Inexpensive Borescope for .22 rimfire

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grauhanen

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Looking down a bore and seeing bright shiny metal and rifling doesn't reveal much that's useful about a .22 rimfire bore. I recently read about an inexpensive borescope, the Teslong NTG 100. It received positive words on a review AccurateShooter dot com so I thought I'd take a look at it. The total price was $66.99 tax included. I bought it from Amazon dot ca.

It has a side view camera on the end of a semi-rigid cable. It works with Windows, Mac, and Android smartphones. It has a camera on a cable that is .20" in diameter. It can be used with larger bores, but the non-rigid nature of the cable makes it able to turn more easily in a smaller bore than a larger one. The semi-rigid cable plugs into another cable that connects to a laptop. It comes in a flat cardboard box about 8.5"X8.5"X1".

The end that goes in the bore has a polished mirror to show the inside of the bore at 90 degrees.



The borescope uses LED lighting, the level of which can be adjusted with this wheel.



Below is the end that plugs into my computer. (I don't know how it might plug into a phone as I don't use one for anything but making calls.)



I plugged it into my laptop and was soon in business. For anyone wondering about the technical expertise needed to use this borescope, I will note that I'm not technologically savvy. I have a laptop computer for surfing the web, email, and storage of information. I can transfer pictures from my camera (don't use a cell phone camera) to my laptop and from there onto photo hosting sites. I don't use a cell phone except for phone calls and only rarely text with it.

It doesn't offer images that I'd describe as exceptional but it can provide a better appreciation of what the bore is like than can be achieved with the naked eye. Here are some pictures I took with the borescope (it takes video as well). Readers can judge the usefulness of the images for themselves.

Below are some images from the bore of an Anschutz that is almost 60 years old.





Some images from near the chamber, where the rifling begins.





My initial impression is that for $67 it's not bad. It's very easy to use and to see the inside of the bore. It takes pictures and video. It has a bit more glare than I'd like which may also be a reflection of a very clean, smooth bore. It's not as good as the Lyman Digital Borescope, which in turn is not as good as the Hawkeye models. But the price may make it a good value for many shooters who don't want to spend close to $400 on a Lyman or much more on a Hawkeye.

Apparently the borescope will be (or is) available in a rigid rod scope model and in a WiFi model as well. For more details and a review see h t t p://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/?s=teslong&submit=Search
 
I have the same scope but I guess the earlier generation, as mine's a hair too big to fit in a .22lr bore. It's close enough that it could probably fit with a light sanding, but I don't want to mess it up for that. Bought it on eBay about 2 years ago for $10.43 including shipping. Mine came with the mirror too, but I threw that away as it was pretty close to useless. I'm a luthier, repairing instruments of the violin family primarily, and had been using slightly larger cameras for looking around inside cellos and doublebasses for years previous, but this small bore scope made it possible to do the same with violins and violas. It has a fixed focus of a bit over 2" which is a little frustrating at times, but the adjustable ring of LEDs around the lens helps to see things clearly enough for most inspections and some repairs which can be done through the sound holes.

Software to run it on my phone was a bit of a hunting trip. Tried a few free apps, finally settling on USB Camera Pro by ShenYao. Cost me another $8 I think. So for a bit less than $20 I have the best inspection camera I've ever had, and I've spent hundreds on other types, whether wired or Wi-Fi. Never use the older ones any more as they all suffer video lag or other glitches. This one's just 100% reliable. Amazing little camera. Keep the lens clean and the view is great. And it's actually waterproof, as claimed - I've gotten mine covered in hide glue a few times (rendered animal sourced collagen glue, the only acceptable glue for most of what I work on) and just swished it in warm water to clean it.

I've used mine for bore inspection and it's okay, if not brilliant. If I could fit a tiny lens to the front to bring focus in to around 1cm it might be ideal. But here's an example of what it looks like peering from the muzzle end of a .22lr re-lined barrel, and another in a TNW Aero 9mm bore looking at the bolt face from about 2" away.

22lr_bore.jpg


9mm_bore.jpg
 
Regarding how to get more clearly focussed images, I think the answer suggested above in post #3 is correct, namely turning the mirror in or out. Like a lot of people, I often don't read the instructions closely (or at all), and I didn't see the information in the instruction booklet. I tried the borescope a second time this morning.

The mirror screws on to the tip of the flexible rod after putting on a small locking ring. I turned the mirror out, so that it was further away from the LED lights at the end of the rod. I took some more images of the same bore shown above in the first post. They are shown below, first from near the muzzle, then in mid-bore, and finally in the chamber/leade area.

I think they are much clearer than those shown above. It appears that the circle in each image is what is reflected by the mirror, while the surrounding area is what is captured directly by the camera. If readers agree there is much improved clarity in these images, the previous ones were obviously a reflection of my level of technical knowledge and not thinking through what could make the images more useful.

The muzzle/crown area appears to be good and the bore looks smooth with little or no fouling (some debris, probably from patches, can be seen in some images). The chamber/leade area shows machining marks. I don't know yet how this particular rifle shoots.

