Teague chokes

[GB79]

Are Teague chokes worth buying rather than using Browning Invector ds, like the idea of 3/8.

[Scully]

I’m a big fan of Teague, but then I also am of Briley and Muller. 
I doubt any would be as popular as they undoubtedly are if they didn’t perform. 
I think 3/8th is also the best all round choke for live quarry of any description, and my Teague 3/8ths throw superb patterns, but so do the Brileys. After that it’s down to cartridge preference. 
Not helpful I know, but that’s my experience. 🙂

[GB79]

Thanks for the reply, lots of people on you tube use teague, and a lot are using 3/8, but you never know if there's a bit of sponsorship going on, I've had one person say don't bother with Teague.

[JohnfromUK]

Can't comment on 'relative performance' of the chokes as my gun was 'Teagued' by a previous owner before I bought it.  It performs fine as far as I can tell.  What I can say is that;

1. I have had no problems at all with the chokes (sticking, crossed threads, damage etc.)
2. When I did get in touch with Teague to get an additional choke tube, they were very quick and efficient to deal with
3. I believe that they are now part of the Westley Richards business.

[Fellside]

On 02/02/2025 at 15:18, GB79 said:

Are Teague chokes worth buying rather than using Browning Invector ds, like the idea of 3/8.

Short answer - yes. 

Longer answer. I have used them in Browning shot guns for probably 20 yrs and have been seriously impressed by the pattern quality. In fact the quality of the pattern allows you to go down a choke constriction - and have the advantage of a wider pattern but with a good even shot distribution (if that makes sense). I have found the Teague half choke like using 3/4. I nick named it ‘the long range assassin’. Just a bit of silly fun, but it makes a point. Re cost, it’s an expensive indulgence by the time you buy their dedicated choke key also, but who ever said shooting was a cheap sport…….?! BTW I’m not sponsored, wish I was……. 🙂

[Wylye]

Can't beat Teague for product quality and service. Second to none.

[Mulligan]

I just happen to have a 3/8 and a 5/8 teague super extended pair of chokes for sale as I have changed gun, I must say that I was very impressed with the breaks whilst using them

[Scully]

22 minutes ago, Mulligan said:

I just happen to have a 3/8 and a 5/8 teague super extended pair of chokes for sale as I have changed gun, I must say that I was very impressed with the breaks whilst using them

Which gun/model do they fit? 

[redial]

Forgive my ignorance but do companies such as Teague make chokes to fit older systems like Browning invector for example and if so what would be the advantages. Thank you.

[Westward]

23 minutes ago, redial said:

Forgive my ignorance but do companies such as Teague make chokes to fit older systems like Browning invector for example and if so what would be the advantages. Thank you.

You could always ask them...

[redial]

1 hour ago, Westward said:

You could always ask them...

You are correct. I could but with all of the knowledge on here. I would like unbiased opinions from shooters who may have purchased and used such products.

[Fellside]

2 hours ago, redial said:

Forgive my ignorance but do companies such as Teague make chokes to fit older systems like Browning invector for example and if so what would be the advantages. Thank you.

In short yes. Advantages are various: conical continuous taper, they are closer to the gun’s barrel diameter than factory chokes - i.e less of a step from barrel to choke and they are exactly per choke designation. Basically you get what you pay for in chokes. Usually those supplied with a gun (not always) are made to a lesser standard to cut costs. Does it matter as much as we think? Probably not. However would some of us like to have any advantage we can grab, what ever it is? Definitely. 

[redial]

Thank you for that, very informative.

[enfieldspares]

I think that Teague chokes, as far as I am aware, are machined to give the correct degree of choke relative to the actual specific diameter of the bore of the barrel that it is to fit. I don't know if the gun is then put to a plate and those chokes then fine tuned. As used to be the case with British fixed choke best guns. That the gun was put to a plate (as in a pattern plate) and the chokes fine tuned to the cartridge the buyer had told the gunmaker they wanted it it regulated to.

