doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Choke opening process?

I pondered opening my own chokes many years ago. Finally bought Ralph Walkers book "Shotgun Gunsmithing" and read it carefully. I followed his directions to a T.

I always pattern a shotgun to see POA before even starting. After a couple dozen barrels, never had a POI change. A friend and I changed the POI on a 410 by carefully putting more pressure on the choke, in the opposite direction it was shooting. Took a few tries to get it right, cause you cannot put metal back.

Lenard

Bill, I sent you a pm, but got to thinking you might not receive it. So here goes. What are you using for a holding device if that stainless choke was a choke tube? Am I correct in assuming you are not using carbide blades on the reamer. I would like to open some choke tubes, but haven't figured out the fixture.

Lenard

One thing of great importance in using an "Unguided" adjustable reamer from the muzzle is whether or not the original choke is a conical parallel or taper choke.
"NOBODY" can guarantee to maintain alingment with an unguided reamer in a taper choke. If you have the parallel section & take the light cuts you should it will tend to "Follow the Hole". Try it on a taper choke & you best for sure know how to use it to correct POI. Take this for what it's worth from a 35yr machinist.

JayCee,

I feel more comfortable with the wooden dowel and the emery cloth as I have already the experience of the barrel polishing. And it is so much cheaper...

Lenard,

I did a search on Amazon.com for the R. Walkers book, but did not come up. Is it an older edition? Could you mention about the method used in this book?
Edit: I did find the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Gun-Digest-Book-Sh...2980&sr=8-1

2-piper,

Thank you for your observation about the wandering of an unguided reamer in a conical choke.
The chokes are about 2" long and seem to have a short .25" segment that is parallel, then they open up a bit more towards the muzzle. With the use of a wooden dowel and emery cloth, the cutting area would be penetrating through the choke and should be self centering. As the choke opens up, the muzzle part of the choke becomes more parallel. I don't know if this is a problem or an advantage. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Silvers, it is a gun digest publication. I think Ralph has been dead for some years now. Ralph used an unguided reamer that has been sold by the thousands. There is one key to using these reamers. One is to not take over .002 thousands per pass, that has been said on one of the posts. The next is to mount the barrel verticaly, using lots of oil and not much pressure. Now, I will agree with Miller, if one is heavy handed without patience, then it is not a good method. Or, if the chokes have been manipulated before, like I have read about the Parker reproductions, then on is in real trouble, no matter what the method. Gunsmiths have been using this method for years and I agree that some barrels might have been screwed up by this method, but I have never had a change of impact.

The real reason I started doing it, was that it took any smith I sent it to, way too much time. Besides, I can remove a little metal, pattern and continue the process until I get what I want.

Lenard

I just heard from Mike Orlen and he assured me that my friend had definitely misunderstood what Mike had told him. I have no problem imagining this particular friend misunderstanding things. Mike is no longer doing "general gunsmithing" but is still interested in all sorts of barrel work AND stock bending. This is not even real news. I apologize if I caused any sort of misunderstanding. Mike Orlen continues to be the first person I would recommend for shotgun barrel work, etc.
jl

I had chokes opened by the gunsmith at the local gandermountain. He used a reamer piloted from the muzzle. Cost me $130. I recently had chokes opened by Mike Orlen. It cost me less than $100 including shipping both ways. He pilots from chamber and bore. This is what this guy does, day in and day out. Let me tell you, there is a dramatic difference in quality. In my mind, it is a no brainer. For less than $100 you can ship those barrels from MT to MA and get it done right.

stevehaun, I am not trying to be a wise guy, but what did Mike Orlen do that was far superior to what the Gander Mountain smith did? Just curious.

Lenard

Leonard,
There are a number of good ways to hold a choke tube. A soft collett bored to fit the O.D. of the tube would work. Also, a set of "soft jaws" bored to fit the O.D. would do as well. Boring and singlepoint internal threading a piece of barstock like a barrel prepped for the tube would work well.

Stevehaun,

I completely agree with you. But sending the barrels out I would miss the fun. If I mess them up, I send them out.