doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com opening chokes

I have purchased a 28 ga SXS it is choked extremely tight. I would like to open the choked myself on a gradual basis. Are there any suggested tools. I have not checked brownells. I have access to some gunsmiths but this is not thier stock in trade. I have the necessary tools to measure the constriction.

I am not sure if the barrels are chrome lined.

I've been here for five years and can't recall DIY other than opinions of gunsmiths regarding types and sources of reamers, from the muzzle or chamber ends etc. I build aircraft as a hobby and wouldn't think of opening my chokes.

They make expanding reamers but I am not sure that I would recommend a DIY job.
bill

I've done a bunch of 12ga SxS's - the problem you'll have is cost. A GOOD adjustable reamer will cost about $105.77 from MSC [phone # 1-800-645-7270]. And don't think those cheap imports will work- they don't! MSC sells both - cheap and good. Next is size. Reamer size "A" goes from .468 to .531. A 28ga goes from .550 for cyl. bore to about .528 for full choke. If your gun measures anything smaller than .531 you'll have to buy a second reamer, "B" that goes from .531 to .593. Also, if it's a new gun with chrome bores, forget it. You'll just dull the reamer. They carry two different types of adj. reamers , one is only good for about .010 adjustment, the other about .060. The ones with more adjustment have #02231017 for "A", and #02231025 for "B". If you're going to do it, I'm not sure of the quality of Brownells reamers, they're about $45 I believe. Good luck - Paul

And by all means do it from the chamber end with a well fitted extension and a bushing that is a close fit to the bore and the extension.

Send the barrells to a competent smith and get the job done properly.....a nice 28 sxs is not the right gun to start learning to open chokes on

CJ

That is good advice. I would certainly not try it first on a gun I cared about..

You can always have Mike Orlen do it. Or at least contact him for some advice. http://members.aol.com/sgunbore/brochure.gif

Pete

From your post, I assume that you want to open the chokes a little and try it. You can then go further if need be and not open it too much since you cannot reverse it. If you do it yourself you have some control and don't have to send it across the country several times but if you don't have machinist experience there is a good chance you could wind up with a basket case with each barrel shooting in a different direction.

Why don't you call Mike Orlen and see if he has advice as to how to proceed.

It is a wise approach to opening chokes. Good luck with it and do report back to let us know how you decide to handle it. We might learn a lot from that.

Best,
Milt

This is a no brainer - send it to Briley in Houston, or Mike Orlen, or any other competent gunsmith.

Even not knowing the gunmaker, I suspect it's fair to say that done right, you'll likely keep it forever; done poorly, it's just another gun that needs fixin' by its next owner - if there's enough steel left.

FWIW, I shoot a very lightweight 28 SxS often, exclusively with 5/8 and 3/4 oz 7 1/2 loads [RST's]. Briley reamed both barrels to .011 [LM] and this works very well for me for both dove and quail.

JMHO.

I recently opened the modified choke on a 410 Wingmaster by about .003" with a reamer from Brownells. The reamer is about $45 and it did a fine job, requiring little polishing.

I think that almost anyone who is even a little bit mechanically inclined can do this job, but it is smart to approach it slowly.

First of all, buy the extension and work from the chamber end rather than the muzzle. That way the straight portion of the choke will be closer to being in line with the barrel when you are done.

Secondly open the choke in small increments, say .002" at a time and shoot 3 or 4 patterns each time to see how it is comming. When you get the pattern spread you want, quit. As a matter of fact, it won't hurt to quit BEFORE you get the spread you want and shoot the gun for a while----you can always take out another couple of thousandths, but you can't conviently put them back.

You should be equipted with a 1" micrometer and a telescope gauge to measure the muzzle diameter and to set the reamer, as the reamer is, of course, adjustable.