doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Opening chokes on Parker Repro, value impact

I've got a 28 bore Repro 2 barrel set. The 26" barrels are choked IC/M and the 28" are M/F. Ideally I'd like to open one or the other set of barrels up to something like SK/IC for quail hunting. I bought the gun in January and loved it when I used it (with the 26" barrels) on quail a few weeks later, but wished for a tighter back barrel.

I guess the real question is: will opening up the chokes make much of a difference in the value of the gun? It was NIB when I bought it, so condition is excellent.

Thanks!

IMO, Yes.

Before messing with the chokes, I suggest going to the patterning board and determining what you actually are shooting (patterns, that is). If the gun is shooting too tight, then I'd next experiment with some different loads that might get you where you want to be. If all fails, then open the chokes to whatever suits you. Since you took a NIB gun and used it, I assume you want to shoot it, not look at it. You probably dented the guns value more when you began shooting it as opposed to the depreciation that would be caused by opening the chokes. Your NIB gun is now in "excellent condition."

I don't know it from personal experience, but I've read that due to the way the Repro Parkers were regulated (by boring the chokes off center to regulate) that opening them might result in barrels that don't shoot to the same point of aim. You might want to check further into this before you have the chokes opened...Geo

I noticed I misspoke in my original post... I was wishing for a less tight second barrel. Guess I should proof-read my writing.

Good point about the pattern board. I didn't have time to check this gun before I headed for quail country, and haven't used it since. Left barrel (M) seemed plenty tight, however... it knocked one down at nearly 50 yards (a shot I really shouldn't have taken), and pulverized some close birds. The right barrel (IC) seemed just about right. Still... the pattern work is a must.

If you measure the M/F barrels, as I have on two Repro 28's that I've owned--which agree with the measurements given in the current Champlin Arms list for new 2-barrel set they have--you'll find that they are indeed M/F. But for a 12ga, not a 28ga. There must be some use for 28ga barrels choked 019/039, but I'm not quite sure what it is.

Based on my own experience--I also had the chokes opened--I would proceed with caution. There's not a whole lot of meat in those muzzles, and opening them to standard 28ga constriction for, say, IC/M would mean going to 005/010 or 011. Especially with the tight barrel, that's taking out quite a bit. I ended up with ribs coming loose at the muzzle after opening the chokes. I can't say for sure that there was a connection between the two, but the ribs weren't loose beforehand and they became so fairly shortly afterwards.

If you shoot the shorter barrels relatively well, you shouldn't have to go as far with them to get them to something like skt/IC--probably around 003/005 (maybe even leaving the L barrel just a little tighter).

I love 28ga Repros. I'm currently working on getting one that has both DT and barrels that are already about where I want to be as far as choke is concerned. I do wish the Japanese, who otherwise did a fine job on those guns, had been a bit more in line with what 28ga constrictions are supposed to be for a given degree of choke. They came a lot closer on the 20's and 12's.

Our late, good friend, Oscar Gaddy told me exactly what George said. I was talking to him at the time, about buying a repro with 28" barrels(M-F) and opening them up a bit, because I wanted 28" barrels. He gave me the caution.

Viable alternative:

http://www.polywad-shotgun-shells.com/spreader-28-gauge-loads/

I had my 28 inch bbls opened to IC/M with no problem. As to hurting the value when I found a VHE 28 that I couldn't resist I sold the repo at a profit.