I've inherited a couple shotguns with fixed chokes.
One is 12 gauge cylinder bore, and the other is a 12 gauge w/a full choke.
Is it possible to have the barrel(s) threaded for screw-in chokes?
Any advice for or against?
Are screw in choke threads standardized?
Thanks,
Pastor Doogie
Shotgun barrel choke question
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Pastor Doogie
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Shotgun barrel choke question
“Multiple hits do count significantly.”
—Dr. Dennis Tobin M.D.
(Handgun Stopping Power by Marshall & Sanow Paladin Press, 1992 pg. 10.)
—Dr. Dennis Tobin M.D.
(Handgun Stopping Power by Marshall & Sanow Paladin Press, 1992 pg. 10.)
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Synchronizor
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Re: Shotgun barrel choke question
Yes, you can have fixed-choke barrels threaded for interchangeable choke tubes. Barrels with screw-in chokes have obvious versatility advantages. A few downsides are that you'll have a little extra cleaning & maintenance to do, the barrel's muzzle won't be as durable, and you may have to check & re-tighten the chokes occasionally if you're going through a lot of shells at once.
Choke tubes aren't standardized across all shotguns of the same gauge. Once the concept took off, pretty much every shotgun manufacturer came out with their own unique choke tube design, and today, many brands even have multiple choke systems. Though they all use the same basic concept, tubes from different systems vary by length, thickness, thread pitch & location, and maximum barrel bore diameter. Some tubes will interchange, but not many.
When threading some shotgun barrels with very thin barrels, you sometimes have to go with special choke systems intended for thin-wall applications. There are also some choke systems meant specifically for over-bored barrels. But with 870 barrels, you should have a standard bore diameter and enough wall thickness to just go with whatever choke system you prefer.
An obvious choice would be Rem Chokes. There's a lot of industry support for that system, meaning a lot of options for tubes, from cheap & basic to ultra-high-end; and pretty much any gun store you walk into will have a fair selection. And if you end up selling or trading these barrels off at some point, you're not stuck trying to unload an oddball Remington barrel that uses some other company's chokes. However, if you have another 12ga shotgun from a different brand - such as Winchester or Benelli - with screw-in chokes, you could consider having your 870 barrels threaded for the same system so that you don't have to buy and keep track of more tubes.
Choke tubes aren't standardized across all shotguns of the same gauge. Once the concept took off, pretty much every shotgun manufacturer came out with their own unique choke tube design, and today, many brands even have multiple choke systems. Though they all use the same basic concept, tubes from different systems vary by length, thickness, thread pitch & location, and maximum barrel bore diameter. Some tubes will interchange, but not many.
When threading some shotgun barrels with very thin barrels, you sometimes have to go with special choke systems intended for thin-wall applications. There are also some choke systems meant specifically for over-bored barrels. But with 870 barrels, you should have a standard bore diameter and enough wall thickness to just go with whatever choke system you prefer.
An obvious choice would be Rem Chokes. There's a lot of industry support for that system, meaning a lot of options for tubes, from cheap & basic to ultra-high-end; and pretty much any gun store you walk into will have a fair selection. And if you end up selling or trading these barrels off at some point, you're not stuck trying to unload an oddball Remington barrel that uses some other company's chokes. However, if you have another 12ga shotgun from a different brand - such as Winchester or Benelli - with screw-in chokes, you could consider having your 870 barrels threaded for the same system so that you don't have to buy and keep track of more tubes.