16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 22 Jan 2015 Posts: 345

So, I'd like to pick up a good conditioned shotgun bore gage that can measure at least 16 & 12ga. The one at Brownells is very pricey. Any suggestions on a brand and location I might shop for a deal on one of these?

Thx

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1113

Here is a Skeets bore gauge on Ebay for $160. No info provided on what the range of measurements are, but most likely will measure 12 and 16 ga's. The price is certainly right.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Skeets-shotgun-bore-gauge-standard-length-12-5-reading-depth/332703244959?hash=item4d76a8a29f:g:cwoAAOSwVEdbNlR~

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

I have one of these, Skeet’s Bore Gauge. It works with both 12 and 16 bores.

I can only vouch for fit in the 16 to a full .045” of choke. Things are starting to get a bit snug at that point.

Actually the Brownell’s gauge isn’t that expensive when it comes to bore gauges.......but I gotcha I wouldn’t buy one either......The 20, 28 and .410 would never be used......and then you have to pony up extra $$$ for the 16 gauge head, which is the only one I really want.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Skeets-shotgun-bore-gauge-standard-length-12-5-reading-depth/332703244959?hash=item4d76a8a29f:g:cwoAAOSwVEdbNlR~

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

LOL.......great minds think alike!!

There is a gent I believe in Georgia that I'm told is currently making the Skeets bore gauge. I will PM you his phone later today.

My bad. I didn"t look at the ebay before posting. I see that one is made in Georgia and has three available.
I also see the seller is Ed Patton, the gent I was referring to.

Joined: 02 Nov 2015 Posts: 147 Location: N. Georgia

The site below was discussed on DoublegunShop a couple of years ago in relation to the bore gauges sold there. I haven't done any business with them myself. I do have a Skeet's 12g/16g bore gauge purchased a few years back and am very satisfied with it.

https://www.theunloader.com/

Member Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 141 Location: Kentucky

The skeets gauge on e-bay is only 12 inches. That's really too short when you only have one gauge. I have had a Skeets and it will cover about 90% of the 16 gauge range. Same percent on the 12 gauge. It is almost impossible to cover both 12 and 16 with one head. Skeets 12 inch were selling for under $100 when Brownells had them. The person at theunloader.com has been selling bore gauges for a long time. Any length you want up to 18 inches. $125.00 and up depending on dial type.
Tom

Joined: 22 Jan 2015 Posts: 345

Ok, so how long is it recommended to have the gauge? I plan to use for both 12 and 16ga. I thought as long as it went beyond the choke constriction, that it covered as far into the bore as necessary. Is it the idea than, that you have full coverage of entire bbl? half from muzzle, half from chamber end? Ought I get one about 15-18"?

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

wahoo,

It depends on what you are looking for.

If you just want to know the choke constriction relative to the bore diameter than a 12" bore gauge will be just fine.

If you want to check the entire bore, than the 18" bore gauge is what you need.

The Unloader seems to have real nice stuff. If I was in the business of buying and selling guns, I think that would be the way to go.

For a guy that just wants to know what constriction he has, the Skeet's bore gauge will do a fine job.

Joined: 02 Nov 2015 Posts: 147 Location: N. Georgia

The shaft on my original Skeet's bore gauge is about 13 3/4" down to to the ball bearings where the actual diameter is measured. IMO, anything in the 12"-15" range will be fine.

Joined: 22 Jan 2015 Posts: 345

I talked to “unloader”, nice guy. Gonna order one of his digital models, 18” long. That way I will not ever be short. Given my interest in the older stuff, I’d like to be able to inspect entire bbl lengths.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 817

Their is a guy out in montana or wyoming that makes an 18" bore ga. that will fit 16 & 12. His name is Gary Bully. . Was 125.00$ couple years ago.i have one and never had a problem.
You can find him on trapshooters.com. just ask and you'll get a reply shortly. Well known fellow. Nice guy. If you dont have any luck let me know. Ill try and find my old bill .

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 753 Location: Mn.

Gary got banned from BS.com erhh Trapshooters dot com. The website mentioned earlier is his however https://www.theunloader.com/

He also makes a shell cutter for your mistake shells that is how he got his handle. I really need to get one to pull the lead out of a couple decades of mistakes and unknowns...

I have the Skeets bore gages, as well as a Stan Baker set. Skeets have one for 10 through 16 gauge and another for 20 and smaller. I can't remember right now if I can go down to .410 with the Skeets. I can with the Stan Bakers. I got the Skeets gauges 15 or so years ago from Brownells. They were not expensive -- nowhere near that $160 price. I see Brownells does not sell them anymore. What Brownells is selling now looks very much like my old Stan Baker set, but with a digital "dial" indicator. The Skeets sets have a tubular body made of a phenolic, I think. The Stan Bakers are all metal. Doesn't matter, you calibrate them before use anyway, and length is not a part of the bore calibration, so temperature expansion/contraction differences of the tube do not affect the measurement -- they're small enough to be inconsequential in any event. The phenolic tubes of my Skeets gages loosened over time and de-bond from the metal ends. No matter, a dab of 5-minute epoxy fixed them right up - permanently, so far. Actually, one thing I like about the Skeets gages is those phenolic tubes, because I have marked them with a Sharpie pen in 1 inch increments from the gaging balls, which makes it very easy to profile a bore, or see where you are along the length. My Skeets gages agree with the Stan Bakers, so they are certainly good enough. The Stan Bakers are longer, so I can reach in maybe 16 inches or so -- a couple more inches than the Skeets, but unless you're doing super long trap barrels, and are really concerned about the middle few inches (Why? If they look good and you've got the rest of the bore measured, the middle is very likely OK.) the length of the Skeets are no disadvantage. I'd have never bought the Stan Bakers but I got an extra good deal on a used set from an estate settlement and just couldn't turn it down.