How are fixed chokes reamed out?

It can be done using a lathe for rotation and a reamer and the using the tailstock for alignment

It can be done by hand with a reamer.

The reamer can be adjustable for diameter or a solid reamer that cuts only one diameter.

I have never seen it done on a lathe using a boring bar.
 
In the Brownell's site, they sell a choke hone. Well, I have one of those in my auto parts drawer, only it's called a brake cylinder hone. Exact same thing.

Is it as easy as running the hone through the choke carefully? I've a digital caliper to check progress, and a variable speed drill. There must be more to it, right?
 
Grouse Man said:
In the Brownell's site, they sell a choke hone. Well, I have one of those in my auto parts drawer, only it's called a brake cylinder hone. Exact same thing.

Is it as easy as running the hone through the choke carefully? I've a digital caliper to check progress, and a variable speed drill. There must be more to it, right?
Click to expand...

There is more to it...

Plan on spending a few days with your hone trying to remove 10 or 15 thou of metal... and most 3 legged brake cylinder hones are too large... hones are used for final finishing and usually remove a few ten thousands of metal.

It can be done using a lathe for rotation and a reamer and the using the tailstock for alignment

It can be done by hand with a reamer.

The reamer can be adjustable for diameter or a solid reamer that cuts only one diameter.
 
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Gilchrist or Clymer Choke reamer entering from breech end or Walker-style angle blade reamer. Polishing is best accomplished with flex hones ( looks like a bottle brush with little balls of abrasive at the end of each bristle)

Can be done with a small automotive style brake cylinder hone ... but results are slower and more "trial & error" in nature.

If you want to fool around with an old fixed choke single bbl. gun,
have at it - you won't lose much if you screw it up. A good quality gun or double gun on the other hand - you should leave to a good shotgun barrel smith - and cheerfully pay his fee for a quality job !
 
Then again, since I'm going to the gunsmith anyway, I can give it a try and see what happens. I'll do a little 'before' pattern testing this weekend.
 
I saw a fellow ream the choke out with a piece of hardwood dowel with a small hacksaw split in the end. The split was to hold a piece of emery cloth which was wrapped around the dowel and the other end was chucked in a drill.

Sounds a bit like bubba's handiwerk, but maybe it worked out OK ....... I don't know. :)


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