about 1 cm is in focus. So to see the whole bore you have to creep progressively down the bore, one cm at a time.
- Because the light gets lost down the bore, it looks dark with only a ring of light, and that light is not at the opimal point of focus either [1st pic]. It gives a better picture if you make a reflector: put a little ball of tissue paper in the chamber and push it forward with the scope, viewing while slowly withdrawing way from the tissue paper. [2nd pic] You'll soon find a spot where the image is, like goldilocks, neither too bright nor too dark. Then push the tissue paper a cm forward with the scope, and repeat inspecting while drawing back. etc. An alternative to the tissue paper is to have the bore lit up by a bright object outside, like a brightly lit wall, so you effectively have a 2nd light source. I also tried an orange bit of felt [3rd pic] and that may be easier on the eye than the white reflector.
Conclusion:
For the money, it's worth it. It will definitely reveal a patch of rust or anything dangerous. Imperfect though these are, I'm sure they'll improve with time.
Rating:3 stars.
Attachment 113987Attachment 113989

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[ssgross]

looks like that one costs $10-$30, and pics look like you got what you paid for. They are indeed nice to have and great for basic inspection, preventing over cleaning, etc. There are lots of inexpensive options now, where just a few years ago there wasn't
I bought the rigid 26in teslong and posted about it elsewhere.
https://www.amazon.com/teslong
The side mirror is adjutable, and has a tiny locknut on it. This enables you to change focus for different calibers. It can also be removed for a Birdseye view like yours. Here are some samples of a 303 chamber and throat.
Had it for a year or so now. It's very durable - manufacturer is kind enough to include 3 extra side mirrors - knowing they are small and likely to get lost.

[rjcassara]

I also have the Teslong and for the price it works well for me.Attachment 114069Attachment 114070

[john60wales]

Attachment 113990I bought a cheap [£6] borescope on ebay, and here's my experience.

- I bought a 5.5mm diameter so it would work in various calibres from .22 to .45. If only for .303s, I reckon get the 7mm diameter.
- It claims to give an image of 1280x720 pixels but I am sceptical.
- plugs into USB port on my old [2011 vintage] mac laptop, and the image can open in Photobooth which comes with the mac. On a PC I expect there are similar programmes on the computer. Some say "for Android phones" in the advert, but as far as I can tell these will work fine with a mac or pc, after all it's just a camera - you just need a basic programme like Photobooth.
- the length of the scope is just made up of a wire - the camera and lights are at the tip - so get as long as you like.
- The camera has a fixed focal length of 4 cm and within that, only about 1 cm is in focus. So to see the whole bore you have to creep progressively down the bore, one cm at a time.
- Because the light gets lost down the bore, it looks dark with only a ring of light, and that light is not at the opimal point of focus either [1st pic]. It gives a better picture if you make a reflector: put a little ball of tissue paper in the chamber and push it forward with the scope, viewing while slowly withdrawing way from the tissue paper. [2nd pic] You'll soon find a spot where the image is, like goldilocks, neither too bright nor too dark. Then push the tissue paper a cm forward with the scope, and repeat inspecting while drawing back. etc. An alternative to the tissue paper is to have the bore lit up by a bright object outside, like a brightly lit wall, so you effectively have a 2nd light source. I also tried an orange bit of felt [3rd pic] and that may be easier on the eye than the white reflector.
Conclusion:
For the money, it's worth it. It will definitely reveal a patch of rust or anything dangerous. Imperfect though these are, I'm sure they'll improve with time.
Rating:3 stars.
Attachment 113987Attachment 113989

I had one of these & found that a ball of silver foil wedged into the end of the barrel helped. Switching off the borescope light & shining a light down the end of the barrel also helped..
Cheers
John

[ssgross]

I think now that the price point of these scopes are finally practical for the masses, having one is a must for the serious milsurp shooter or preservist (I just made a new word?). Since we rarely ever know the history of use or neglect of these rifles, regular inspection when cleaning will show any early signs of deterioration or problems. Rust can hide at the bottom of small pits or other normal features and a cleaning patch wouldn't show you until it was too late.
Plus, it's just plain fascinating to look in the bore of any rifle. I especially like to to do it before shooting, after shooting, and between the various stages of my cleaning processes - it's like sitting on the porch drinking a beer, admiring the perfect beautiful stripes in the lawn after a long hot day working in the yard. (yep, I'm one of those "get off my lawn!" dads.)

[mrclark303]

Attachment 113990I bought a cheap [£6] borescope on ebay, and here's my experience.

- I bought a 5.5mm diameter so it would work in various calibres from .22 to .45. If only for .303s, I reckon get the 7mm diameter.
- It claims to give an image of 1280x720 pixels but I am sceptical.
- plugs into USB port on my old [2011 vintage] mac laptop, and the image can open in Photobooth which comes with the mac. On a PC I expect there are similar programmes on the computer. Some say "for Android phones" in the advert, but as far as I can tell these will work fine with a mac or pc, after all it's just a camera - you just need a basic programme like Photobooth.
- the length of the scope is just made up of a wire - the camera and lights are at the tip - so get as long as you like.
- The camera has a fixed focal length of 4 cm and within that, only about 1 cm is in focus. So to see the whole bore you have to creep progressively down the bore, one cm at a time.
- Because the light gets lost down the bore, it looks dark with only a ring of light, and that light is not at the opimal point of focus either [1st pic]. It gives a better picture if you make a reflector: put a little ball of tissue paper in the chamber and push it forward with the scope, viewing while slowly withdrawing way from the tissue paper. [2nd pic] You'll soon find a spot where the image is, like goldilocks, neither too bright nor too dark. Then push the tissue paper a cm forward with the scope, and repeat inspecting while drawing back. etc. An alternative to the tissue paper is to have the bore lit up by a bright object outside, like a brightly lit wall, so you effectively have a 2nd light source. I also tried an orange bit of felt [3rd pic] and that may be easier on the eye than the white reflector.
Conclusion:
For the money, it's worth it. It will definitely reveal a patch of rust or anything dangerous. Imperfect though these are, I'm sure they'll improve with time.
Rating:3 stars.
Attachment 113987Attachment 113989

I use a very similar set up, bought on eBay for £6 and use it with my phone and inspection mirror at the muzzle, in conjunction with the built in light turned down to minimum.

I tend to use the video clip option and run it through third party software on my computer afterwards, to remove camera wobble and edit the start and finish.

It works well enough for my needs.

Not as good as a proper bore scope, but absolutely fascinating to take a close look at Milsurps and antique firearms condition.

For instance, with a typical antique Colt or Remington NMA, you can clearly see the erosion 'swirls' caused by typical period dry firing with percussion caps ...... I know, what an anorak!

[30Three]

I have found these cheap USB borescopes to be very useful for the price. great for a quick rifle bore inspection. At work I use one for vehicle engine bores and catalytic convertor inspection as well. Only downside is they are not very robust, so need careful handling.
Here's a couple of images from a.303 chamber and bore.
Attachment 114090Attachment 114091

[ssgross]

that's pretty 33. what rifle is that?

[30Three]

That's my 1929 BSA No1MkIII* I had a new barrel fitted (NOS) when I bought it.