Fixed Choke SxS Shotguns

[chas08]

On which barrel of a fixed choke SxS is the looser choke usually found? I have always been under the impression the right barrel was usually the looser choke. I've only owned one fixed choke SxS, a .410, and it was full/full. I have spoken with an owner of a Stevens 311 who says the right barrel is full and the left barrel is modified. The gun is not available for me to measure the chokes. Could this be right?

 

[PTK]

Usually, the left barrel/rear trigger/second shot is a tighter choke, as established by W. W. Greener in the 1800s. Basically, if you miss the first shot out to 30-40 yards, the second shot is good for an additional 10 yards or so with more choke.

 

[Jim Watson]

The right barrel - front trigger - is usually the open choke, the left/rear are closer; suitable for flushing game.
I wonder that more British guns are not the other way 'round because of their custom of shooting driven birds as they come in.

 

[win71]

Not only British

I have an old Parker Trojan 12 ga. #2 framed that came with two sets of barrels. One set marked with a #1 the other #2 and both, including forearms, with the same serial number. Although the choke is not marked on the Parkers, measurements show both are choked roughly improved modified/improved cylinder. They are choked opposite of each other. In other words one set has the tight choke on the left the other on the right.

The only thing I can figure is the original owner hunted upland birds over a dog and incoming ducks over decoys. At least that is how I'm using it.

As a general rule the front trigger-right barrel- open choke is the norm.

 

[PTK]

Jim,

The way Greener choked his shotguns was the same way - first/right shot is choked for 30-40 yards 30" circle coverage, second/left shot for 10 or so yards further with the same coverage, perfect for flushing game. Seems that it's simply the custom.

Either way, it was an interesting read in one of his books - the thinking that goes into the designs as cartridges and chokes and such were still fairly new.

 

[Virginian]

Be sure and tell you buddy to hang onto that 311. It's a real collector's item with that choke set up. I wonder if he is looking at the barrels upside down and....

 

[chas08]

Another Question Stevens 311 fans

Is the stevens 311 scaled to gauge in the smaller gauges, such as 16 and 20.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Pretty sure the Stevens 311 is not scaled for any gauge. Scaling doubles makes them inherently more expensive for obvious reasons.

That said though subgauge 311s do handle a good deal better than the 12 and are progressively lighter in overall weight. The 20 gauge is probably the best feeling and the 16 gauge the 2nd best. The 410 has a huge chunk of steel at the monoblock where the tiny 410 holes are visible compared to the shuck of steel that has to take up the rest of the receiver. This makes the gun excessively heavy towards the rear.

 

[Speedo66]

Many 311(5100) models with 30" barrels had full choke on both.