I think that off volume makers such as Beretta, Browning, Miroku off the shelf screw chokes, as far as I am aware, are simply all machined to a set diameter to match the supposed set diameter of the barrels of their guns. So let say that maker B or maker M bores its barrels to 18.ZZmm then they will supply a set of chokes of 18.YYmm, 18.YXmm, 18.XXmm and 18.XZmm and mark them up as quarter, half, three-quarter and full. There will no actual measuring of the individual barrels of an individual gun. Just one size fits all.

I have only ever had two guns put to a plate (that was my Powell sidelock when Powell's were still Peter and David Powell and it was plated in the Proof House at twenty yards) and also a Webley I had from Elderkin's who plated it in their workshops at twenty yards. This was back in the day when the only cartridge I ever used were Eley Grand Prix 1 1/16 #6 in the orange paper case. That (but at forty yards) is how proper choke regulation is done. By what the pattern plate tells you. Not what a bore gauge measuring tool tells you.

Every other gun I have had the chokes done has been done, as I think most are now, by boring the choke to correspond to what a table of relative choke says should give improved choke or half choke in relation to the differences between the bore and the constriction. And at no point was the cartridge ever considered. I have never then put the gun to a plate to check as I have enough experience to know that cartridge "recipes" change so much that in these modern times it has lost its point.

So the advantage of Teague chokes is the same as when a fixed choke gun is properly bored. That someone measures the precise bore of the actual barrel to be shot and matches the boring of the choke insert to go in that barrel and give exactly the correct bore restriction in relation to that actual barrel. Are they then put to a plate? I don't know.

With the volume makers I think it is just putting in the packing carton chokes that are bored to specified constriction to make the supposed factory standard barrel diameter of the gun in the box they are being packed in the carton with. They certainly aren't ever at the factory put to a plate!

Edited Tuesday at 23:53 by enfieldspares

[JohnfromUK]

7 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

I think that Teague chokes, as far as I am aware, are machined to give the correct degree of choke relative to the actual specific diameter of the bore of the barrel that it is to fit. I don't know if the gun is then put to a plate and those chokes then fine tuned. As used to be the case with British fixed choke best guns. That the gun was put to a plate (as in a pattern plate) and the chokes fine tuned to the cartridge the buyer had told the gunmaker they wanted it it regulated to.

I think that off volume makers such as Beretta, Browning, Miroku off the shelf screw chokes, as far as I am aware, are simply all machined to a set diameter to match the supposed set diameter of the barrels of their guns. So let say that maker B or maker M bores its barrels to 18.ZZmm then they will supply a set of chokes of 18.YYmm, 18.YXmm, 18.XXmm and 18.XZmm and mark them up as quarter, half, three-quarter and full. There will no actual measuring of the individual barrels of an individual gun. Just one size fits all.

I have only ever had two guns put to a plate (that was my Powell sidelock when Powell's were still Peter and David Powell and it was plated in the Proof House at twenty yards) and also a Webley I had from Elderkin's who plated it in their workshops at twenty yards. This was back in the day when the only cartridge I ever used were Eley Grand Prix 1 1/16 #6 in the orange paper case. That (but at forty yards) is how proper choke regulation is done. By what the pattern plate tells you. Not what a bore gauge measuring tool tells you.

Every other gun I have had the chokes done has been done, as I think most are now, by boring the choke to correspond to what a table of relative choke says should give improved choke or half choke in relation to the differences between the bore and the constriction. And at no point was the cartridge ever considered. I have never then put the gun to a plate to check as I have enough experience to know that cartridge "recipes" change so much that in these modern times it has lost its point.

So the advantage of Teague chokes is the same as when a fixed choke gun is properly bored. That someone measures the precise bore of the actual barrel to be shot and matches the boring of the choke insert to go in that barrel and give exactly the correct bore restriction in relation to that actual barrel. Are they then put to a plate? I don't know.

