doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Utility or unnecessary gun alterations?

Interesting. Not being particularly well versed on bead blasting, what size beads would be appropriate for use on actions? I was under the impression that smaller beads created a finer finish, with less "peening".

Regards
Ken

Jon,
I vote for "do what you like"
Either open the choke or if you think you would shoot it enough tube it. The idea is to use these things we cherish. I'm probably going to burn in gun collector hell as I took my specialty grade LC and install chokes in it.

It was ic/mod. I want to make it effective for those long range South Dakota pheasants. Since then it has drop plenty of birds way out without stuffing magnum loads in it. Other times the Skeet and imp mod choke has been just right for pen raised birds.

The point is I want to enjoy using the guns I collect!

Btw I too shoot a lot of clays with my doubles, but occasionally I take out my model 12 , or 1897 or A5 that are choke fuller than full and have a blast smoking clays with them
Jerry

Gerald's post reminded me that I also have a vintage, very collectable, gun that has been screw choked. It is a restocked 1918 BE grade 32" Fox. It was advertised as such, so I knew what I was getting into. It has the Briley S1 series thin walls. I already had "accumulated" a pile of them for a Perazzi (won two $500 Briley gift certificates at a big shoot once) and for an Italian hammer gun, so multiple sets of every constriction. It has served me well on doves and ducks.

I guess the ultimate test is to ask yourself would you by a nice vintage gun with screw chokes. I'd have to say the answer for me is yes, because the price was right. Downside? The prices were reduced, which means the market devalues them. Sometimes "it don't matter".

SRH

Stan,
I my case, it may only matter to my heirs...LOL

Jerry

My heirs have plenty of land to make them happy after my last squad is called. My guns are for making me happy until then. I've decided I won't burn in hell if I alter one more gun. After all it has been refinished already and has a stock which is repaired with the skill of a ten year old. And I have come to the conclusion that Full choke is the least useful choke for my shooting needs.

When it comes to to shooter guns, whenever "they" say altering it will reduce its value, you have to ask yourself: "Who are "they" and how much money are they offering me?" Therein lies the answer.

its a tool. you do what you need to do to get a job done.
guns are like shoes. they are designed to get dirty and walk in places bare feet would hesitate.
its why they invented mud porches. you take off your dirty shoes first, and go in the kitchen.
some guns are never used, are just worshipped, and never leave the kitchen.
I feel sorry for those guns.
your Ithaca sounds like a pair of shoes just waiting to go out into the barnyard with.
shoot the daylights out of it. your ability to hit what you aim at will be remembered by your buddies more than the crack in the stock.

Bobski, makes me smile to hear a reference to the "mud porch". That's where the hawk/fox/racoon gun "tool" was kept on my Grandparents' farm. Both of them were pretty capable with it after years of protecting what was theirs. Us grand children knew well not to touch it until we we were cleared by them. Old days, good days.

Emmett Boylan

Those old timers knew how to burn up a butt of a child who did not follow the rules. Not abuse, but they knew how to put the fear of God into kids and few made the mistake of forgetting their manners or what they had been told. God bless them.

Ken, in bead blasting, which is done with glass beads, the beads break upon contact. Smaller beads are more like small shot in that they penetrate more and leave a rougher finish, whereas larger beads penetrate less and leave a smoother finish. Weatherby once did a satin-gloss bead blast on their WeatherMark Mark V that was absolutely stunning in its soft understated patina.
JR