doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Vintage Skeet Chokes

Walt, please continue to post such things....source documents are few and far between. I've learned something today.

Mergus

I too would hope that you will continue to share your information, Walt.

Classic skeet chokes are a wonderful subject.

FWIW, today, a discussion of 20ga. chokes in tubes would be the current discussion of choice for 12ga. skeet events, doubles included.

In many ways, I much prefer the game played by its origins of flushing birds w/guns down. Sporty clays went the same way as skeet when the rule change was made to go to the 'any mount' rule. Its NOT a complaint on my part, you can shoot both games gun down anytime it suits you. If in NSSA or NSCA competition, don't expect to win, that's all.

Joe Wood & his cronies shoot a great variant on skeet, for bird hunters; I'd hope he shares it w/all here.

Chokes aside and an apology for the thread drift included, much appreciate your sharing, Walt. Thank you!

Ithaca Gun Co. may have abandoned that Skeet choke Walter showed. This 1939 Ithaca Gun Co. drawing shows Skeet and Improved Cylinder being the same short 5/8 inch choke right at the muzzle.

When we compare vintage chokes to modern don't forget vintage shells were loaded with fiber wads. One piece plastic shot cups make a significant difference tightening patterns. Results on target older guns needed more restriction than modern outfits.

Boats

Delighted to see this thread revisited and more information exchanged.......

Seeing this made me recall measurements I have taken over the years on vintage Model 32 Remington SKEET guns. Certainly one of the biggest winners in early Skeet circles right from its introduction until decades after its demise post WW II.

Like the Ithaca skeet chokes, I recall that the 32's chokes had two different bore diameters , and both had the flared section at the muzzle.

As another interesting note the Bottom or Skeet "out" bore was tighter than the Top barrel's Skeet "IN" boring.

I'm off to the vaults to dig out the only two examples I still have....I'll get the micrometer out and carefully record my findings, but I recall that both these and previous ones have had very closely matched internal dimensions.

Paul

92XX serial number found on the internet.
20 gauge 28" barrels
Right .007
Left .004
Skeet In / Skeet Out

I just measured two sets of Model 32 SKEET barrels and their similarities are great.
Variation in all four tubes is less than .0005 per tube

Lower Skeet Out is .736 bore in each, tapering down to .727 (.009) constriction for a very short 1/2- 5/8 " area approximately 2 inches from the muzzle and opening gradually to.734 at the muzzle

Top Skeet In is .731 bore running down to the same Short constricted area 2 inches behind the muzzle down to .725 (.006) and opening to .730 at the end.

These are similar to notes I have from two other
Skeet 32's I have measured years ago.. ...

I believe the difference in barrel diameters was intentional (ala Ithaca drawing from Walt) having seen it on at least four sets of Skeet tubes personally.

At 25 yards the bottom is slightly tighter than the top barrel in a series of 5 patterns each.....Some fiber wadded (sans cup or wrapper) English Hull Cartridge 7's don't appear much different to Win. AA 1 oz. 8's on the plate...

These two guns are a Solid rib Skeet model in the 23XX range and the other is the Skeet set of a Two Barrel set in the 312X range.

Here's an interesting set of Win 21 barrels.
You tell me, Skeet or Quail??

The earliest Remington Arms Co., Inc. catalogue I've found to list the Model 32 Skeet Gun is March 1, 1934 --



which lists the chokes as improved cylinder.

By the February 15, 1935, Remington Arms Co., Inc. catalogue the Model 32 Skeet Gun chokes are listed as "Remington Special Skeet Boring" --

For NSSA skeet as shot today I'd prefer that to the WS-1 and WS-2 in my gun!!