doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Using a choke gauge

It's also entirely possible that the measurement range of the finest bore mic in the world can be defeated by barrels severely under or over (nominal) bore. Which leaves me wondering if the Skeets sucks because it's not bulletproof or becuase it has the same limitations that apply to much fancier tools?

jack

jack, indeed every measuring tool has a range and it is perhaps unfair to criticize a tool because of its range limitation. However, my Merkel 20-bore is .628 (as I recall) and that should not be outside the range of an instrument advertised as being able to measure 20-bore barrels.

In general the Skeets does deliver but it is a shoddy instrument, reflected in its price. Just reversing direction causes the indicator to move by a thou or so.

And then, of course, there's the head that comes off....

Gnomon, I just rechecked my Sauer 20ga--which is about a dead twin for your Merkel in bore diameter--with my Skeets. Also just had the chokes opened by Mark Beasland--and the constriction I get is exactly what I asked Mark to give me. So mine seems to work OK with that much overbore in a 20ga. Maybe the conclusion is that they suck because of a lack of quality control--some OK, some not??

L.Brown - that seems reasonable - maybe this is why the guy sold me Skeets cheap!

Anyway, it's not the end of the world since I also have a Bowers gauge in my machine shop. That reads to a tenth and goes in about 4 1/2-inches. It is more cumbersome to use and I won't take it to gun shows but I can still measure.

The lesson, I think, is to make sure the Skeets works when you get one and if not return it.

The gauge I would prefer for gun show use is a scissors with micrometer with legs about six inches long. However, all that I have seen were only three to four inches long. Does anyone know of a gauge like I describe?

That would be perfect but I too have never seen one. I have a machine shop in my basement and a lot of tool catalogues and have looked extensively. The one that Enco sells for about ninety bucks is nice but its legs are too short. About 3 1/4 inches.

My Bowers gauger is very, very nice but it is also very very expensive and overkill - it reads to a tenth of a thou. It's also a bit cumbersome to use.

My gunsmith buddy has one that he uses for quick measurements. I don't know the exact length, but it's longer than my Enco. And it will measure .410 chokes, which my Enco won't do (arms are too fat). His is probably a Mitutoyo or Starrett, and thus hyper-expensive, but I can check with him soon. I have thought about grinding off part of the shoulders on the Enco arms, but that will give only a fraction of an inch of additional reach.

Bill,

Hold on to your hat.

N.C.K IDG-009 has a leg of 6.75", range of .400"-2.400".

http://www.lighttoolsupply.com/catalog/C...l-Caliper-Gages

http://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/products/products.cfm?categoryID=5981

At one time SPI was selling them as 20-970-0.

The price is $325.00

Pete

Are the ends of the legs squared off or are they knife edge? Squared off ends would give an erroneous reading of a round bore.

Stan

PeteM, nice find. The IDG-001 is essentially the same as the Enco gage we have been discussing, but I would guess it's higher quality. For $325, I think I'd rather buy a bore gauge.

So, for those of you who have the Skeet's: If you had it to do over again, what would you buy today?