Gunsmith choke question

[BobbyH]

With ALLLL of this **** chat about lead ban regardless of what happens, I would like to be in the best place to use all my guns……

 

How much am I looking at to have some of my fixed choke guns opened up by a gunsmith from Full and 1/2 opened up to 1/2 and 1/4 for example? They are not massively old guns.

What happens with this, I know the procedure, but do they need re-proofing? Does the gunsmith send them off??

 

The guns are; All 12Bore

AYA Yeoman O/U

AYA yeoman SxS

Baikal (model unknown) O/U.

 

i know people will say don’t bother with the Baikal, but they are my guns and I want to shoot all of them regardless!

 

Cheers!

Bob

[Gordon R]

They do not need to go for re-proof.

[enfieldspares]

They do not need to go to proof.

Some genuine gunsmiths will, yes, have to send them off if they now don't any longer have the equipment needed to do the job. Just as a a competent car mechanic couldn't do an engine change or engine rebuild only because they now no longer have an engine hoist.

All men with gunshops that sell guns but who are not and were never gunsmiths will have to send them off. A gun seller and a gunsmith aren't the same thing. Just as not all motor factors (car parts sellers) are not always car mechanics.

That doesn't disqualify either from knowing someone however who can do the work not also does it mean all who do choke boring are full gunsmiths either. That a man doesn't relay ribs does not mean he can't do choke borng.

Same as mechanics who do engine work may not be able to do auto electrical work. Or may not do gearbox rebuilds. As with any specialised sort of thing some specialise only in that one skill. All is solvedby simply asking one question...

Do you offer choke boring? To which if yes do you do it yourself and in house or do you send the barrels away?

 

 

Edited April 14 by enfieldspares

[RCB56]

The price varies between gun shops and gunsmiths, the best price I've had is from the gunsmiths in Cannock who do it at their premises and will do it while you wait by appointment, so not far from Stafford.

[BobbyH]

27 minutes ago, RCB56 said:

The price varies between gun shops and gunsmiths, the best price I've had is from the gunsmiths in Cannock who do it at their premises and will do it while you wait by appointment, so not far from Stafford.

How much did they charge you? And which gunsmiths was it?

im in Stafford anyway 

[enfieldspares]

There you go, F J Wiseman, Cannock. Last price I had was some two years ago of one barrel £45 + VAT or two barrels £95 + VAT.

https://wisemangunmakers.co.uk/

[RCB56]

Enfieldspares has got it spot on.

[London Best]

12 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

There you go, F J Wiseman, Cannock. Last price I had was some two years ago of one barrel £45 + VAT or two barrels £95 + VAT.

https://wisemangunmakers.co.uk/

Looking at the price for two barrels it would be better to order each barrel done individually.

[enfieldspares]

17 minutes ago, London Best said:

Looking at the price for two barrels it would be better to order each barrel done individually.

Yes. It does! I then looked back and checked my email from them. And in fact it was this:

December 2022: Thank you for your message.  The costs are £65 + VAT for single barrel and £95 + VAT for two barrels.

 

 

[wymberley]

At the moment only you know how your guns actually pattern with whatever cartridges. I would imagine that the chokes mentioned are as per the factory made them. All it is possible to do is assume that they do throw  2 stage - 1/2 and Full for example - pattern differences. There is a lot to be said for this - provided, of course, it suits your needs - as just the one stage offers no really appreciable difference in pellet strikes if your intention in using the tighter choke is to gain the extra couple of yards range.

[Old farrier]

All choke is bored regulated to throw a specific pattern at a specific distance currently done with lead 

if you are future proofing your gun for the use of steel you may well find that you need them more open to get a similar pattern 

[London Best]

2 hours ago, wymberley said:

your intention in using the tighter choke is to gain the extra couple of yards range.

Which nobody can estimate to a bird in the air!

[wymberley]

6 minutes ago, London Best said:

Which nobody can estimate to a bird in the air!

No, but this pleb has been known to shoot ground game and has always found it advantageous by various means to use range markers when decoying.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, as said no reproofing needed, but i  had 2 guns bored out to reduce the choke although it was a long time ago, both were Half/Full, then to Improved and half, it made a good difference with then Eley Grand Prix 6s which was mainly pigeon shooting over decoys, on Clays it was mostly those cheapies we bought in the 1970/80s 

[London Best]

In 1975 I had a cheap Spanish LIG ejector bored out from half and full to TRUE cylinder and quarter choke. I have never for one second ever regretted that decision. I still have the gun and use it for all my rough shooting/duck/geese . 
You would be amazed what you can kill with a true cylinder barrel.

[JohnfromUK]

4 hours ago, London Best said:

You would be amazed what you can kill with a true cylinder barrel.

I have always understood that a small amount of choke (e.g. Improved Cylinder, IC) greatly improves the pattern consistency between different cartridges.  Not tried it myself, but I am happy with most combinations of anything between IC and half choke.  More than that I don't need for what I do.

[TOPGUN749]

A long time ago I had an over under reduced from 30 thou and 10 thou,to 5 thou and 15 thou. I believe it cost me £20 altogether in about 1981,when take home pay was £10 a day.

Edited April 15 by TOPGUN749

[BobbyH]

Thanks all for the replies!

My reasoning behind it, is my guns mean the world to me, regardless of cost.

so my plan is to have them be able to shoot both steel and lead.

open the chokes up enough for lead at close range and steel at further range, as I believe 1/2 choke lead is about equal to full choke in steel?

so maybe Cyl and 1/4 or 1/4 and 1/4?…..I’m only a clay shooter so I’m sure that the chokes will be fine for clays!

 

I have multi choke, HP steel proofed guns for the proper steel and lead patterning for clay comps, just have fixed choke guns for fun and one for teaching.

[enfieldspares]

For clays? I'd say maybe 1/4 and 1/4 in both. If you want a denser pattern go from 7.5 size shot to 8 size shot or at least a cartridge hat has harder shot as that in itself will supposedly give a denser pattern. Only by trying it will you know but, for sure, Brand X 7.5 often shoots different enough from Brand Y 7.5 and Brand X 7.5 different again. 

[ditchman]

to consider..........

i had my sxs barrells regulated...........using a particular name and weight and shot size of a cartridge...........it was regulated to those cartridges

if you are a cartridge tart and swap around to other fancy coloured cartridges.....your regulated barralls are not regualated anymore......ie: waste of time

stick to your cartridge that the barralls were regulated to

 NOTE       "regulated" usually means the alignment of barrells....but can also mean the honing of chokes to give the desired pattern with a chosen cartridge

[Robden]

Right. So that will be the RED cartridges then?  😁

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, Robden said:

Right. So that will be the RED cartridges then?  😁

[London Best]

Is there another colour, then?

[martinj]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Is there another colour, then?

there wasn't in the 60's, have you bought any since then? 😉

[wymberley]

True Cylinder has been mentioned a couple of times. Irrespective of how it performs it has been muted that the percentage figure was given to keep things tidy and certainly in order to achieve the designated figure and shoot consistently there's a couple of thou' choke present one way or another.