I should never suggest what people should do about the tight chokes in their guns, having made a mistake with one once myself. But, since you asked I will relate my feelings about the two times I had a vintage double's chokes modified.
First time was a 32" barreled, beautiful, graded S X S that had the original tight chokes, in the .035" range. A fine duck gun as it was, though restocked. I had both chokes relieved to .020" to use it on clays, and have regretted that decision for many years. I'm doing penance, of sorts, for my mistake.
The other is a 20 ga. Fox Sterlingworth Ejector that I traded for, intending it to become my go to quail and woodcock gun. I had the chambers lengthened to 2 3/4" and had Dean Harris open the chokes to .006" right and .016" left. I added a Silvers pad to get the LOP right for me, and faced it with a piece of leather from my Grandad's old defunct leather hunting coat. First two shells fired out of it on the first covey rise netted two quail with the right barrel and one with the left. I've used it enough in the past year on quail to know that what I did to it was spot on, for me. Thursday afternoon we hunted with it again and I went 8 quail for 9 shots fired. No regrets.
So, I'm left with no grounds to recommend anything to anyone about this subject. I do know this, though. This old boy will never open the tight chokes on a fine old duck gun again, for any reason. My wants and wishes are just too apt to change in time, and there's no way to put those barrels back to their original condition once mucked with. If I had known then what I know now about using spreaders to open the patterns I wouldn't even entertain the thought of putting a reamer to it.
| 