Re bore chokes on Reproduction ?

[Jeff Peck]

Hi, tried searching and have heard differing opinions.

Can you open up the chokes on reproduction barrels ?

Trying to open up a few full barrels to IC/M for upland bird.

If possible, suggestions for who to use ?

Thanks

Jeff

[Brian Dudley]

Why not? Sure.

[Bill Murphy]

Brian, I have seen some evidence of barrel work on chrome plated Beretta barrels resulting in rusting of the worked on areas. Should anyone be afraid of such work?

[Brian Dudley]

I am not familiar with what you speak of Bill.

[Bill Murphy]

Thanks, Brian.

[Jeff Peck]

I am talking about opening up the choke on a set of barrels, making a mod/full into a mod/ic.

Has anyone done it, if so, who did it and any issues.

I have heard that there are issues in doing it on chrome lined barrels.

[Dean Romig]

I’ve heard the same thing Jeff, but I don’t remember who said it or even if it was from a reliable source.





.

[Billy Gross]

I had Briley open 28Ga. Repro up to Skeet/Skeet They did a good job. Billy

[Greg Baehman]

This is my understanding and what has been explained to me:

Only the 12-ga. Steel Shot Special has chrome lining through the choke area, all other Repros have chrome lining through the bores only -- not through the choke area. Therefore, special reamers are needed only when opening chokes on a SSS -- which are already choked IC/M (typically .006/.011).

[Kenny Graft]

Send the barrels to Briley and be HAPPY....(-: Kenny

[edgarspencer]

Anyone you consider qualified to open your chokes to whatever you're after is going to tell you an original Parker barrel doesn't rust so why should a chrome lined bore, honed to below the chrome (. 0015" -.0020").
If there was such a thing as a repro bore chomed up to but not including the choke, it had to have been done before they finished the barrel. If you understand ID Plating, you would understand they can't chrome 22" and not the remaining 4". Don't work that way.

[Scot Cardillo]

It’s industrial chrome. Bores can be masked so that the last couple of inches are not plated, during the plating process.

If there is chrome plating on your chokes, it will disappear quickly w/standard cutting tools so long as you get “underneath” the chrome from the get go, and that’s simple to do b/c the chrome is thin.

Opening the chokes is not an issue, at all.

[Paul Ehlers]

I had Mike Orlen open up a set of repro 28" 28ga chokes with no problems. That was several years ago & there hasn't been any issues with them since.

Send them to a good barrel man like Kirk Merrington, Mike Orlen or Briley's & don't worry over something that doesn't need to be worried about. All of us gun guy's have a tenacity to overthink things sometimes.

[Garry L Gordon]

Just curious...why not spreaders and then essentially have 4 choke choices?

[Greg Baehman]

Just curious...why not spreaders and then essentially have 4 choke choices?
BINGO!

I can't tell you the number of Repro owners that have opened their gun's chokes in an effort to make it their dream gun. Many of these are PGCA forum regulars that have justified these alterations by saying it's their gun and they are free to do whatever they want with it. True. But, most also claim they'd never sell the gun while they're living and let their heirs worry about it only to sell it down the road when their-gun-with-the-metal-ground-out-of-it didn't live up to their expectations. I have a couple of shooting buddies that have opened multiple Repros a multiple of times, only to sell each and every one of them. :banghead:

There, I feel better. :whistle:

[Pat Dugan]

Well I have had 3
28 in repros opened
Up to skeet , I C,
When I got the first
28 ga repro, a double trigger, 12 years ago ,i shot skeet
With the mod and full
Barrels until I got a straight
It took a year and
I figure 15000
shells.
I decided to make it easier
On myself and had the
Chokes opened up to skeet and IC.
I then was shooting
Straights one out of
8 rounds. I am not a competition shooter .So for my purpose it was
wonderfull.

Question?? what do you people do
With the Mod and full
Barrels, bet most not
Used

[Jeff Peck]

Pat, thanks.

Who did you have do the work ?

Thanks

Jeff

[Pat Dugan]

Briley did first set, they were to install their thin wall chokes, but said
Barrels not thick enough, so for 100
Dollars they opened the chokes to skeet and ic
The others were sent to be fitted
To Bill Schwartz in Ellijay
Ga.
I bought one set on auction
For 25 dollars no one else
Bid on a small estate auction
Other set was bought
From gun dealer, pawn shop on Guns
International , as 2 barrell non matching set for 4200 dollars. They had to be fitted also

[Gary Laudermilch]

The first 20 ga repro I bought was choke IC/Mod and it shot wickedly tight. Since it was intended to be my go-to grouse gun I had the chokes opened to .004 and .008. Since then I've shot many grouse and doves with it. I also shoot clays with it just prior to grouse season and it will break 35 yard targets well. No regrets. A good move. My grandson would love to get his hands on it but I told him I may be old but am not quite ready to give up following a setter after grouse. I would feel naked without my repro which is affectionately known to he and I as "Sweet Pea". Some day!

Of course an equally good move would have been to purchase a Q1/Q2 gun to begin with. At the time I did not know such a thing existed. Since then I have purchased one so choked. I have patterned both and they perform about the same.

[Greg Baehman]

***snip***

Of course an equally good move would have been to purchase a Q1/Q2 gun to begin with.

***snip***
Actually, some may opine that it would have been a whole lot better had you done just that. Not necessarily for now, but for the future generations of collectors that will covet originality.

[edgarspencer]

Actually, some may opine that it would have been a whole lot better had you done just that. Not necessarily for now, but for the future generations of collectors that will covet originality.

Too soon old, Too late Smart. It's pretty much what every collector of original Parkers has been saying. Sadly, the Repros are not considered by the very same people who bemoan that sacrilegious treatment, to have future as a collectible.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I do not really care what present and future collectors think of my decision to open chokes. I do know there are hundreds of grouse in 6 states plus New Brunswick that regretted my decision.

[Sam Ogle]

I opened a 28" repro 28 gauge. It was choked "mod/full." The "full" was 40/1000. I thought it silly tight (still do). I heard Briley said 28 gauges were too thin to put chokes in, so I had a local (skilled) gunsmith open both barrels to skeet/skeet. I am happy.
Sam Ogle

[Pat Dugan]

Same thing happened to
Me, i asked the man
Several times, was he sure he could put thinwall chokes in
So i sent them with same result
Had them open the chokes to skeet and ic, they knew to begin
With that they could not put thin wall in