Can chokes be opened by shooting over many years?

[Tom Flanigan]

Good points Todd. I'll have to get a letter on the gun. But I can't imagine Parker leaving little choke in the right barrel for a gun that was ordered with 28" barrels and modified and full choke. Frankly, I don't think the dilemma will ever be resolved.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

Good points Todd. I'll have to get a letter on the gun. But I can't imagine Parker leaving little choke in the right barrel for a gun that was ordered with 28" barrels and modified and full choke. Frankly, I don't think the dilemma will ever be resolved.

FWIW I have a 12ga Trojan 28" from 1913. It has .729 bores in both barrels with .021 constriction in the right barrel and .036 in the left barrel. The letter I have says it patterned 225 pellets right barrel and 250 pellets in the left barrel. I need to dig out the results of shooting patterns with it which is on an old computer but I believe it shot full and extra full at 40 yards with 1 1/8 ounce number #6 lead. As others have mentioned to figure this out you need a letter that hopefully gives chokes or pattern information, measure your bores and chokes and pattern it into a 30" circle at 40 yards. Plastic wads made loading shells easier for ammo makers, they don't automatically mean tighter patterns vs. old ammunition, antique paper shells can pattern very tight. In the end the only thing that counts for choke is the pattern it throws on paper.

[Drew Hause]

Tom: here is a "Wear-And-Tear" Trial, but only 2500 shells
https://books.google.com/books?id=inQCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA109

30,000 rounds with improved full choke pattern
https://books.google.com/books?id=inQCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA227

W.W. Greener in The Gun; a gun used by "Schultze" for many years in which the pattern % improved over time
https://books.google.com/books?id=3HMCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA353