Borescope pics ???'s

[DanS]

Today I borrowed a friends Lyman digital borescope. Interesting experience. I bought a rifle recently and was looking down the barrel. I thoroughly cleaned this rifle before inspection. If was dirty and had a few rough spots. This has I believe a Brux barrel. I started out looking at the lead and looking for the infamous carbon ring. Didn't see one.

Looking at these pics, what does this look like? Pitting is my guess, but I don't really know. I have never looked through a borescope before.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I believe thats from shooting with moisture in a barrel. Im not real sure though. Whatever it is its not near as bad as it looks in reality

 

[Rsadams]

Yup I would say it's pitted a little bit , as long as it shoots well I wouldn't worry about it a bit..... There's a lot of people that oil the outside of a barrel but don't do the rifling enough in my opinion... I inherited a very nice old Remington .308 , very nice till I started looking down the bore even without a scope... They had always oiled the outside to prevent rust but not the bore so much... A real shame.... Bore scopes are a great tool , just don't be shocked by what you find..

 

[Danoh]

Definitely pitting, but looks like you did a fine job on the cleaning though.

 

[Elwood]

Great pics, most definitely pitting , don't ask how I know !!

 

[hogpatrol]

Yep, looks like pits.
A friend of mine asked me to take him to the range to get his make sure his BPS muzzleloader was still on. I looked down the bore and asked him if he cleaned this after last season. "Uh, no". Ran a few wet patches through it until it looked clean and the bore looked like a coral reef. I said just shoot the *$#% thing. 100 yards, three shots touching. Go figure. Borescopes give you a picture of the bore. They don't determine how well it shoots.

 

[golong]

Normal stuff. I see that on many new factory barrels, nothing to worry about as they should fill up with copper. Just don't over-clean it once you start shooting it.

 

[rardoin]

I suspect what you are seeing is an inclusion in the steel. It happens and won't likely affect the performance.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Termites the gun must have been stored in a closet.

 

[SmokinJoe]

If it is a SS barrel, which I would assume a Brux to be, it is probably where some sulphur precipitated out in the steel making. I have a Hart that looked like wormwood when I scoped it (to my horror), and mentioned it to Greg Tannel while discussing some other work. He told me that what I was seeing was the result of sulphur precipitating out and not to worry about it, that he has seen it many times. The rifle shoots very well and doesn't seem to foul badly, so I'm OK with it. I'd say shoot it and see how it does before you make up your mind about it. Hope this helps, Joe

 

[DanS]

OK, I'll give it another try today. Its a little 223AI, and the first 20-25 shots would shoot .5-.75" at 100, but then stat opening up. I ran a patch through it and it went back to nice groups again, that day. Going to try it again today.

I have had friends tell me never use a borescope, 'cause it'll hurt your feelings. I looked at my older Sako A2 in 243, also last night. The accuracy was falling off it fast. I think the poor old 243 needs a new tube.

I would love to poke it down a few 17 cal barrels, bit I think it is too big.

 

[coldboreshot]

I've said this in other threads...Borescopes and chronographs should come with psychological disclaimers.

 

[DickE]

Also, could it be cleaned rust pitting. common on truck guns in winter here(coyote hunters). Warmed by floor heat, take out of pickup, gets cold, bring back into pickup warmed again. Floor is soaking wet from snow. Condensation developes, pitting mostly at muzzle end. That's my theory.

 

[snert]

Multiply that by 100 and you have a Hornet barrel i once owned, purchased used. Moly plus seaside living did it. sections where there were no lands at all. it still shot 1 inch groups, but fouled like crazy and would throw crazy fliers.

 

[L.Sherm]

Smoking Joe hit the nail on the head, I saw this in a whole stick of steel.

 

[DanS]

yea, I cleaned it again, used brushes, Butches Bore shine, let soak overnight with a foaming bore cleaner, JB bore paste and kroil, did it all again like I did the first time before the pictures. Pitting is still there.

 

[DaveTooley]

Any where powder fouling touches the barrel oxidation can and will set in. SS or CM it doesn't matter. The fouling acts like a cotton ball and traps moisture against the steel. Add temperature swings drawing in new moisture laden air and the process is accelerated. The best example I can put forward is the many muzzles I've seen over the years that the last 5/8" or so are completely pitted. Warm barrel cools and draws moisture in resulting in pitting. I once sent an almost new SS barrel in to be Cryo'd. I didn't clean it beforehand. When it came back it had pits scattered from one end to the other. Moisture from the cold treatment in combination with fouling and the post cryo heat cycle pitted the barrel. I do a lot of LE work and their barrels are the worst. They're always worried about the first cold bore shot. The rifles are stored dirty, in the trunk of their patrol car. Perfect storm to accelerate pitting with the temperature extremes. I recommend that if you don't have time for a thorough cleaning at least push a dry patch through to get the powder fouling out.