Teslong borescope -- What It Reveals Can Bug You

[20 TAC]

Not due to lack of performance or functionality of the borescope. Rather, it has revealed that while my copper removal program is working well, getting the carbon out isn’t. Thus, it has caused me to spend the last 2 days removing carbon from a few rifles. C4, a bronze brush, and a little patience does the trick.

It does leave me wondering, however, about the old saying of “out of sight, out of mind”. Or in other words a “solution looking for a problem”.

 

[GetReal]

Teslong = TMI.

It can drive a person crazy.

If yer rifles shootin' good, stay away from Teslong.

 

[Rick Richard]

I have one. Used it a couple of times and put it DEEP into the closet. Creates too much anxiety.

 

[danny]

Not due to lack of performance or functionality of the borescope. Rather, it has revealed that while my copper removal program is working well, getting the carbon out isn’t. Thus, it has caused me to spend the last 2 days removing carbon from a few rifles. C4, a bronze brush, and a little patience does the trick.

It does leave me wondering, however, about the old saying of “out of sight, out of mind”. Or in other words a “solution looking for a problem”.

It's better to have that Teschlong and be able to look inside.

Danny

 

[Kracken McGraw]

There dang good to make sure you get all the cooper out. Getting ever last streak of carbon out may be comparable to what condition you like your animals to be in( race track ready or fat& pretty).

 

[XTR]

I believe I wrote along time ago, that the best way to make a rifle stop shooting well is to look in the barrel with the borescope. Is fact.

 

[pdog06]

Yep. I’ve definitely spent a lot more time and money with cleaning since I got my Teslong.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

There really is such a thing as too smooth. Not sure about too clean but the abrasive cleaners that have become popular today polish the bore. I think we are sometimes our own worst enemy and with the advent of $50 borescopes and a touch of OCD...we can create more problems than we fix with abrasive cleaners. Before jumping on me about that, remember this...I know of a couple of bbl makers that strongly suggest or void your warranty altogether if you use abrasives like Iosso or Thoroclean. So, it's not just coming from me.
Maybe we were better off without borescopes that show every iota left behind that makes some people polish too much. Yes, they're clean but maybe too smooth by the time we get there...especially so if used regularly.

I sure wish I had taken pics of a bbl I was sent a couple of years back, just to put a tuner on. I did the install and thought I'd do a quick clean before sending it home.
Well, the very first patch of patch out came out like new blue jeans. I continued for a while and it was freakin loaded with copper after a few soakings.
It was a 30BR, famous for lack of copper fouling and it was a premium bbl.

I finally called the owner....I asked if it had been fouling...Nope Never...BUT! He had just changed his cleaning process to include Thoroclean.
I thought well, maybe.
Bottom line, it was a bbl that never fouled before changing his cleaning routine and it was damn sure fouling now! Maybe as bad as any I've ever seen! And I've seen some ugly ones!

But this thing was freakin gorgeous inside and had a low round count. It was so gorgeous, it was like a mirror inside.

I told the customer my thoughts but never followed up with him like I should on this.
But some things are pretty indisputable.
The bbl never fouled before
He changed his cleaning method to an abrasive type cleaner.
The bore now fouled as bad or worse than any I've ever seen
And the bore looked like a mirror once I finally got the copper out without abrasives.

Just sayin...This is my firsthand account and I'm hearing more and more of these types of things all the time from shooters.
Abrasives sure make things pretty and easy BUT like I said...there ABSOLUTELY is such thing as a bore that's TOO smooth..believe it or not.

I've seen others and I've seen pics of several more that align with what I'm sayin. And don't forget, there are top of the line bbl makers that have been saying the same thing too.

That's the biggest problem with borescopes, right there! They were made affordable to a community that is anal in every detail and where more must always be better!!

Rant off now but I hope ya'll hear me on this.

 

[jlshaw]

Looking through borescopes can't scare me.
I own Savage barrels!

 

[CJ6]

It's more about the carbon ring and throat wear for me, yes copper too.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

It's more about the carbon ring and throat wear for me, yes copper too.

They're a good tool to inspect for a carbon ring or anything else but it comes down to how we deal with what it shows us. How on earth did we ever make it without them(borescopes) so well?

