Zapp Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 Apart from my auto, I also own an Ugartechea SXS 12b Unfortunately, it is choked 3/4 3/4 (WHY???), confirmed with a choke gauge I bought it for £150, in pretty much new condition. I reckon I got a pretty good bargain, as I have seen the same gun for sale for £300 + second hand in gun shops and on the net. What would it cost me to get it re bored down to say 1/4 1/2? I only ask as I get invited on quite a few shoots where using the semi would nt be popluar, but want to weigh the cost of getting it re-bored against buying a more "sociably acceptable" O/U. Aside from the obvioous arguments about why it should be wrong to use an auto on game shoots (I hate the snobbery too), can anyone help? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 assuming by choke gauge you mean the things that you fit into the end of your barrels and have different thicknesses on them to measure choke, then these are more often than not useless as far as i am aware. As almost all manufactors use different bore sizes and choke is just an decrease of the bore size, it dosent matter what size the hole in the end is, its the size of the hole in the end compared to the bore size inside the barrel. However most gunshops have a tool so that you can measure the bore dimensions and then the decrease in width, and then from decrease what choke this equates to. (if you have already had this done then i appologise) you would be looking at about £60 to have both chokes relieved. besides snobery (lets call it tradition for now) there isnt much reason semi's arnt liked on game shoots. i suppose you could say they are harder to show safe and lots of them look a bit modern for that sort of setting. But its mainly down to tradition, However O/U's were frowned upon not so long ago..... so with the increase of people using gas guns for medical reasons, i wouldnt be supprised if we see them more and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted May 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 Dunganick, Yes it was a gunsmith's gauge which was used (no offence taken ), it was a comparative measure. Unfortunately the tradition/snobbery (it is an Army/RAF officers shoot) has not changed in the last 15 years of my game shooting career where I shoot as far as autos are concerned, so the £60 modification may be the way forward! Cheers, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 I just had a single tube opened up last week and it was £49, that was lowest price I could get from 4 gunsmiths and he did it in 2 days. ALL the others quoted £60+ and over a month turnaround time - and yes I have been looking at becoming re-trained as a gunsmith, but have been told it is a 'dying business' seems pretty healthy to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 Just had my 10 bore chokes reamed from full+full to imp amd 1/4 cost was £60 pavman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young gun Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 The issue with taking semi-autos or autos onto a a game shoot may be more than snobbery, as according to the BASC website it is in fact illegal to shoot game with a semi-auto or auto I copied this straight from the BASC website "It is illegal to use certain methods for killing or taking wildlife. Unless stated the following offences, which are subject to prosecution, apply to both birds and animals: The use of any automatic or semi-automatic weapon against any bird except the Bird Pest Species and some mammals. "Automatic weapon" and "semi-automatic weapon" includes any weapon the magazine of which is capable of holding more than two rounds." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 You have contradicted your self there. It is illegal to use a weapon which has a magazine capable of holding more than 2 cartridges. A normal section 2 semi or pump doesn't. I use a semi for wildfowling and would use one on a formal game shoot as well, If someone would invite me on one. Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
game_keeper Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 i have a wichester o/u, the chokes are 1/4 and open, would the gunsmith be able to bore these? i just thought i would ask as it is closely related to the post. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 i have a wichester o/u, the chokes are 1/4 and open, would the gunsmith be able to bore these? i just thought i would ask as it is closely related to the post. Rob What would you want them bored to Rob, they are pretty open already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
game_keeper Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 i didnt want then bored out, i wanted them drilled so they are multi chokes, the man in the gun shop said the open choke might have a problem because of how thin it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
game_keeper Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 i should clear something up, its not drilled, its threaded so that it is now accepts multichokes. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodmedod.one Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 i didnt want then bored out, i wanted them drilled so they are multi chokes, the man in the gun shop said the open choke might have a problem because of how thin it is I think that you should accept your Gunsmiths verdict on this. Having barrels internally threaded to accept choke tubes is far more drastic than just taking a few thousands of an inch out to open up the choking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-Eyed Duck Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 I'm not quite sure why the etiquette to ban semi-autos came about. I have been told that it is the safety thing - it is not obvious that a semi is empty unless the bolt is racked back and held open for all to see. This would make sense, although I have seen many safety issues on formal shoots. However, I suppose that a broken side-b-side or o/u is a clear indicator that the gun is safe, from a distance. As someone said, snobbery has also a lot to do with it. I went beating on a very formal shoot once at Swafham, near Cambridge. The guns were from 'The city', and a right bunch of yee hahs they were. We were sat in the beaters cart and a gun was asked to join us in the cart, to act as the 'back gun' on the next drive. He stood in the road and looked at us beaters sat in our comfy seats in the cart. "Can I trust anyone to hold this gun?", he said, "Whilst I climb into the cart". He was met with a row of faces all shaking our heads in the negative. Pillock! I have to state though, that this was the only shoot that I have ever attended where most of the guns were rich nerds. I now beat at a very posh shoot in North Wales, and the guns are always very affable to the beaters and always thank us beaters at the end of the day. The amount of wealth has nothing to do with good manners. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young gun Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 You have contradicted your self there. It is illegal to use a weapon which has a magazine capable of holding more than 2 cartridges. A normal section 2 semi or pump doesn't. I use a semi for wildfowling and would use one on a formal game shoot as well, If someone would invite me on one. Cheers Martin So i have. That'll teach me to read things properly before i post them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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