Ithaca model 500 O/U

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falco

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I just acquired a model 500 12 ga. 2 3/4" O/U. I want to find out what chokes these guns were made with. The barrels aren't marked with the choke size.
 
Here is a rule of thumb - If a dime won't pass into a 12 ga muzzle from the muzzle, it's probably full choke. If the dime will enter the muzzle it is probably something less than full choke - its not scientific but it will give you an idea.

Use common sense and do not force the coin into the barrel or you could damage it.
 
On the model 500 the 26" barrels are supposed to be IC and modified and with the 28" and 30" barrels they are supposed to be full and modified
 
take a 48"x 48" piece of paper. make a 30" circle and a 3" bullseye in the center. pace off 40 yds. and fire. if one barrel shows the bulk of the pattern, 70 % in the circle it's about full. if it shows 50%, then it's around modified.or you could take to a gunsmith who has an inside micrometer and he can give you the definate rates of constriction in both barrels, therfore establishing your chokes.
 
jethunter said:
Here is a rule of thumb - If a dime won't pass into a 12 ga muzzle from the muzzle, it's probably full choke. If the dime will enter the muzzle it is probably something less than full choke - its not scientific but it will give you an idea.

Use common sense and do not force the coin into the barrel or you could damage it.
Click to expand...

I tried that and the dime passes into the bottom barrel and not the top. Based on this, I would assume the top barrel is full and the bottom is something else. I've never owned a O/U. Does the top barrel fire first and then the bottom? Also, can you only load one barrel? BTW, this gun has a 30" barrel.
 
Normally bottom fires first, for two reasons. Most birds are shot at while they are going away, so more open choke is for the first shot, tighter choke for the second.
The bottom barrel is more directly in line with the butt, and recoil will be more nearly straight back, less comb rise and less slap to the cheek, so a second shot is theoretically easier after the first shot fired is from the bottom.
The 500 has a barrel selector in the trigger, a rt hander pushes "in" or to the left to select the top barrel to fire first.
Yes you can only load one barrel if you wish.
One more thing, your Ithaca/SKB shotgun has mechanical trigger, so the reset between shots does not rely on the recoil from the first shot. Better than many other designs, including Browning. You have a very nice gun there. Enjoy!
 
The choke will be marked on the barrels, somewhere. It may be with symbols (*+-), or numbers 18.4, 18.7, etc., or sometimes even IC/M/F.
 
Longwalker said:
Normally bottom fires first, for two reasons. Most birds are shot at while they are going away, so more open choke is for the first shot, tighter choke for the second.
The bottom barrel is more directly in line with the butt, and recoil will be more nearly straight back, less comb rise and less slap to the cheek, so a second shot is theoretically easier after the first shot fired is from the bottom.
The 500 has a barrel selector in the trigger, a rt hander pushes "in" or to the left to select the top barrel to fire first.
Yes you can only load one barrel if you wish.
One more thing, your Ithaca/SKB shotgun has mechanical trigger, so the reset between shots does not rely on the recoil from the first shot. Better than many other designs, including Browning. You have a very nice gun there. Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the easy explanation. I tried out the gun/barrel selector and it works good. This gun is a beauty! My father-in-law handed it down for my 12 year old son, but until he grows into it, i'll make sure it functions correctly and doesn't get dusty, especially during grouse season. He also gave my son a Browning BT-99.
 
Remove the barrels, look on the right side, on the monobloc, just above the hinge pin recess. the choke is marked, mine says "full" over "mod"...
 
Longwalker said:
Normally bottom fires first, for two reasons. Most birds are shot at while they are going away, so more open choke is for the first shot, tighter choke for the second.
The bottom barrel is more directly in line with the butt, and recoil will be more nearly straight back, less comb rise and less slap to the cheek, so a second shot is theoretically easier after the first shot fired is from the bottom.
The 500 has a barrel selector in the trigger, a rt hander pushes "in" or to the left to select the top barrel to fire first.
Yes you can only load one barrel if you wish.
One more thing, your Ithaca/SKB shotgun has mechanical trigger, so the reset between shots does not rely on the recoil from the first shot. Better than many other designs, including Browning. You have a very nice gun there. Enjoy!
Click to expand...


My Ithica 500 has a recoil selective trigger, I think the 28ga and .410 have the mechanicals. Either way these are a very underappriciated gun, except by those that have them.
Cheers,
Grant
 
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