Break the Bore Scope and Break the Bank

[Lapua40X]

Even though my Hawkeye borescope was protected in the expanded foam inside its box, when I bumped the box and it fell to the floor it found its way out of the box and into the base of my drill press. Result = broken mirror.
So I tried to order a replacement mirror. How hard can it be to epoxy a little mirror at a 45 degree angle inside a metal tube.
Order one? No can do.
So the only way to make it like new is to send it back to Gradient Lens Corp.
Their charge = $85 :'(
Shipping is, of course, not included.
If you own one of these things be careful with it (might even want to insure it)

 

[bobm]

I just now finished looking at a few of my comp. rifle bores with one. Me and a buddy co own one bought four years ago. Nice piece of equipment, we share it every other month. Occasionally we let others take a peek at their bores under close supervision from us. They are delicate. Good to know about this repair policy.

 

[ridgeway]

Something that expensive and delicate, I'd probably send it back for repairs.

 

[pdog2225]

That little mirror is not like a regular mirror. The coating is on the outside, not behind the glass. I know gunsmith that got hydralic oil on his and it took the mirror finish off. So be careful and keep it away from solvents.

 

[Joe R]

Fragility. That is exactly why I decided to go with a digital bore scope.

The digital version only cost $200 and is not as good as the Hawkeye, but it is good enough. I'm not doing jet engine blade inspections, just looking in the bore of a rifle.
It works and in 5 years I'll throw it away and by then they'll have way better resolution. Just as analog cameras have disappeared so will analog bore scopes.

 

[lrgoodger]

$85? That's nothing. Try breaking the main glass filled tube like I did. It cost over 1/3 the price of the instrument to get it repaired, and I didn't even bend the metal tube.

 

[Ggmac]

I posted a month or so ago that they are fragile ,and I got so many replies stating they are not . I almost gave up replying to any questions . When I ordered and received my 1 st hawkeye it was marked fragile . Thank God I've not had any issues . Mine is about 10-15 yrs old .
I do have the digital from Amazon , but the quality in image is nite and day .
The digital goes to gun shows , the range , the gunshop etc , hawkeye stays in tha Machine shop .
Gary

 

[MrMajestic]

I run/own a Renishaw Laser Interferometer and their "Ladies Compact mirrors", as I call them, are $1500!

 

[Joe R]

Mine looks exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Endoscope-Borescope-Inspection-RRNTS210/dp/B00JJFMDG6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1408667617&sr=8-13&keywords=Inspection+Camera+5.5+mm+Digital+Borescope+Endoscope

It has a 5.5mm tip and 1 meter fiber optic and fits very nicely in a .22 or 6mm bore or larger.

 

[hoz53]

Wow I'm glad I read this thread. I have always been careful with mine, but I have been getting a
Little careless lately. I won't let that happen anymore.

 

[snakepit]

Fragility. That is exactly why I decided to go with a digital bore scope.

The digital version only cost $200 and is not as good as the Hawkeye, but it is good enough.

Mine looks exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Endoscope-Borescope-Inspection-RRNTS210/dp/B00JJFMDG6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1408667617&sr=8-13&keywords=Inspection+Camera+5.5+mm+Digital+Borescope+Endoscope

It has a 5.5mm tip and 1 meter fiber optic and fits very nicely in a .22 or 6mm bore or larger.

I am not sure if you are the one who posted this on a previous thread but I read the post and ordered one through a Amazon dealer. I was not impressed at all with it and neither were a few of my shooting buddies. I thought the video was poor quality and some of the additional features did not work. When I called the dealer for some technical help he simply sent me another copy of the instructions that had come with the scope. He offered to return some of my money if I would keep it but I returned it and received a full refund. This may work well in things like plumbing, heating vents and motors but as for rifle barrels it is not for me. I thought that the 5.5mm tip and cable was not that easy to get down my 6mm barrel. I took the stainless steel hood off the camera because it was razor sharp and I worried about it damaging the barrel. I would think a 5.5mm camera would be snug in your .22 (5.588mm) barrel.

 

[Ggmac]

It's not a replacement for a hawk eye . In it's video format it's resolution sucks , but in snapshot mode ,connected toa laptop it's better . But still no hawk eye. That being said there seems to be a big diff in quality of the digital . The first one I received was crap , I returned and received one that had much ,much better resolution , the mirror actually was centered and you could use it .
It is a hit or miss , my friend ordered one and received a fantastic one .
Gary

 

[dickn52]

Mine looks exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Endoscope-Borescope-Inspection-RRNTS210/dp/B00JJFMDG6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1408667617&sr=8-13&keywords=Inspection+Camera+5.5+mm+Digital+Borescope+Endoscope

It has a 5.5mm tip and 1 meter fiber optic and fits very nicely in a .22 or 6mm bore or larger.

Confused by the link pic. One place says 5.5mm and then it says the camera head is 8.2mm One might fit tight in a .22, the other would not. So which is it I suppose? I need a head that fits a .22.

 

[Preacher]

I dropped the mirror tube on mine a few years ago, on a carpeted floor and it broke, the replacement cost about gave me a heart attack.
Really, really careful with it now.

 

[snakepit]

Mine looks exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Endoscope-Borescope-Inspection-RRNTS210/dp/B00JJFMDG6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1408667617&sr=8-13&keywords=Inspection+Camera+5.5+mm+Digital+Borescope+Endoscope

It has a 5.5mm tip and 1 meter fiber optic and fits very nicely in a .22 or 6mm bore or larger.

Confused by the link pic. One place says 5.5mm and then it says the camera head is 8.2mm One might fit tight in a .22, the other would not. So which is it I suppose? I need a head that fits a .22.

I noticed that when I was checking into ordering one. It comes in two different sizes but the one I ordered and received from this Amazon link was the 5.5mm one.

 

[snakepit]

The first one I received was crap , I returned and received one that had much ,much better resolution
Gary

That in itself is enough of a reason for me not to order one. I am not into rolling the dice and hope I get a good one when I order things. If I had known that I probably would not have ordered one because the one I received was as you put it "crap". They did take it back and gave me a full refund.

 

[VaniB]

I own a Hawkeye myself. It wasn't cheap when I bought it, and I don't expect it to be cheap when I break it.

Have some of you guys ever had to hire a professional licensed tradesman to work for you? (ie; electrician, plumber, heat-AC repair) Have you had to have any car repairs done by a certified auto shop lately? When your smith charges you $400-$500 labor for a half days work, does that seem like he was working for peanuts? I think the problem with many of us in this sport, (myself included sometimes) is that we come to hope or expect that the manufacturers and service departments will throw stuff to us free or at their cost. This kind of bill really isn't out of line.