 

[jelenko]

My personal experience.
I've been using Iosso/Thorroclean or Flitz [just the first 4 inches] after every 50 or so rounds for the past four years over 10 [223] barrels. The barrels all have been Wilsons [from WOA], Shilen or X Caliber. After 3000 rounds I've been getting only get the slightest blue from Boretech's Eliminator.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Days of time spent cleaning is silly. Every 300 or so rounds give it a once over with iosso. For 223 size case more like 500. It will clean that carbon right up. Remember, less is more. Don't try to get every last spec out. This occasional deep clean is the only time I bother getting the teslong out. The rest of the time I just use accelerator and wipe out.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

My personal experience.
I've been using Iosso/Thorroclean or Flitz [just the first 4 inches] after every 50 or so rounds for the past four years over 10 [223] barrels. The barrels all have been Wilsons [from WOA], Shilen or X Caliber. After 3000 rounds I've been getting only get the slightest blue from Boretech's Eliminator.

It's not a bad product but I think it gets misused and that's why multiple bbl makers void their warranty because of it.

I personally think you're over doing it a bit but if it's working for ya, do what you and your bbl maker agree on. Remember, it's not just how often, but how and how many strokes too.

Personally, if I use abrasives at all it'll be more like every 300-500 rounds. I mean, how did we ever make it without abrasive cleaners, before? Lol! I think I said two good things about abrasive cleaners in my long post above...that they work and they work EASILY. I think the easy part is what gets most of us. Then we over do it.

Again though, it doesn't matter one iota what I think. So talk to your bbl maker before going the easy route. He may already have said that your warranty is void if you use abrasive cleaners and some may say it's void if you use them a certain way. Bottom line...listen to your bbl maker.

 

[G Liles]

Days of time spent cleaning is silly. Every 300 or so rounds give it a once over with iosso. For 223 size case more like 500. It will clean that carbon right up. Remember, less is more. Don't try to get every last spec out. This occasional deep clean is the only time I bother getting the teslong out. The rest of the time I just use accelerator and wipe out.

I want everyone who’s shooting competitively to use this cleaning regime, especially when shooting against me. I’m speaking of 600 yard Benchrest.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I want everyone who’s shooting competitively to use this cleaning regime, especially when shooting against me. I’m speaking of 600 yard Benchrest.

Lol! Explain it all to your bbl maker, man. If he's good with it, so am I.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

I want everyone who’s shooting competitively to use this cleaning regime, especially when shooting against me. I’m speaking of 600 yard Benchrest

I got the patchout method from speedy \ cortina and the iosso interval from alex wheeler. Carry on...

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I got the patchout method from speedy \ cortina and the iosso interval from alex wheeler. Carry on...

I'm not even sayin they are right or wrong. The only thing that matters is what your bbl maker thinks unless you're willing to keep paying your smiths and bbl makers. Lol!
I've used the patch out and accelerator for years now. And very occasionally, lightly hit it with JB. It's not about what works. It's about what the bbl maker will stand behind. Since we can hit them lightly...or we can polish them to chrome with abrasives, standing behind them is tough on the bbl makers. So, the logical thing to do is for them not to stand behind using a product that they've seen cause problems when misused. Yes, the worst part is definitely the subjectivity involved here.

If I were a bbl maker, expecting people to polish my bbls further by their cleaning methods...I guess I'd go to a couser finish lap before they get it.

Like Tooley says...it's about keeping the phone from ringing. At what point do all bbls look worse than they used to just to keep the phone from ringing? Get it?

 

[kelbro]

Not for competition but one of my best shooting 22" sporter factory Savage barrels looks like the tracks from a D8 dozer. It carbons a little. It coppers a little. Shoots under MOA out to 200 easily.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

I'm not even sayin they are right or wrong. The only thing that matters is what your bbl maker thinks unless you're willing to keep paying your smiths and bbl makers. Lol!
I've used the patch out and accelerator for years now. And very occasionally, lightly hit it with JB. It's not about what works. It's about what the bbl maker will stand behind. Since we can hit them lightly...or we can polish them to chrome with abrasives, standing behind them is tough on the bbl makers. So, the logical thing to do is for them not to stand behind using a product that they've seen cause problems when misused. Yes, the worst part is definitely the subjectivity involved here.

If I were a bbl maker, expecting people to polish my bbls further by their cleaning methods...I guess I'd go to a couser finish lap before they get it.

I have seen frank greens posts and interviews too. I wouldn't call for warranty after using a drill with iosso for hours lol