Teslong Borescope review. Taking a hard look at the firearms bore.
Most shooters spend plenty of time cleaning the outside of their firearms, but very few ever get a real look at what’s happening inside the barrel itself. Until fairly recently, the only way to judge a barrel’s condition was by accuracy on target or by shining a light down the bore and hoping for the best. Today, affordable borescopes allow shooters to inspect the inside of their barrels in remarkable detail.
I opted for the Teslong NTG 100. It seemed nice enough, but at around $60, it was a low-risk investment.
I had a rifle class looming and decided to eyeball the gas port on my Barnes Precision Machine 7.5″ 5.56 SBR upper that has seen several thousand rounds. What immediately becomes apparent when looking through a borescope is just how much information is hidden inside the bore. You can clearly see copper fouling, carbon buildup, and even subtle wear patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed. Looking closely at the gas port, it has eroded enough that it is out of spec or very close to it. That puts me at overgassing the gun, causing bolt overspeed and a potential malfunction.
The flexible scope pairs with your Droid or Apple device via an app and a mini USB. It is controlled via the app, where you can take and save photos and/or videos of the bore.
The end has an adjustable LED light providing light for the camera. The bore scope looks straight ahead, so you can easily examine down a bore, but you also have several threaded angled mirrors that allow you to see at right angles. Choose the one that is closest to the caliber of the firearm you are observing.
That kind of information can be valuable. While most shooters may never “wear out” a barrel in normal use, a borescope can help identify excessive fouling, unusual wear patterns, or potential problems before they begin affecting accuracy or reliability.
Modern borescopes are also surprisingly versatile. Once you see the inside of a well-used rifle bore for the first time, you may never look at barrel maintenance quite the same way again.
While it should be obvious, I am going to state that you should be sure your firearm is clear, and there is no ammunition in or around the gun. Always observe the four rules of gun safety.
