Meaning of "close" in reference to choke?

[B. Dudley]

The parttern is close together. Tight.

Some old timers and myself were just laughing about the whole “shooting hard and close” thing at a gun show this weekend.

[Pa SxS]

The Stock Books never refer to chokes by name, only by the number of pellets, size of shot, pattern size, and distance. You get this in your research letter when it can be read. The chokes, when entered in the Order Books, may show names such as RH cyl LH full, or "close", or even 1/2 or 3/4 choke. Sometimes a customer will request a certain size shot to be used and the number of pellets in a certain size pattern and even the drams of a certain powder company and the weight of the shot. If it's readable, it's included in the research letter.

[Drew Hause]

Not just Parker

1890

"Close and hard shooting guns at long range a specialty."



1898



1886 "Choke-Bored to shoot Extremely Close"



1897 Chas. Godfrey catalog

[Chris T.]

Huh, I always assumed close meant an open choke for close quarters.