Opening fixed chokes

[LeedsZeppelin]

I've been looking for a SxS to use as a change from my O/U on clay grounds and a bit of sim day shooting. I've found a nice Winchester Model 23 that fits nicely and ticks all the boxes, apart from having tighter chokes than I wanted.

I'm thinking of getting the chokes opened up from 1/2-Full to 1/4-1/2.

I'm assuming this will be a straight forward job for a gunsmith? Any pitfalls falls on doing this? Will it need reproofing? How much is it likely to cost to do?

[Wylye]

No pitfalls, new choking will be perfect. It should be re-proofed after it has been altered but some don't bother. Costs vary but expect it to be about £50 per barrel.

[wymberley]

No problem provided that there's no chrome involved which can increase the price. But, make haste slowly. You can ask for a 1/4 by 1/2 and it'll come back with 10 and 20 points of choke exactly. If that is what you want then no problem even if the gun now throws Imp by 3/8. If I wanted your combination, I'd be inclined to ask for 15 and 25 points and be reasonably sure of finding a cartridge or two that shoot the required specification.

[Scully]

Opening the chokes on such a collectible and desirable gun may have a detrimental effect on its value to a traditionalist, but there again may give it wider appeal to those who don’t care about such things, if and when you come to sell. Who knows? 🙂

[enfieldspares]

OPENING CHOKES ON A FIXED CHOKE GUN DOES NOT REQUIRE RE-PROOF. NEVER HAS AND STILL DOESN'T. 

 

[Guest cookoff013]

I wouldnt even bother. 

I shoot full and full n full. My scores are the same

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, F Anderson do for £60 a barrel, I have seen other posts on this topic with cheaper prices, going back on PW posts some have done the barrel cutting method, 

[old'un]

2 hours ago, cookoff013 said:

I wouldnt even bother. 

I shoot full and full n full. My scores are the same

This ^^

 

I bet if you were to shoot the gun first and then have the chokes opened up you would see little if any improvement to your kill to cartridge ratio, think people over think gun chokes.

[Robertt]

Firstly if its a SST you only need the F barrel opening.

Secondly don't do it for all the reasons outline above.

If you think you are disadvantaged by the tight chokes it may spur you on to work harder at your shooting.

Shot full choke on sporting clays and high tower last month, really did add a fun element to the proceedings seeing the clays 'smoked'.

[enfieldspares]

26 minutes ago, old'un said:

This ^^

 

I bet if you were to shoot the gun first and then have the chokes opened up you would see little if any improvement to your kill to cartridge ratio, think people over think gun chokes.

I disagree. In shooting flying, like in billiards, it is the easy shots that rack up the numbers.

A good shot, yes, will shoot better with a tighter choke as he/she will get a better idea of where they are in relation to the target. so if necessary can adjust where they are shooting. And for the most part they will be centering the bird anyway.

But for the average shot a more open choke makes the usable, effective, pattern larger. And that can mean the difference between a miss just behind or just under and a kill. But I think to it's wise as OLD'UN said to shoot the gun first anyway. For choke is a funny thing and what it may supposedly be choked at may not be how it actually performs.

[tweedledee]

3 hours ago, Scully said:

Opening the chokes on such a collectible and desirable gun may have a detrimental effect on its value to a traditionalist, but there again may give it wider appeal to those who don’t care about such things, if and when you come to sell. Who knows? 🙂

I'd agree..why even consider it till you pattern it..plenty of folk overthink about choking

[LeedsZeppelin]

Thanks for the opinions all.

As it will only be shot in a non-competitive manner, I am leaning more towards leaving the chokes as is. I'm not too fussed about it depreciating in value, but I'm now wondering whether I would be doing it for the sake of doing it.

5 hours ago, wymberley said:

You can ask for a 1/4 by 1/2 and it'll come back with 10 and 20 points of choke exactly. If that is what you want then no problem even if the gun now throws Imp by 3/8. If I wanted your combination, I'd be inclined to ask for 15 and 25 points and be reasonably sure of finding a cartridge or two that shoot the required specification.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what are 'points of choke'? 

[wymberley]

Gunsmiths' speak for one thousandth of an inch.

[Wylye]

5 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

OPENING CHOKES ON A FIXED CHOKE GUN DOES NOT REQUIRE RE-PROOF. NEVER HAS AND STILL DOESN'T. 

