doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Permanent 2 1/2" choke tube installed-no threads

I had originally asked this question over on another site that Mike Orlen is a moderator. Didn't get an answer so I'll try it here.
I'm in the process of getting a circa 1887 L.C. Smith with was referred to then as Good Damascus barrels. The barrels are cut to 28" and therefore no choke. I'm told that the bores haven't been honed and so they should be between .723-728.
I don't plan on shooting this gun a lot, just some times when I like to take the different ones out and try them, so I was wondering if a full choke could be made and tapered like the original and pressed into the bore or made .0005 undersize and some type of Lock-Tite be used to secure it? If it was made to an O.D. of bore size-.0005 and the I.D. of .690-.695 that would leave at least .016-018 wall thickness or more depending on bore size. I would do this just on the left barrel.
Any thoughts and has any one done this?

David,

Have you considered jug chokes? You could easily ream those yourself. You probably won't get full choke but it might pattern close to it.

Mark

If you have enough barrel wall thickness you might be able to back bore them and leave a little choke. I've never heard of doing what you are suggesting.

Oscar used to do this only he soldered it in.
bill

Why not just send the gun to Briley and have them thread it for a "notchless" choke tube.

I had Briley's in Texas perform a similar job on a fine old Merkel 16 bore gun that had the choke in the left tube removed for some reason and .009 remaining in the right tube. I wanted .020 choke in the left tube. Briley's purely botched the job in the beginning and I had to have them rework it twice, but I finally ended up with a nice job. I'll give them credit, they made it work to my detailed specifications, but not initially. They threaded the left tube, as for a removable choke tube, and FINALLY made me up a permanently installed custom turned choke tube that is now absolutely invisible inside and out. In the beginning they attempted to use an "off the shelf" .020 16 gauge tube, and it did not meet my instruction for an invisible job, due to the way they cut their choke tubes at the threaded end. It left a gap at the rear end that was very visible. Your minimum wall thickness is getting pretty thin, but if it is accurate a really good machinist might be able to thread it and use a permanent LocTite to keep it in. Mine has been fired quite a lot since the work a few years ago and I am happy now with the job. If you go this route, I would sugggest you insist on an invisible job, it can be done. I am not sure if your method of a slip-fit can be made permanent. Maybe. The threaded tube installation makes a good job. It will indeed require a very skilled machinist. Why not call Mike Orlen, if he is your choice, and discuss the job with him. If he doesn't want the job, try Briley's, but be very specific about what you want done. Lot'sa Luck!

Why mess with it? Reload and buffer the shot. You can get full choke patterns with no choke. You just have to work up a load.

Thanks to all for your input, but this would be a homemade project. Piece would be bored to i.d. size then turned between centers for o.d. to keep it concentric. Then it would be heated and shrunk to a mandrel with the bore side sticking out to taper the last 1/2" to .002+ final taper at end.
Bill said Oscar soldered them, I was looking to see how some of the Lock-Tite products for screws worked to hold it in.


Mike, I just might do the reloading if this doesn't work, but I like to tinker.

I may be wrong here but I think I would not want to try this without at least reaming a small amount from the bore to the depth of the tube. Otherwise you will have that feather edge on the tube exposed to the shot & wadding. I can't imagine any Loctite (or other adhesive) standing up indefinitly with out that edge being ripped up & torn loose. Personally I would much prefer the solder joint but an adhesive may can be found which would work. I think you would need that "Ledge" there in the bore though for the tube to be butted up against & blended so there would be no edge to be caught.

Miller,
I understand and that sounds very logical, but now you are going beyond my reach. The barrel would have to be veritcally bored and now I don't have access to one.

Actually my drawing should have been 1" parallel and then another 1 1/2" tapering to bore. This was L.C. Smiths choke dimentions.

What are your thoughts of tapering to .002, inserting with some type of adhesive and then hone out that step to bore?

I don't think I would put a box of shells through this old gun, but Mike's idea is looking better.