With the volume makers I think it is just putting in the packing carton chokes that are bored to specified constriction to make the supposed factory standard barrel diameter of the gun in the box they are being packed in the carton with. They certainly aren't ever at the factory put to a plate!

I think possibly that Teague may have two slightly different 'systems'.

1. For standard replacement choke tubes for a gun that was supplied (new by it's manufacturer) - they do 'off the shelf' replacements which you can just order.
2. Where they have converted the gun to multi-choke themselves (and so tested and had re-proofed etc.), they have a record (I presume including all the dimensions) by the gun's serial number - and you can order replacement/additional choke tubes for that gun.  I know my gun (which was 'Teagued' by a previous owner), I have ordered an additional choke (order the phone pre internet days).  They checked their records to ensure that they had the data for my gun and a tube was supplied virtually by return.  It fitted perfectly.  I think my tubes are marked (laser etched?) with the gun's serial number?  I will check that later and edit.  The attached photo shows the chokes with one aligned to show the TEAGUE mark and the serial number - MK (for presumably Merkel) followed by the gun's serial number.

It was a while ago (10 years?) and I can remember getting a very quick and good service, and the new tube(s) fitting perfectly. 

Edited yesterday at 07:30 by JohnfromUK
Added photo.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Teague chokes made to a particular gun usually have part of the guns serial number hand engraved along with the degree of constriction.

[Scully]

2 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

I think possibly that Teague may have two slightly different 'systems'.

1. For standard replacement choke tubes for a gun that was supplied (new by it's manufacturer) - they do 'off the shelf' replacements which you can just order.
2. Where they have converted the gun to multi-choke themselves (and so tested and had re-proofed etc.), they have a record (I presume including all the dimensions) by the gun's serial number - and you can order replacement/additional choke tubes for that gun.  I know my gun (which was 'Teagued' by a previous owner), I have ordered an additional choke (order the phone pre internet days).  They checked their records to ensure that they had the data for my gun and a tube was supplied virtually by return.  It fitted perfectly.  I think my tubes are marked (laser etched?) with the gun's serial number?  I will check that later and edit.  The attached photo shows the chokes with one aligned to show the TEAGUE mark and the serial number - MK (for presumably Merkel) followed by the gun's serial number.

It was a while ago (10 years?) and I can remember getting a very quick and good service, and the new tube(s) fitting perfectly. 

This. I have two sets of Teague chokes. One set belongs to my Gamba Daytona which left the factory as a fixed choke gun. A previous owner had it Teagued, and the slim line chokes were made for that particular GUN, and are inscribed with that guns serial number. Hence whenever I want another I simply quote that serial number to Teague and receive it within days. 
The second set of Teagues are for my Perazzi; they are not slim line and are made for that particular MODEL. 
Whether one set is better than the other I couldn’t say; if I do my bit everything is dead.

My nephew had his fixed choke Crown Teagued, and he says he’ll never sell it. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Scully

[redial]

All very interesting, thank you gents. From reading this I am thinking the “superior” chokes would be in barrels that have been Teagued. Rather than off-the-shelf replacements for Mobil, Invector etc. Having said that, I would think a Teague replacement would still  be an upgrade.

Edited 8 hours ago by redial

[Westward]

16 hours ago, redial said:

You are correct. I could but with all of the knowledge on here. I would like unbiased opinions from shooters who may have purchased and used such products.

You didn't ask for opinions, you asked if they make chokes to fit Invector barrels.

If you want opinions that's a different question to which I would have answered by saying that IMO no one anywhere makes better chokes than Teague.

[redial]

Thank you.

[Mulligan]

On 04/02/2025 at 18:00, Scully said:

Which gun/model do they fit? 

Sorry didn't mention it as they are invector DS chokes as mentioned in the original post, my bad

[mpmilo]

2 hours ago, Mulligan said:

Sorry didn't mention it as they are invector DS chokes as mentioned in the original post, my bad

Sorry my answer was on wrong thread .

Edited 9 hours ago by mpmilo