Having now used the borescope as it was designed, I think it works well. Considering its low cost ($66.99 including taxes) and the quality of images it can produce, it's a good deal. For anyone looking to add a relatively inexpensive tool to his .22 rimfire shooting tool kit, it's an excellent addition.











 
Can you explain why this wouldn't work just as well in a larger bore?

I didn't understand the

" It can be used with larger bores, but the non-rigid nature of the cable makes it able to turn more easily in a smaller bore than a larger one."
 
Grizzlypeg said:
Can you explain why this wouldn't work just as well in a larger bore?

I didn't understand the

" It can be used with larger bores, but the non-rigid nature of the cable makes it able to turn more easily in a smaller bore than a larger one."
Click to expand...

I have to say I haven't tried it in a larger bore. I think the reason it will work better in a smaller, say, .22 caliber than a .30 caliber bore, is that the larger bore will give the semi-rigid cable and optical tip less support/guidance than a bore only a little larger in diameter than the .20" cable/tip. That's not to say that it wouldn't work well in a larger bore than .22 caliber -- the pictures should be of a good quality -- only that in a bore only marginally larger than the cable and tip it may not be as easy to reliably turn.

Here's how it is explained in a review that includes videos:

The Teslong is not perfect. It does have some shortcomings when compared to a conventional optical borescope such as the Hawkeye. A borescope with a long, rigid metal shaft is easy to rotate within the bore. Therefore you can quickly inspect all 360 degrees inside the barrel. By contrast, the Teslong has a flexible cable that you have to twist to rotate the lens. That works, but it’s not as easy. Additionally, in a large-diameter bore, the 5mm-wide Teslong tends to flop to the low side. Again, with a Hawkeye, it is easy to maintain a constant distance to the bore wall.

Forum member Ned Ludd explains these considerations in a Forum post: “The [Teslong] is designed to fit into a .22 Cal bore. As such, there is quite a bit of play (lateral movement) of the camera head in a .30 Cal bore as you twist the cable to swivel it around 360 degrees. This is largely caused by the angle of the cable as you spin it, which is not perfectly concentric to the bore. This is not an issue of concern in a much more expensive borescope with a purpose-built swivel mechanism.”

The Teslong borescope seemed to find favour with F-Class shooters, many of whom use rifles greater than .22 caliber.

For the review referred to above, see h t t p://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2019/10/50-teslong-borescope-works-great-full-review-with-videos/


 
Grizzlypeg said:
Can you explain why this wouldn't work just as well in a larger bore?

I didn't understand the

" It can be used with larger bores, but the non-rigid nature of the cable makes it able to turn more easily in a smaller bore than a larger one."
Click to expand...

Then just put it in some type of sleeve/tube to keep it centered in a larger bore I'd suggest.
 
That's very good image quality obtained from your second attempt, well worth the price of the device! The trouble with a Hawkeye is that capturing good images with it is not so easy, unless expensive camera attachments are also purchased. This is a great option for those who wish to enjoy the benefits of a borescope without breaking the bank.
 
This thing is amazing. I used it in my 264. I thought was clean. Copper and some pitting. Just when you think you know a gun! Up close and personal now
 
Borescopes can be very helping in assessing your bore cleaning regimen's effectiveness. You can't tell a thing simply by looking down the bore.

As an example of the utility of a borescopes in evaluating a bore, a few years ago I bought a brand new rifle that received considerable positive acclaim for its build quality and accuracy. Although it wasn't European, it was a fairly expensive rifle, over $1400 before taxes. When I looked at the new bore with a borescope, I was rudely surprised by what I saw. I did not expect this on such a costly and otherwise very well made rifle.

Most of the bore looked good, except for the muzzle end, and especially the last three inches or so. These images, taken with a Lyman borescope, were when the bore was clean.






I contacted the dealer who sold the rifle, and the dealer put me in touch with the distributor. I also contacted the manufacturer. All responded helpfully, and when I showed the manufacturer the borescope pictures they immediately agreed to replace the rifle, lock, stock and barrel. Once the distributor received the defective rifle, I was sent a new one. That one had no problems when examined with a borescope.

Fortunately, this story turned out well. Except for lost time and some worry, I was satisfied with the positive response of the manufacturer and distributor. I think being able to show them the borescope pictures made it possible to get a new replacement rifle. Without a borescope, I would never have known that the bore of the original rifle had manufacturing defects that are unacceptable in any rifle, and especially not in one as expensive as this one.
 
Bought mine from Amazon Monday arrived today. Well worth the money Paid!!!!

Had one of those cheap " 5.5mm camera's " off Ebay for like $9us (no side mirror)

It works...but my camera head is really 7.46mm so won't even do 6.5/7mm bore.
Anyway...I like this one!

New Savage M64 .22 TD (not fired)
Top pic is great bottom pic is about a 1" further down...:mad:

2n2ZvnU.jpg


1930 Cooey Rabbit small lead deposit and rust

xL5NVcB.jpg
 
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