Reverse chokes

[Tom Hawkins]

I have always been under the impression that reverse chokes of F/M in older guns were primarily for ducks or possibly driven game. I am looking for information for other possibilities for reverse chokes. The two guns I have with reverse chokes are a 4 frame Grade 5 10 gauge 30" F/M top lever hammer w/o dolls head and a 1 frame Grade 3 14 gauge hammerless 30" 3 dog gun. Both of these guns are before serial number 57600. I would like to find other ideas or thoughts for possible other purposes for reverse chokes.

[Stan Hoover]

I'm unable to help you with suggestions on reverse chokes, it is an interesting topic.

That Grade 5 has beautiful engraving, I love the small game scenes at the rear of the lock plates.

Stan

[Dean Romig]

Beautiful Parker Tom!!

I believe you are correct on the reasons you suggest for reverse chokes.
My belief is that of the sequence of firing on incoming pass shooting for waterfowl as well as for driven birds that are incoming would be the reason.
The arguement to this might be “Why not simply reverse which trigger you pull first?” and I would answer that for shooters who have ALWAYS been accustomed to pull the forward trigger (right barrel) first it may just prove too confusing to do that, when ordering a gun with reverse chokes would eliminate that problem.





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[matt koepnick]

Hello all. My wife primarily uses rear trigger first, then front. she naturally works them better in that order and shoots them as such despite the shooting needs at each station. Chokes are IC /IM set up normal, not reversed. I could see having her gun set up reverse order just to facilitate her shooting style. Just a thought. Mattly.

[Mike Koneski]

Could be for live bird shooting? I have a 12g live bird gun, no safety, right Full, left IC, selective single trigger. From what I was told the first shot would be full and if the bird turned to an incomer you'd have IC.

[edgarspencer]

Reverse choked American guns are not common, except in large bore guns which were intended for waterfowl, generally over decoys.
Reverse choked English side by sides are common over here because they were brought in, relatively inexpensively (compared to conventionally choked sidelocks) because driven shooting in England and Scotland, popular in the late 19th century, and early 20th century has become rare, and expensive. Many of these imports have an H&H style single trigger, which was mostly non selective.
A boxlock W&C Scott, or Webley & Scott can be had well under $4k, and since they don't appreciate much, converting to screw-in chokes is an easy fix to make them more usable over here.

[John Dallas]

Specified for a left-handed shooter

[edgarspencer]

Specified for a left-handed shooter

Wouldn't the position of the triggers be reversed? I'm left handed, still, I'm using an unmodified gun. I have been able to tell myself to shoot the left barrel first, when needs be. Sometimes.

[todd allen]

My theory on left barrel first guns is that some right handed shooters may have thought that the left barrel recoil impulse on the first shot might keep the gun better lined up for a quicker second shot.
I've owned a couple, and shot box birds with them fairly well. This is just a theory, and I could be wrong.
I would love to hear other's thoughts on this.

[Stan Hillis]

I think the argument that it’s for incomers, or driven birds, is empty. I have shot doubleguns all my life, and I’m 72. I can’t imagine anyone not being able to use the rear trigger first, then the front, at will, or vice versa, depending on the need.

I always thought it funny that the same people who defend double triggers by quoting the mantra that they give “instant choke selection” are the same ones who foster the driven/incoming birds defense for reversed chokes. Not pointing a finger at any person in partIcular, just a general observation.

[Dean Romig]

What then is your theory on the reason for reverse chokes Todd?





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[Tom Kidd]

[B]I can't remember if it was Greener or Burrard, its been over 50yrs since I read them, but one of their writings addressed the idea of recoil being more in line with the shoulder resulting in less upset. When Bickel and I were fooling around with pigeons, one of the Beckers I had had its chokes reversed, and Russ thought it was advantage. Just some food for thought.

[Daryl Corona]

[B]I can't remember if it was Greener or Burrard, its been over 50yrs since I read them, but one of their writings addressed the idea of recoil being more in line with the shoulder resulting in less upset. When Bickel and I were fooling around with pigeons, one of the Beckers I had had its chokes reversed, and Russ thought it was advantage. Just some food for thought.

Being a southpaw I somewhat agree Tom. I remember reading that somewhere years ago but have adapted to living and shooting in a right handers world. Never had a problem with double triggers supposedly set up for a righty either.

[Mike Koneski]

TASTES GREAT!

LESS FILLING!

[Bill Murphy]

Tom, did you give the great Bickel a whipping with your reversed chokes? I once gave Russ a whipping, and I still have the score sheet in my files. It was a rare happening and I should have it framed. What a guy.

[todd allen]

What then is your theory on the reason for reverse chokes Todd?

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Dean, just to make sure I'm on the same page on this topic, my understanding of the term "reverse chokes" in the OP was referring to the left barrel being the more open choke.
To me, this is a "left barrel first" gun, assuming that the targets are usually going away.
If we're talking about choke constriction, that's a whole other subject
I had a 32" 1935 Trap Gun that was a modified (.18k) left barrel, and super full (.40k) rt barrel that I did quite a bit of box bird shooting with.
The gun was clearly stocked for a right handed shooter, BTW.
I always thought that it might have had a little quicker second barrel because of the left barrel recoil impulse dynamics.
My theory actually goes a little deeper, but I don't want to take this topic too far into the weeds.

[edgarspencer]

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t believe being right or left handed has anything to do with guns being reverse choked. There are an ample number of double trigger British made O/U guns where the front trigger fires the tighter barrel.