thin wall choke tubes
- Thread starter 1776dave
- Start date
Wow Precision Arms is pricey! That would be $490 with three chokes!
Mike Orlen in the states, who is very highly regarded, charges $35 / barrel and $21 / tube. Firearms Canada has no problem with mailing barrels without a permit, but I contacted Orlen and he would need an export license (which he doesn't have) to mail them back. Too bad.
EB - please post again if you find out the price from Gobles.
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Dave
Mike Orlen in the states, who is very highly regarded, charges $35 / barrel and $21 / tube. Firearms Canada has no problem with mailing barrels without a permit, but I contacted Orlen and he would need an export license (which he doesn't have) to mail them back. Too bad.
EB - please post again if you find out the price from Gobles.
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Dave
I have the tooling to do 12 gauge Colonial thin wall tubes in chrome moly barrels... it can not do chrome lined barrels. The barrels have to be measured very carefully before any attempt is done...
As a short cut whether they can be done, the outside of the barrel can not be smaller than .820" and the bore of the barrel can not be larger than .729".... and those two figures have to be concentric with each other... it usually works better if the outside is larger than .820 and the inside smaller than .728.
I haven't done any for years now... I'll sell the tooling at a discount. Contact me by PM or email.
As a short cut whether they can be done, the outside of the barrel can not be smaller than .820" and the bore of the barrel can not be larger than .729".... and those two figures have to be concentric with each other... it usually works better if the outside is larger than .820 and the inside smaller than .728.
I haven't done any for years now... I'll sell the tooling at a discount. Contact me by PM or email.
Milton's prices are not out of line to install thin wall chokes.
What Orlen installs are Colonial chokes. They are decent chokes but not thin walls, as such they need thicker barrels for installation. Depending the on the gun it may not be possible to install Colonial or similar chokes.
Thin walls are more expensive due to the finer machining of the choke tube, threading and the equipment and expertise to install chokes into in thinner barrels. Briley in the U.S. is charging $399 for a double with five chokes. Teague in the UK who can do some amazing work is charge £226 or around $425CDN for a double with three choke tubes.
I have Teagues and Brileys and wouldn't hesitate to send a gun to Milton.
Brileys are installed in Canada by Lawrys in Caledonia. They did a set for me and the work was fine when it eventually got done. Getting it done was a real challenge.
SC charges $150 per barrel plus the chokes. They botched some trigger work on me several years ago and while accidents happen they didn't stand behind their work so I steer clear of them.
What Orlen installs are Colonial chokes. They are decent chokes but not thin walls, as such they need thicker barrels for installation. Depending the on the gun it may not be possible to install Colonial or similar chokes.
Thin walls are more expensive due to the finer machining of the choke tube, threading and the equipment and expertise to install chokes into in thinner barrels. Briley in the U.S. is charging $399 for a double with five chokes. Teague in the UK who can do some amazing work is charge £226 or around $425CDN for a double with three choke tubes.
I have Teagues and Brileys and wouldn't hesitate to send a gun to Milton.
Brileys are installed in Canada by Lawrys in Caledonia. They did a set for me and the work was fine when it eventually got done. Getting it done was a real challenge.
SC charges $150 per barrel plus the chokes. They botched some trigger work on me several years ago and while accidents happen they didn't stand behind their work so I steer clear of them.
I do the choke tube installations for Reliable Gun in Vancouver. I can install Carlson Small Diameter (same as Colonial Thin Wall) tubes in both unplated and chrome plated 12 gauge barrels. The outside diameter of the barrels must be at least 0.810-.815 inches and the inside (bore) no more than 0.728 inches. Some people say an OD of 0.805 is sufficient but I like to have a little more wall thickness. Of course the bore must be concentric with the OD.
I do choke tube installation for Reliable Gun in Vancouver. I can install Carlson Small Diameter (same as Colonial Thin Wall) tubes in both unplated and chrome plated 12 gauge barrels. The outside diameter of the barrels must be at least 0.810-.815 inches and the inside (bore) no more than 0.728 inches. Some people say an OD of 0.805 is sufficient but I like to have a little more wall thickness. Of course the bore must be concentric with the OD.
Guys-
Thanks for all of the suggestions.
Gun is a 12 ga Miroku Daly 500 I just picked up mainly to shoot steel through for ducks, and just in case the non-tox mandate ever gets extended to upland hunting. I like side by sides and the other ones I have are not safe for steel. May also shoot some skeet / SC with it. Currently choked M/F and obviously needs to be opened up before shooting steel through it. Have heard from a number of guys who've used these guns extensively for steel without any barrel problems.
Thought choke tubes would make the gun more versatile, but I don't want to drop a bundle of money on it. Colonial makes some extended tubes for steel shot that work in double barrel guns so I thought it would be good to get it threaded for that brand.
If I decide just to have the chokes opened rather than tubed, any suggestions on the constrictions for shooting ducks over decoys with steel? I was thinking something like .005/.010.
Dave
Thanks for all of the suggestions.
Gun is a 12 ga Miroku Daly 500 I just picked up mainly to shoot steel through for ducks, and just in case the non-tox mandate ever gets extended to upland hunting. I like side by sides and the other ones I have are not safe for steel. May also shoot some skeet / SC with it. Currently choked M/F and obviously needs to be opened up before shooting steel through it. Have heard from a number of guys who've used these guns extensively for steel without any barrel problems.
Thought choke tubes would make the gun more versatile, but I don't want to drop a bundle of money on it. Colonial makes some extended tubes for steel shot that work in double barrel guns so I thought it would be good to get it threaded for that brand.
If I decide just to have the chokes opened rather than tubed, any suggestions on the constrictions for shooting ducks over decoys with steel? I was thinking something like .005/.010.
Dave
SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT
Forcing Cone Alteration:
Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.
Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.
Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.
For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.
Forcing Cone Alteration:
Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.
Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.
Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.
For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.
It's easier to go to a more open choke. Going tighter requires putting more metal into the bore which while not impossible is more difficult and more expensive.
