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

The bearing surface appears to be a small carbide ball (same as the Enco), so would bear tangentially against the inside of the bore.

100 Straight makes a nice gage. It will reach 16" into bore. From them you can order it with 4 heads, I would get the 10, 12, 16, and 20 ga. I believe they were $450.00.

I have the Skeets gage, bought it from eBay for $15.00. Wasn't working, took it apart and someone put the ball in the bottom and the spring on top. Fixed it and had an issue with it creeping on the phenolic piece, called Skeet's and the worker on the other end said just to put a drop of crazy glue on the piece after placing the dial indictor down to the 1 (.100) on the gage. Works fine.

I'd buy the Skeets that I bought again. I wouldn't buy the Skeets that all you other guys bought--the ones that change zero in the middle of the session, the ones that loose the ball carrier. I might buy JD's for what he gave after he fixed it. And I'd certainly buy the 100 Straight 4 gauge set before I'd throw 325 on a dial caliper with 6" legs, no offense Pete.

jack

I'd buy the Skeets that I bought again. I wouldn't buy the Skeets that all you other guys bought--the ones that change zero in the middle of the session, the ones that loose the ball carrier. I might buy JD's for what he gave after he fixed it. And I'd certainly buy the 100 Straight 4 gauge set before I'd throw 325 on a dial caliper with 6" legs, no offense Pete.

jack

The 100 Straight looks like a nice gauge, but it's $500 at Midway USA, and you don't get gauge setting rings for 16ga or 10ga. Not sure it would measure a 10ga bore or even 12ga chambers, but a phone call could answer that question. Any machine shop could turn setting rings for 16ga or 10ga. Lots of money, though, by the time you are done.

None taken Jack. Bill was asking if such a tool was available. I would not spend money on it either.

I use one with 3.25" arms. I have been thinking about the Skeets.

Pete

My Skeets has worked well for me. But if I had it to do over again, I'd buy two of them, since they're the same price as the one I bought with two heads. Might as well get the extra shaft and dial.

I don't have a Skeets but I got the impression the zero shift was possibly a temperature thing. This would likely come from the outer tube picking up warmth from being held while the enter rod does not, thus making the gauge tube stretch & it would read Small. If this be the case a few cents worth of pipe insulation slipped over the shaft may well take care of the problem.
IF on the other hand something is moving, causing the shift it definitely needs fixing.

I heard a few say that the gage does not come back to zero or that there is a difference in reversing the gage taking it out of the bore. You have to remember that the holes for the ball bearngs are size on size, and any minute piece of dirt will stop the ball from seating giving you an errouneous reading.
As far as withdrawing it and getting a .001 difference, is that such a big deal? Again the balls are rotating in their fit and any type of dirt will give a bad reading or make it jump.

I tried making a smaller head for 20 ga. out of aluminum as a prototype. Trouble is I need to get smaller ball bearngs, as I tried using the same .250 (1/4") balls that are in the Skeet's. I can only get two in because the I.D. is to small for these balls. I'll try .1875 (3/16") so that the holes can be reamed to size. They naturlly have to be put in from the inside.
The inner aluminum tube is still 3/16" dia. and I guess it is easy and cheap to use the phenolic outside tube.
It might be easier to make a 10 ga. head and still use the same .250 ball bearings.

In my previous post about setting the dial indicator to 1 (.100), I was wrong, the worker told me to set it inbetween the range (0-500) and so I set it a 3 (300). This is to give you enough travel.

I use the Galazan micrometer and the very similar Skeet's. The only trouble I have had with either is after dropping them. I actually broke the shaft on a Galazan tool and was able to fix it without too much trouble.