Not to be a wet blanket here, but I'm contemplating the reason why all tactical shotguns, which a 14" barrel is certainly intended to be, are cylinder bore. Of course that option will still be available after installing choke tubes but....
Best choke tubes to use when threading a 14" barrel?
- Thread starter MapleSugar
- Start date
Blastattack
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg MB
Because if you bought the gun for it's intended purpose, you have no intentions of engaging any targets more than a stone throw away. However, most people don't buy guns and use them for their intended purpose. My 14" 870 is seriously fun to use when shooting trap or skeet, but it is truly a terrible choice for the application.
Skeet with a 14" is outside my personal experience alright. I did happen to see a tactical bunch attempt it one time but with very little to no success. But anyway I thought skeet shooters normally prefer quite an open choke?
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
The reason is versatility, we all know what chokes do to shot patterns. Threading a short barrel for chokes is no different than reaming out a fixed choke barrel to a less constrictive choke, times have changed and people want more versatility and use out of a shotgun.
A cylinder bore barrel is pretty useless to those of us that use our tactical shotguns for things other than kicking in doors, even if I was doing that I’d still want the ability to control my buckshot patterns with a removable choke.
Choke tubes are a huge benefit when it comes to practice.
Tighter chokes will allow you to reduce the fast spreading pattern size of cheap bulk birdshot to roughly that of a typical buckshot load, and allow you to shoot steel targets {the best overall type of target for tactical shotgunning IMO} from a safe distance with a reasonably concentrated pattern.
Not true. All 14" Remington 870P barrels have a fixed "Modified" choke. If I remember correctly, this is the tightest choke that can also safely handle slugs. I think the idea with a tactical shotgun having a fixed choke, is that you never want to be in a situation where the "wrong" choke is installed. "Excuse me Mr. Bear, would you mind waiting while I change chokes..." or not, see next post
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Slugs can be safely fired though anything up to a Full choke, unless marked otherwise.
Whether or not the accuracy will be negatively effected is another matter, but they won't cause a safety issue.
Modified chokes are a good compromise constriction that work well with a variety of shot sizes, and are IMO close to ideal with smaller buckshot sizes like #1 and 0 while not overchoking the typical 00 load.
Thanks for the clarification. After doing a few minutes of research I found multiple websites that confirm your statement.
There does appear to be some misinformation out there. Benelli for instance, states on their website "These chokes are recommended for slugs: ...Improved cylinder...Cylinder...It is not safe to shoot slugs through chokes tighter than those listed here."
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Well I can only speak to what I've seen, and I did think that was a lot, but I can assure you I have shot any number of cylinder bore 870s in that barrel length and the barrels were not modified outside the factory. I wonder if you can point to any modified choke 870s in that length for sale online so I can satisfactorily reeducate myself in this matter?
I have purchased multiple batches of Remington 870P 14" barrels from AI&P Tactical in the US. They were all "Mod" choke. Here is a quote from the AI&P website:
"14" factory 12ga 870 Barrels. Note these are for NFA weapons only. You may purchase one if you are pending your ATF approval if it is legal in your state to even posses the barrel. However, the second you put this on a non ATF approved shotgun you commit a felony. Don't risk your freedom, money and right to own firearms for lack of a $200 tax stamp; Note: All come with fixed Modified choke as that is all Remington Offers. All 14" barrels are Police barrels and have the barrel ring detent plunger. No Remington Police barrel are threaded for choke tubes, none."
Perhaps you have mainly seen the Remington Express 14" barrels. They are more common in Canada, and I believe they are "CYL" .
It's not very clear, but you can just make out the "MOD" stamp in the picture above
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I guess so. But they weren't all Express models and I do suppose they were all Canadian.
- Location
- Newmarket, ON
Over the years Remington made many variations of the 870 including 14" barrels and I have seen Cyl, Imp Cyl and Mod fixed chokes.
Here is a pic of the end of a box to prove my point.
Casey,
