Bore Scope: What am I Looking At?

[raindog]

I got a cheap Teslong borescope as a gift. Pics aren't great but it was interesting to stick it down some of my milsurps.

I'm not entirely certain what I'm looking at, though. Click on pics for bigger versions.

Here's a shot from a Yugo 24-47 that was rechambered for .308. I include it only because the barrel has only been shot a couple times so it's pretty clean:



I think that's what a "perfect" bore should look like.

OTOH, here is a Mosin-Nagant M44. I'm guessing this is pitting from corrosive ammo?



Here is a 1926 Mosin Nagant...same issue I think:



OTOH, this Mosin Nagant 1938 Carbine looks pretty good:



And my 1968 Finn looks great:



Alas, my 1891/30 seems to have some rust and other unpleasantness...which is disappointing because at one point I cleaned the hell out of it and I've always done ammonia + cleaning after shooting surplus through it:

[browningautorifle]

#2 looks like rusting, #3 looks like pitting. So does #4. Last one from corrosive, so much for "It doesn't hurt anything if you clean it"...you've done so religiously and it's scaly.

[raindog]

#2 looks like rusting, #3 looks like pitting. So does #4. Last one from corrosive, so much for "It doesn't hurt anything if you clean it"...you've done so religiously and it's scaly.

Well, I know what I did...no idea what some Russian conscript in the 1950s did with it

[browningautorifle]

So it wasn't new when you got it...then we'll never know.

[mrandig]

#2 looks like rusting, #3 looks like pitting. So does #4. Last one from corrosive, so much for "It doesn't hurt anything if you clean it"...you've done so religiously and it's scaly.

I agree with Jim's assessment. Overall, I don't think even the pitted ones are particularly bad.

Some of these milsurp barrels can look terrible (yours do not) but still shoot pretty well. Also, with a borescope you've magnifying the image, so any issues will always look more extreme or extensive than they really are.

[browningautorifle]

No, the pitting isn't bad. I had a #5 Lee Enfield with a bore so pitted and chamber so bad the case wouldn't extract very well. Some bores looking like rat crap will still shoot tiny groups when new looking bore shoot sh#t. Shoot them and find out.

[mmppres]

I agree with Browning some bores are ugly but still shoot well enough as military groups. I have had luck with shooting lead bullet heats dipped in value grinding compound shot thru the bore . This will clean up some of the bore. Guess it would be called fire lapping. Gave my dad a rust bucket No1Mk3 that looked totally junk. He has been shooting it with lead bullets for ever with great results. Now we are not talking long range only 50 yards. But groups under 2 inches. New or old some firearms will always shoot well. others may never shoot.

[raindog]

So it wasn't new when you got it...then we'll never know.

Well, yeah, I wasn't a Russian conscript in 1930, so it isn't new to me...if I was I'd be...109 years old

[browningautorifle]

Many of these are brand new in grease when guys buy them. I didn't know what state you got that one...