16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. Guns  ~  A Tale of Three Chokes
Foursquare
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:19 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 398
Location: S Fl

Been playing with the bore gauge I got recently.
Thought this data might prove interesting.

Gun #1 - 12 ga bore .722 choke .713 delta .009

Gun #2 - 16 ga " .664 " .650 " .014

Gun #3 - 16 ga " .659 " .649 " .010

Anyone care to guess the choke markings on the barrels?

Well, all 3 guns are Belgian A-5s (a Lt-12 and 2 Sweet 16s) made from 1956 - '65. And all are 25.5" Improved Cylinder (**-).

US standards for IC in both 12 and 16ga are .006-.009. So the Lt 12 is right on, gun #3 is borderline, and the other 16 is well into Modified territory (.012-.015).

Perhaps more revealing is that if you used only one of the "brass plug that you stick in the muzzle" type choke gauges you might think that #3 has a tighter muzzle than #2 (.649 vs .650). While it's actually the other way around.

I guess the lesson is: Don't believe everything you read on a barrel.
Shocked
Pete
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
grouse gunner
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:34 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 380
Location: Northeast Ohio

Very interesting. My 16 ga. model 12 is marked "mod" and it measures out at .669 and .660 for .09. I got it used but I'm almost certain it is factory orginal. Winchester told me that .09 was within specs. for modified for this 1959 gun. A friend has an older model 12 also measuring .09 and marked modified. His has been in the family and also most very likely all factory orginal.

I'm going to do some pattern testing with this gun in the spring at various distances comparing sg-16 and r-16 wads and will report the findings. I will say this though, the .09 seems ideal over a wide range of distances in both of the guns mentioned above. The majority of my shooting is for dove and skeet. I do tend to ride my skeet targets (low gun always) and break the middle stations well past the stake, but the breaks are great at .09 either near or far. Ditto for the dove. I have routinely made kills at 35-40 yards with it and some even farther (verified by conservative pace measurements). I'm not planning to touch this choke or add tubes. In fact one factor that got me hooked on 16 ga. model 12's was watching my friend's super even breaks regardless of distance and then discovering the balance of model 12's when I borrowed his gun several times. I'm not new to shotgunning and I was almost stunned watching his breaks. I couldn't believe they were so even whether the clay was at 15 yards or at the out of bounds stake. All this was observed before we had both chokes measured and they both proved to be .09!!

I bought my gun after trying his and sure enough they both measured out at .09. I have a 16 model 11 also with a cruded "American choke" of .10 added after barrel was cut (albeit by a very competent gun smith) and it works great too. Many dove and clays have also fallen to this old, crude, stubby, 24 inch model 11.

Just some food for thought. At this point based on my limited non-scientific observations, it seems at least to me that .09-.10 can be ideal and very diversified in our favorite guage.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mod11rem
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 1:21 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 20 Nov 2005
Posts: 117
Location: Jonesboro, AR

I think that sometimes they are just mis-marked at the factory. I have a Rem mod 11 12 guage that was bought brand new by my grandfather in the 20's. It is marked 28" full and actually measures out on the tight end of modified. I'm sure it came this way from the factory. Years later I found a 22" IC barrel for this gun marked IC and was stamped US Govt. The model 11 was issued to troops in WWII with an IC barrel intended for close combat situations in jungle areas. I'm sure that this barrel is one of those. Even though it is marked IC and there is no evidence of being cut, this barrel is barely choked at all. With this short open barrel, this one is death on quail over dogs. However, I tend to carry my 16 as it is a bit lighter.

_________________
If I can't throw lead from a 16, I'd just as soon throw rocks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
hoashooter
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:45 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3436
Location: Illinois

Have you ever miked choke tubes?The difference from one maker to another can be eye opening.Unless you are buying a specialty choke with a measured constriction- by this I mean marked in .001's of a inch versus i.c. mod.etc. the differences can be quite noticable.The manufactures can't seem to all agree on a certain constriction to validate a certain choke.THE best way to determine a choke is to pattern the gun-whether fixed choke or interchangable chokes. Cool Cool Wink Shocked
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 1
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. Guns

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09