Borescoped barrel and it is blue

[matchu865]

First post on the forum, although I've been reading for a while.

I recently got a borescope, and have been using it to examine copper/carbon fouling before/after cleaning my rifles. One strange thing that I'm not sure how to interpret is the almost consistent blue coloration of my Tikka T3x barrel. None of my other barrels exhibit this coloration and I have been cleaning them similarly. This condition is pretty consistent from throat to muzzle, but the chamber and the very start of the throat are white metal.

Does anyone know what this is? Is the entire barrel coated in a thin layer of copper? I'm not really concerned because the rifle still shoots well enough for my purposes (well under 1 moa @ 300yds), but I'd be curious to know.

Attached are pics of the bore from the borescope. I have a video as well but it was too large to attach.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Looks like you got the carbon out fairly well. Is this a stainless or blued barrel? Have you been short stroking the chamber end with iosso or jb by chance?

 

[matchu865]

It's a stainless barrel. Today after shooting (these pictures are older) I used iosso very conservatively in the bore for the first time and the only thing I noticed that changes is that there is now absolutely no black carbon in the barrel - I believe the pictures above show a couple streaks. The blue 'finish' remains. Only a couple of strokes with a plastic brush, and I try not to short stroke - I'm scared of ruining things!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Man i just dont know why it would be blue then. Is your borescope clean and charged up? Ambient light outside the barrel different?

 

[big5ifty]

Try for the same picture with a flashlight, not the borescope light.

 

[matchu865]

Man i just dont know why it would be blue then. Is your borescope clean and charged up? Ambient light outside the barrel different?

I scoped a different rifle in the exact same position on the same day and it looks normal stainless/white colored. Like I mentioned earlier the rifle shoots fine so I'm not worried about it at all, but utterly confusing.

Try for the same picture with a flashlight, not the borescope light.

Good idea. I'll try this the next time I clean the rifle.

 

[1shot]

I agree with @414gates. That hue of blue reminds me of those high intensity head lights on cars.

Lloyd

 

[joshb]

Good looking barrel. Did you buy the gun new or used? It looks like it’s been treated with something. What “products” have you used in the barrel?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Good looking barrel. Did you buy the gun new or used? It looks like it’s been treated with something. What “products” have you used in the barrel?

Maybe one of those “seasoned bores” @butchlambert is always looking for?

 

[robert8904]

What cartridge, bullet and powder? Maybe Tikka is buying some barrel steel from the Smurfs?

 

[Big Mc]

First post on the forum, although I've been reading for a while.

I recently got a borescope, and have been using it to examine copper/carbon fouling before/after cleaning my rifles. One strange thing that I'm not sure how to interpret is the almost consistent blue coloration of my Tikka T3x barrel. None of my other barrels exhibit this coloration and I have been cleaning them similarly. This condition is pretty consistent from throat to muzzle, but the chamber and the very start of the throat are white metal.

Does anyone know what this is? Is the entire barrel coated in a thin layer of copper? I'm not really concerned because the rifle still shoots well enough for my purposes (well under 1 moa @ 300yds), but I'd be curious to know.

Attached are pics of the bore from the borescope. I have a video as well but it was too large to attach.

THe blue is a light reflection. Tommy Mc

 

[STS]

Take the right angle mirror off and put a cotton tip swab in the barrel in front of the bore scope. It keeps the light "captured" in front of the lens. It makes a big difference in my experience.

 

[divingin]

Looks like your borescope is using a high Kelvin temperature LED for illumination (which puts it well towards the blue end.)

See if your camera app has a white balance adjustment. Set it a bit more towards the red end of the spectrum.

 

[matchu865]

Okay some more pictures that I took today during lunch.

First one is using the borescope light but with the mirror removed.

Second one is using the mirror, but using a held a flashlight held at the muzzle.



Third photo uses the borescope light. The only thing I notice on this third photo is that there are flecks of white metal visible. There are a few of these places throughoutt the bore.

What cartridge, bullet and powder? Maybe Tikka is buying some barrel steel from the Smurfs?

Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5 CM with somewhere between 2-400 rounds on it.

Good looking barrel. Did you buy the gun new or used? It looks like it’s been treated with something. What “products” have you used in the barrel?

Bought the gun new. To clean I use Boretech Eliminator and Hoppes #9 mostly.

THe blue is a light reflection. Tommy Mc

I tend to think so as well given the experiment with the external light, it is strange that my other barrels don't exhibit this though.

 

[SSL]

Okay some more pictures that I took today during lunch.

First one is using the borescope light but with the mirror removed.
View attachment 1413528
Second one is using the mirror, but using a held a flashlight held at the muzzle.
View attachment 1413530


Third photo uses the borescope light. The only thing I notice on this third photo is that there are flecks of white metal visible. There are a few of these places throughoutt the bore.
View attachment 1413531


Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5 CM with somewhere between 2-400 rounds on it.


Bought the gun new. To clean I use Boretech Eliminator and Hoppes #9 mostly.


I tend to think so as well given the experiment with the external light, it is strange that my other barrels don't exhibit this though.

Are these pictures direct to a file on a phone or computer or photographed from a computer screen?

 

[matchu865]

Are these pictures direct to a file on a phone or computer or photographed from a computer screen?

Borescope plugs into the computer via USB, and I use the Windows camera app to take the photo. Same as taking a photo/video via a webcam.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I don't know the why's.
If you're seeing copper and want it out....

If it was mine I would either shoot it or clean it more than shoot it.

 

[msalm]

Heat treatment/stress relief colors. CHF barrels require a stress relief after rifling, same as button barrels. Usually it’s more of a plum color, but that’s what it is.

 

[SSL]

Borescope plugs into the computer via USB, and I use the Windows camera app to take the photo. Same as taking a photo/video via a webcam.

Thanks. Kills that idea. Sometimes when viewing borescope pictures directly on my computer screen, the filtering seems to give a blue cast like I see on yours. If these are direct files, that isn't the issue. Weird!

 

[LVLAaron]

I dont think the white balance is off. You can see pure white light around the mirror. If the WB were off, that would be too.

That's a blue barrel.