Mossberg Accu-Choke aka External Adjustable Choke & 00 Buck

[dust_101]

Quick question folks, I have a barrel that came with my 500, the 500 is currently fixed with a fully rifled cantilever ported barrel that I use for whitetail, but this original barrel is one of the "C-Lect" chokes where you can adjust the external choke. It is marked for IC / MOD / FULL. When I was first given this shotgun I tested the patterns with some target birdshot and twisting the choke did improve the pattern.

Question is this: Can 00 Buck damage the adjustable choke on these style barrels? Essentially the adjustment is just tightening a fan style choke and it won't be as solid a pattern at FULL as it would for a fixed or screw-in choke but to get the best pattern using the 00 Buck would I be risking damage to the choke at all?

I've got the original wood, and barrel for this gun sitting away and I'd just hate to damage any of it, shotgun came from my wife's grandpa and it was in the original Montgomery Wards (Western Field) box with the price on it.

 

[Oldnamvet]

If cranked all the way up to full choke, I would definitely believe that it could damage it. If opened up all the way to IC, I don't believe it would necessarily harm it. The choke does have some flex to the petals. I have shot buck from an old Sears pump equipped with a poly-choke in the IC position and it didn't seem to affect it. Patterns didn't change with birdshot but then I only did it a few times. If I were going to shoot a lot of buck in that gun, I'd simply get another barrel and save the original.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Kept on the open settings it should be fine.

And, the patterning board is your friend.

 

[scott.475]

Hey all,

I know this is an old thread, but I just came into possession of the same kind shotgun as the OP listed in his thread, with the adjustable choke. I do not have a lot of experience with chokes, but on this particular shotgun, when the adjusting collar is on improved cylinder, the collar is VERY loose. So loose, I can't imagine the collar holding position under recoil. My question, is there a way I can safely bend the petals of the choke out just a bit to add some friction to the collar? I presume this is how it is supposed to work, that the petals provide some pressure on the collar to keep it from moving, but I really don't know. I can't imagine, though, that the threads alone are supposed to accomplish this.