Anyone actually had choke tubes installed in a fixed gun?

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ArmedBear

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I've got my eye on a SxS game gun, to use, not to buy and look at.

It's currently fixed, a tight Full and Modified, which is not ideal for what I want. However, simply having it reamed to IC/M isn't exactly ideal, either, since I'd like the option to use SK/IC for steel shot, and SK/SK for practice -- and sometimes M/F might be the ticket for hunting, too.

Of course, I can have screw-in choke tubes installed. However, I have never had this done. Has anyone here? What were your experiences? What did they do to the balance of the barrels? Anything else I should know?

Thanks!

(For the record, it's not an antique, nor anything else of collector value.)
 
Briley is the leader in this field. One friend I shoot with had their Thin Walls installed in his Perazzi pigeon gun to make it a sporting gun. Tell them what the barrel thickness is, and they'll be able to tell you if it can be done. Since it is a SxS, I'm assuming you want the flush type versus the extended ones. When it's done right, the weight difference won't be too much
 
My dad had one done many years ago on a 870 wm 12ga. I local guy in Topeka did the work. They cut the barrel down i think 3". The barrel was then exterior threaded to accept screw on chokes. I seems to work fine think he has three chokes for this gun and no problems that i know of. I have know idea about the success of a sxs or o/u for this.
 
I have had several done, and not regretted one yet. I simply do not understand the "oh I wouldn't have that done to my fixed choke barrel" crowd. As long as you use a reputable 'smith, it only increases the guns versatility. Contrary to internet rumor, fixed choke barrels do not pattern better.
 
Contrary to internet rumor, fixed choke barrels do not pattern better.
Click to expand...

THAT is unmitigated BS.....you, it seems, have never fired a fixed choke gun with quality fixed chokes.....think Browning Superposed, Perazzi, Fabbri, David McKay Brown, AyA, Grulla, Arrizabalaga, Piotti, Bertuzzi, etc............

The best guns made come with fixed chokes that are true and made to measure to customer's requirements...................
 
I have patterned plenty of chokes, both fixed and choke tubes, and the only significant differences I have seen when comparing quality fixed chokes and quality choke tubes were due entirely to the relationship of the choke to the bore. You will get one barrel that patterns a little more evenly or another that patterns a little tighter, but telling which one is going to due what before you pattern them is a wild guess. You can also get tubes bored to your specs if you want. There is no magic in chokes. Quality machining will determine the performance whether they are fixed or tubes. I have never seen a Superposed, AYA, or a Perazzi that patterned any better than a 1960s era Remington. I am not saying any of them are not very good guns either.
Oh, I apologize, because I meant to say we are not talking about collectable or $50,000 guns 99.999% of the time, but a pre choke tube era Remington, Browning, Winchester, etc. repeater barrels.
 
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Most of those guns mentioned are not 50,000 collectibles, but everyday bird guns. Patterning IS important - glad you mentioned that, because most folks, especially those who shoot tubes, take the label on the choke as correct - which it may or may not even be close. Older US guns from Smith, Parker, Ithaca, Fox, Savage/Stevens, etc. all had fixed chokes, mostly F -F that patterned well with the loads of the day. Installing tubes in them today would be a benefit with shooting today's ammunition.

You are correct that the relationship to the bore is important - that is where fixed chokes shine,unless you go to the extreme and get custom chokes bored exactly for each barrel
 
I've had the folks at Colonial Arms do several barrels for me. The first time I had a barrel modified for choke tubes, it was done by Patternmaster and came back with one of their tubes installed. Never had choke tubes put in a double, though.

At this point, and given the experience I've had, I'd be more likely to work with various loads and see what I could manage as far as adjusting patterns as desired, rather than going the choke tube route. But YMMV.

lpl
 
AB,

I had my Pedersen 1000 (Beretta BL-4) done by Briley, they installed their "Thin Walled choke tubes".

Because the BL series had very thin walled barrels to begin with, Briley were the only folks that would even consider doing the work, and that was only after I sent them the barrels to be measured....

They did a fantastic job!! They sent it back with 5 flush choke tubes (Skeet through Light Mod). The downsides were the cost and it took 3 - 4 weeks from sending them the barrels to me getting them back.

I have since bought a bunch of extended choke tubes for it, too... more cost...

The gun was originally choked Full / Mod, I could "get by" with using the Mod barrel for skeet but I couldn't hit a thing with the Full barrel....I wanted to use the gun for skeet, so the cost of having Briley do the job outweighed not being able to use this gun al all for skeet...

Another thing to consider when chosing to have tubes installed was, what will it do to the value of the gun.... having Briley install chokes on the Pedersen didn't "hurt" the value of the shotgun (it didn't add any value, either)...
 
What did they charge you?

I, too, would like to shoot Skeet some. I personally don't want to go afield with a gun I never shoot, even if it's not my primary gun for shattering the frisbees.
 
The "theading" plus 5 chokes was $399, that's not too bad considering they seem to be making more $$ every few weeks off of me buying "extended" tubes.... At $80 a piece, they start to add up, since I use the gun for sporting clays, too....

Why couldn't I be addicted to drugs.... sometimes, I think it would be cheaper :D :what: ...just kidding (well, not the being cheaper part)
 
Aw, nuts. For 400 bucks plus shipping, plus the price of the gun, I have a lot of options...

Thanks for the info.
 
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