What are my options?

[Andrew Sacco]

I have a lovely 26" VH 0 frame 16 with 26" barrels at 6lbs choked IM/F.

I believe she is not regulated. I can correct the drop with a pad as she shoots 65/35 and has too much drop for me. BUT here's the issue. The RIGHT barrel shoots high 65/35 RIGHT so the left edge of the pattern is on the centerline, and the LEFT barrel shoots high 65/35 LEFT so the right edge lines up on the centerline. Almost like some sadistic bastard did this by design. I thought I was crazy and had others shoot it and this is what she is. So here are my options unless others have ideas I haven't thought of:

1. Put full length fitted 28g tubes a la Koneski from Briley in there but I'm not sure that fixes the regulation? I HATE interchangeable chokes more than NBA basketball but if the new tubes regulate it I'd consider it. I'd hate to mess up the sweet balance of this wand.

2. Send it to Briley to put chokes in to regulate them, then I'm stuck with screw in chokes which I've mentioned are as desireable as an emema.

3. Send it to someone like Eyster to regulate the choke and shoot it to pattern centrally, opening them to a woodcock/grouse gun like C/IC to spread the pattern?

4. Have the barrels regulated? Is that even possible?

5. Sell it. Which I hate to do.

Ideas welcome and hope I'm not missing something. I'll say at sporting clays at 20-30 yards I can't hit crap with it, but I love her none the same.

She is deadly on L-R crossers with the R barrel and deadly with R-L crossers on the L barrel but I'm not built to think that quickly : )

[Daryl Corona]

Just sell it Andy. You're going to drive yourself crazy.

[Andrew Sacco]

I don’t drive myself crazy because I have many others to shoot haha. Ok that’s one vote to sell. Daryl. The rare practical Italian.

[Daryl Corona]

I don't own a gun I can't shoot well. Problem is I have too many.

[Dave Noreen]

Have you tried loads of different velocities? I have a gun that when you drop below 1200 fps the left barrel begins to wander off towards the Jones place. It was really noticeable with the sub-sonic Eley Hawk loads. Right barrel seems fine with whatever I've fed it.

[Clark McCombe]

Just sell it Andy. You're going to drive yourself crazy.

In the gun world, are you obligated to tell the buyer what is going on?

[Garry L Gordon]

Number three sounds like the best option, based on your assertion that you love the gun.

I have a little Dickson (box lock, not round box action) 28 bore that Jack Rowe told me the barrels had been cut (it is 26”). It’s choked cylinder/full, but the full choke is very, very short. That full tube is not perfectly good regulated. I fretted over it for years while using it almost exclusively for all but the rare pheasant hunt. I killed more birds with the gun than I care to report. I never did get that left tube regulated.

[Andrew Sacco]

It’s the same regardless of load but some pattern tighter than others. High and mirror images of each other.

[John Davis]

I agree with Gary. If you are wed to the gun, send it to Eyster.

[George Davis]

When you get it back from Eyster your patterns will be amazing. Shot an MX-8 two weeks ago after Eyster finished (no choke tubes) and couldn't believe the improvement in the pattern from both barrels!

[Andrew Sacco]

Thanks Scott. I’m not wed to the gun as I think it’s my 5th or 6th “last grouse gun I’ll ever buy” but she is a dandy little thing. I have another 16VHE being cleaned up and made prettier by Giacomo’s and I hope to get that back soon. I have no shortage of tools but the problem is usually this Indian not the arrows ; )

[Frank Srebro]

I've been in Eyster's shop several times while Ken and Jim used a special lathe setup to ream fixed chokes at a tangent to adjust up/down and right/left, and then repeatedly test to pattern as desired. Special ball profile reamers were used. That was part of the Eyster "Competition Choking" package which included bore modifications and I don't know what that choke regulation would cost separately. Ken has passed since then but a call to Jim would determine that for an objective decision on what to do with your VH.

[Steven Groh]

If it’s a grouse gun, you probably don’t want a full choke anyhow, so why not send it to Eyster?

[Chris Pope]

I vote #3.

[mikeschneider]

I spent a magical 3 hours at Eyster’s shop 3 years ago while Jim opened my repro 28 gauge from m/f (really full/xxxfull!) to true m/f….fun to watch a master at work!

[Rich Anderson]

I'm not familiar with the Eyster shop but depending on cost it seems like that might be a good way to go. Briley thin wall choke tubes might do the trick but I'd sure explain the problem before you send the barrels to them. The thought of choke tubes is almost enough to make me puke but if it makes the gun shoot like you want it then it might be worth it. I would think you will enough wall thickness at the muzzle for either option. I considered a Fox A grade 16 with 32 inch barrels that was a deal because the chokes were opened up to cyl/cyl. There wasn't the wall thickness for Briley tubes. I passed on the gun.

Keep an eye out for another set of 16 ga barrels.

[Andrew Sacco]

Talked to Jim Eyster. He feels going IC would be too much but I'm going to ship it and he's going to look at it. I'll have to have a box of RST shells sent to him since he needs the ammo I usually shoot and he says I can't mail it. Boo.

[John Allen]

Go with Eyster. They regulated a pigeon gun for me. I sent them the gun and 3 boxes of shells and told them how I wanted it to pattern. Three months later the gun was back and was regulated exactly as I asked. Can't ask for better service.

[Keith Doty]

Andy, the ammo can ship UPS. Needs to be properly marked as small arms ammo but that's how I send shells to be tested. I am a big fan of "0" frame 16s, great guns. I vote #3, would be a shame to let it go.

[Andrew Sacco]

Andy, the ammo can ship UPS. Needs to be properly marked as small arms ammo but that's how I send shells to be tested. I am a big fan of "0" frame 16s, great guns. I vote #3, would be a shame to let it go.

Thank you Keith. Do I have to put a hazmat label on it?

[Keith Doty]

Not Hazmat but there is a symbol that I print that goes on the box indicating small arms ammo. I'll look and see if I can put hands on it and post here.

[Keith Doty]

Try this

[Andrew Sacco]

Thank you Keith

[Keith Doty]

Certainly.

[Phillip Carr]

I could be wrong but I believe UPS no longer wants you to ID as Ammo. They want it labeled with the black and white Diamond..
This is what I have been doing, please see the picture.
I bought a roll off of Amazon as I recall.

[Stephen Hodges]

I think UPS will only accept the shipment of ammo if you have a prepaid shipping label from the party you are shipping to. That is the only way FedEx will accept it, and I just shipped UPS to Precision for some testing and I had to call them an purchase a shipping label from them, then UPS would accept the package, properly marked with the black diamond. And USPS will not accept under any conditions. At least that is what I have been told.

[Keith Doty]

All the above entirely possible, I haven't shipped any in many months. Recommend a phone call before shipping.

[Andrew Sacco]

Jim told me "you can't ship ammo to me so have RST ship me some." What a PIA.