16ga.com ~ View topic

Is there any reason I would not want to use choke tubes that have been used exclusively for one gun, and share them between two guns? For example, tiny adaptations in the thread surfaces that would cause problems with new threads on the new barrel?

Things have gotten alot more complicated recently. Per the Brownells catalog www.brownells.com here are your options:

Win-Choke style: Winchester, Browning Invector, Mossberg Accu-Choke, Weatherby, Savage. I used these tubes in a Ruger RL but for some reason Ruger is not listed as interchangable?

Browning Invector Plus

Rem-choke

Standard Beretta and Benelli MobileChoke

New Beretta Optima/ Cryo Plus (I believe the new Benelli CrioChokes are the same)

Mossberg M835

I'm not sure I made myself clear -- I am looking to see if I should or should not use the chokes between two Browning Invector guns.

Sorry

As long as you stick to the choke made for that specific gun, absolute interchangability BUT no guarantee they will pattern the same.

*Last edited by 16gaugeguy on Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:04 am; edited 3 times in total*

You'll have to forgive the Rev.. He's eager, and willing, but sometimes he gets keyed up and runs over things like a setter pup will birds. We've been training him and its coming along. Laughing

Anyway, assuming you are using the same gauge and type tubes between guns, I think you will find any of the Browning Invector tubes from one gun will also fit right into the barrels of another, given that none have suffered any damage. My Browning 16 ga barrel bore and tube thread diamensons tend to run remarkably uniform, even over the the 20 odd years they have been made. The bores on my 1987, 1988, 1989 guns all are within a .001 plus or minus with my newer post 1994 guns. The tubes all interchange perfectly. I've also found this true with all invector era Browning Citori barrels regardless of gauge.

Miroku made barrels do not vary lot to lot or year to year like some other companies' barrels do. Just keep in mind that Invector and Invector plus chokes will not interchange. The bores on the invector plus guns are overbored, whereas the Invector guns have standard, traditional sized bores. The tube dianmeters, thread sizes, and choke seats are different between the two types.

Because of this uniformity, you will likely see little variation in your patterns from gun to gun using the same tubes. However, you might see some big differences between the new and the old 16 ga. Invector choke tubes. Browning has modified some of the new tubes to give more useful patterns. The old full chokes were way too full at .042-.046 points. I've been told the new full tubes are at .030 which is more like it.

Also, I've found the older pre-2002, 12 ga. Invector Plus choke tubes are all one choke percentage too open for their designations. For some reason, Browning made the full tubes with .032 points of choke on average. These tubes give about 60-65% patterns at best, even with good trap loads. This is more an improved mod pattern and works well for singles and short h-cap targets. I find that .040 to .044 points gives much better full choke patterns in these .740-.742 bores. I use the older tubes but use them for patterns one size more open than designated. For instance, I use skeet tubes for cylinder, IC tubes for skeet, mod for IC, improved mod for mod, and full for improved mod. I bought some aftermarket full tubes with .042 points of choke which give 80% patterns out at 40 yards with any good trap load and which crush handicap trap targets very nicely. It works fairly well. I've yet to measure any of the newer 12 ga. Invector plus tubes, so I don't know if they are any different. Hope this info helps you.

I don't know much about tubes, but the info I got with my Citori, which came with invector tubes says that invectors and invector plus tubes are definitely not interchangeable. I can't imagine that usins invector tubes in another gun set up for invectors would be a problem. you're right on about them patterning the same. may or may not.

Cool. A couple of years back, I bought 2 each of the Skeet, IC, and Mod tubes (SS made by Briley for Browning) for my Feather. While I am certain the same IC tube stayed in the gun, having been moved from the top barrel in grouse country to the botttom barrel in pheasant fields, I couldn't say for certain if I always put the same Skeet and Mod tube back in the gun. Now, I have a brand new Superlight, and would prefer not to have to take the time and trouble to segregate tubes from gun to gun, and have to keep two choke tube pouches in my shooting bag, which is already pretty full with shells, gun cleaning stuff, dog stuff, and PPE.

L&T, please tell us about your new Superlight. Where did you get it, how much, wood and metal finish, etc. I've been interested in one but haven't seen any advertized as available yet. Thanks.

I got it through Bill Hanus; ~$1850. The wood isn't spectacular, lacking much in the way of character. It is, however, nicely colored, and very appropriate and serviceable for the grade of gun. Metal to metal and wood to metal fit are impeccable. The bluing is typical high quality, and deeply colored. Checkering is a bit coarser than I'd prefer, but of predictably high quality. The all-steel action is a hair tighter than what I remember on my then-new older Citoris, and I'm sure it will "wear in" with a bit of use. What came as a great surprise to me was the extra-long tang. Unlike the current Superlight Feathers in 12 and 20, or even the more recent "long tang" Lightnings, this gun has that 6" long piece of metal perfectly fitted to the underbelly of the grip! Should have a field report after this weekend.

Is the action block blued or grayed?

Blued.