Worn choke

[Renton83]

I recently got a Winchester model 12 made In 1917 with 30" full choke barrel. The barrel has not been cut back. Pattern testing it doesnt seem like full choke and when I measured the choke it's .720 and a dime easily slides in. Is my choke just worn out? My dad has never seen this on a shotgun, he thinks maybe years of shooting slugs wore it out. I'm guessing I cant do much about it since adding a screw in choke wouldn't work with such a thin barrel wall. Any ideas if I can fix this and what caused it

 

[Cvans]

If the barrel has been cut there is a good chance that it is no longer choked. Probably straight cylinder bore now.

 

[rbernie]

The barrel has not been cut back.

How did you verify this?

My dad has never seen this on a shotgun, he thinks maybe years of shooting slugs wore it out.

You can expand a tight choke on a thin-wall barrel by shooting lots of non-compressible loads, but that will literally expand the whole barrel - a simple glance down the side under a light will reveal if the muzzle end has been expanded or is still perfectly straight.

I suspect that, if you're sure that the barrel has not been cut, that somebody paid to have the choke reamed out to Skeet.

 

[Jim Watson]

Caution, I am like Will Rogers, all I know is what I read on the internet.

I never heard of a shotgun being fired so much as to wear the choke out. Lots of them have been reamed to open the pattern, though.

Too thin for tubes, it could probably be jug choked at least a little to tighten the pattern. I don't know where to get that done for a breechloader although there are shops choking muzzleloaders that way.

Brownells sells an adapter that solders on to accept choke tubes. It is going to be ugly with a capital Ugh, though.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...el-turned-to-795-sku514132795-7754-19583.aspx

 

[Renton83]

How did you verify this?
You can expand a tight choke on a thin-wall barrel by shooting lots of non-compressible loads, but that will literally expand the whole barrel - a simple glance down the side under a light will reveal if the muzzle end has been expanded or is still perfectly straight.

I suspect that, if you're sure that the barrel has not been cut, that somebody paid to have the choke reamed out to Skeet.

Well it measures exactly 30" so I assumed it wasn't but I could be wrong, everything looks unaltered with this gun.

 

[rbernie]

Well it measures exactly 30" so I assumed it wasn't but I could be wrong, everything looks unaltered with this gun.

Roger - I'd run with the assumption that the choke was reamed. That's not necessarily a bad thing - it was a common way to correct the overly full chokes of the era (supposedly dictated by the overly soft shot of the era).

Any ideas if I can fix this

What are you trying to fix? If the gun shoots well for your intended game using your intended loads, then nothing needs to be done. Most folk would rather have a skeet-to-improved over an extra-full, if the gun is not going to be used for turkey / waterfowl.

 

[Virginian]

There is no such thing as a barrel too thin for choke tubes. I had Briley Thinwalls installed in a couple of SxSs with barrels far thinner than any Model 12 ever made.

 

[George P]

Use a bore gauge, not a damn dime - that is old wives' BS. If the bore is truly .729 and the muzzle is truly .720, the barrel has an IC constriction. None of that matters however; what matters is how it patterns with your choice of ammo. Ammo back in 1917 was paper hulls and fiber wads so results then would be different than they would be today with modern ammo. Slugs go though full chokes just fine; that said, accuracy is better with an IC

 

[Armored farmer]

Its been bored out.

 

[243winxb]

Hard Mag shot, plastic buffer, less velocity will all tighten patterns.

 

[Bill M.]

Yes, I think the barrel choke has probably been reamed or honed out. I do not think wear or shooting slugs would do that. Yes, Briley could add thin wall choke tubes. They work great. I have an O/U with them. Briley thin walls are pretty expensive. Yes, the gun could be "jug choked" to tighten the pattern. I had one done. About $50 plus shipping to Mike Orlen. It actually worked well and the gun shoots super tight patterns now. All in all I think you should pattern the gun to see about what it is doing and shoot it as is. Whoever had that done was probably happy they "fixed" the full choke.

 

[DocRock]

There is no such thing as a barrel too thin for choke tubes. I had Briley Thinwalls installed in a couple of SxSs with barrels far thinner than any Model 12 ever made.

That’s not true. Even thin wall Teague chokes require a minimum barrel thickness. In this case, Model 12, it does seem unlikely that barrel wall thickness would be below minimum.

A chap I used to shoot with had a Zabala Hermanos made 20 ga SxS fixed IC/M (ideally choked IMNSHO) that for some reason he wanted to have threaded for screw in chokes and the IC barrel wall was too thin.

 

[earplug]

I'd try a variety of loads trying to find a pattern you need.
Years ago I read about a system to roll a choke constriction on a barrel. Worked like a pipe cutter but with bronze rollers that were a couple inches long.
A talented machine shop could bore the muzzle back, silver solder a sleeve inside and then ream the sleeve to your needs. Its your money.

 

[DocRock]

If you want it threaded for choke, Mike Orlen is your man:

 

[Scribner]

Mike Orlen is highly recommended here and on Shotgunworld,com. I have heard a fair number recommend Briley thin walls.

I side with the people say tell us what want to shoot. I have a couple Model 12’s, shopping for Mod chokes took time. That lets me shoot some trap and some sporting clays. Full would be too much. My daughter shoots trap with a Heavy Duck. It’s extra full with modern shells, but she takes her sweet time for the shot to develop, so extra full is great for her.

 

[Renton83]

Your right I'll just leave the gun as is, this way I can safely shoot slugs without worry. I just was curious why the choke was opened up but the consensus seems to be someone probably reamed it open at some point