 

Why are you shouting? I heard you the first time

[enfieldspares]

13 hours ago, Wylye said:

Why are you shouting? I heard you the first time

Why am I shouting...because YOU are telling people that fixed choke guns "should be re-proofed" after their chokes have been altered.

Edited October 6, 2020 by enfieldspares

[LeedsZeppelin]

1 hour ago, wymberley said:

Gunsmiths' speak for one thousandth of an inch.

👍 I thought it would be something like that but I'd never heard the term before (that I recall, anyway). 

[welshwarrior]

9 hours ago, Wylye said:

No pitfalls, new choking will be perfect. It should be re-proofed after it has been altered but some don't bother. Costs vary but expect it to be about £50 per barrel.

It does not need reproofing after fixed chokes are opened only if multi chokes are fitted or choke is added by permanently  fitting extra metal in the form of tubes to then tighten the chokes or porting

[ditchman]

if you do it take it to a gunsmith that has a good reputation for doing just that...........when i had my fixed choke game guns changed...they were changed bit by bit....tested on the pattern plate worked on again....pattern tested...until it was as good as it could get for the cartridge i used...it worked out twice the price of a normal job...but i got exactley what i asked for............

[TIGHTCHOKE]

7 hours ago, ditchman said:

if you do it take it to a gunsmith that has a good reputation for doing just that...........when i had my fixed choke game guns changed...they were changed bit by bit....tested on the pattern plate worked on again....pattern tested...until it was as good as it could get for the cartridge i used...it worked out twice the price of a normal job...but i got exactley what i asked for............

Yes that is the way to do it.

Tell the Gun Smith your preferred cartridge and get it regulated to them.

Last time I had it done was on a Remington 1100 to optimise Winchester AAs.

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Yes that is the way to do it.

Tell the Gun Smith your preferred cartridge and get it regulated to them.

Last time I had it done was on a Remington 1100 to optimise Winchester AAs.

proberly the best cartridge i ever used was a winchester.........they were soft and very fast......then when winchester had their "rationlistation" reducing the number of lines they made............the one i used was discontinued....

[TIGHTCHOKE]

12 minutes ago, ditchman said:

proberly the best cartridge i ever used was a winchester.........they were soft and very fast......then when winchester had their "rationlistation" reducing the number of lines they made............the one i used was discontinued....

Yes indeed.

I did have the work done some time in the last century, naturally I started shooting at a very early age!

[Guest cookoff013]

thats one big issue. having the chokes changed, for an intended pattern. without testing tons of shells or the exact shells then having a decision made based on playschool statistics. then having the problem of finding another cartridge, when your dealer doesnt have that exact cartridge. 

i bet your decision making would be even more confused if you`d actually patterned the gun. 

have you patterned the gun?

second is usage, going on sim days and informal clays, there would be a limit to 1oz loads maybe fibre wad, thats one use. shotguns are multitool. they can shoot skeet one minute, to shooting geese, just by changing shell. 

i`d leave it as is and have done with it, i bet if you`d pattern it with whatever different shells you have, you may just plain havent a clue what to do. probably leaving it alone would be better than sending it away, having it fettled, then ending up with who knows. choke is a number. patterns are real.

[wymberley]

34 minutes ago, cookoff013 said:

thats one big issue. having the chokes changed, for an intended pattern. without testing tons of shells or the exact shells then having a decision made based on playschool statistics. then having the problem of finding another cartridge, when your dealer doesnt have that exact cartridge. 

i bet your decision making would be even more confused if you`d actually patterned the gun. 

have you patterned the gun?

second is usage, going on sim days and informal clays, there would be a limit to 1oz loads maybe fibre wad, thats one use. shotguns are multitool. they can shoot skeet one minute, to shooting geese, just by changing shell. 

i`d leave it as is and have done with it, i bet if you`d pattern it with whatever different shells you have, you may just plain havent a clue what to do. probably leaving it alone would be better than sending it away, having it fettled, then ending up with who knows. choke is a number. patterns are real.

In general, ^this^.

However, as you have a specific use for this new purchase, there is an option. Initially, I wouldn't pattern this gun but shoot the OU at the proposed targets and when you've found out which choke option performs the best for you with readily available cartridges which in all probability can be duplicated without difficulty, pattern that gun. Now you KNOW what you want and you can replicate it exactly or approximately to an acceptable degree in the SbS dependent upon the dosh available or the degree of interest.

[motty]

I too would leave it as it is.