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I haven’t had Mike install choke tubes in a gun, but I had him severely lengthen the forcing cones on one set of barrels and open the chokes on another set, both at the same time. Price was reasonable and turnaround was fast. No problems with either set.

I have nothing bad to say about Bailey but have only bought things from them, have not had any work done.

Joined: 09 Dec 2012 Posts: 935

one of my buddies (who is also a member here) had Briley install tubes into an Ithaca 37 16ga. The older ones didn't have the thickest barrel walls. They did a great job and he is more than happy (well how can you be more than happy?) with the job. I guess the correct statement is completely satisfied.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 940

I got quote from briley last fall to have thinwalls with 2" extension for my 16 mod 12. 495.00. But I've had them do several guns for me and never had a problem. You get quality work
. That's what you pay for Billb

df -- Over the years, I have become disillusioned with choke tubes. I now go to fairly open fixed-chokes, reaming them if necessary. In my upland 16 ga. doubles, I prefer constrictions about .004" and .010". I have had a rough-looking Winchester Model 12 reamed to .010" for use with hard non-toxic shot at watrfowl, and it also works for upland birds.

First, what kind of shooting do you contemplate? If it is game, consider this: For upland birds, most shots are well within 25 yards. 35 to 40 Yards is quite a long, possibly unnecessary shot. Considering the fact that with the new-fangled plastic wad units (of the last almost 70 years!) the traditional levels of choke throw patterns with lead shot about the next level tighter, an IC choke (about .009" constriction in 16 ga.) or even a skeet choke (about .004" constriction -- not greater) is plenty. With waterfowl, you are no doubt going to shoot some hard-as-the-barrel non-toxic shot, which patterns super tight, and will also want a choke no tighter than typical IC. With steel or tungsten alloy shot, I doubt you'd know the difference between IC and cylinder, for that matter.

Now maybe you're going to shoot some clays -- sporties, trap or skeet. How serious are you about that? I mean are you serious enough about those games to have a gun specialized or specializable for each of them? Or, as I suspect with this 870, are you just using clays for occasional fun and tune-up for hunting? If so, IC choke is sufficient for each of those games. If you're trying to specialize in 60+ yard targets, you might want to consider full choke, but that is probably not the game for an 870. Trap? If you shoot from the 16 yd. line, IC will do just fine -- from there I can break them all with a 20 ga. with cylinder choke using 7/8 oz. of #9s -- you can too. If you shoot from the 27 yard line, you might need modified choke. If you want to use your 870 for that, it is probably cheaper to simply buy another barrel in choke of your choice.

I have not yet brought up re-loading to alter pattern densities. First, I think even if you only shoot factory loads, the above considerations make fixed, open chokes a good all-around solution. Re-loading, however, offers yet another layer of pattern control. Want more open patterns, use spreaders of one sort or another. Want things tighter? Buffer and larger shot tighten patterns. If the shot is long, you'll no doubt want larger shot for better down-range pellet energy anyway. If you really want to have a choke tighter than IC so you can reach out to those 45+ yard shots, modified will do, and still might just be OK with hard non-toxic shot. You still then have the capability to open up your patterns a step, or maybe two, with your reloading techniques -- lots of choices.

In the end, you'll have to look at the cost/benefit situation of barrel modifications for yourself. In my case, I am strongly biased toward fixed chokes and living with them. I also have another issue that leads to that choice: older guns I want to leave in their original un-modified chokings. I have my choices. Hope your choices work for you.

Cheers and Best Wishes!
Tony

MaxSmoke,

I agree fairly open fixed chokes are the way to go, especially if you are an avid Bird hunter!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith/Westley Richards Man

...I wonder if someday people will say "..How could they have cut that Beautiful 870 barrel?" , like they do now re Model 12's and the like? Smile

I have Brileys in several shotguns inc Model 21, 12 and 870 with Many seasons and Zero Issues so far.

Rick O et al,

There is a certain market with the "collectable" mentality for almost anything, no matter how common. I suppose one has to decide whether he/she is in that market from one end or the other -- i.e. buyer or seller, and what that market means to one, personally. As some ancient Greek has said, "De gustibus non est disputandum" -- which translates to ""there can/should be no dispute of someone's taste or preference". I mention my own not as an insistence, but as a potential assistance in perspective. So I follow this practice, lest aspersions be cast at my own preferences, which in any case, whatever they may be, I don't care. With regard to the chokes or any other modifications to barrels, obviously I lean on the side of functionality in the immediate present and future in many cases, but not all. As the French say, "À chacun son goût"

Woops! Double. Rolling Eyes

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1531 Location: Western WA

Interesting that this came up today at the club. Spoke with a member who took an 870 to his gunsmith for choke tubes. After examining the gun, the gunsmith refused, saying he could do nothing that would improve on the existing barrel.

B.

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 618 Location: Virginia

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3294 Location: NCWa

The only shotgun that I have that has a non-fixed choke is a Poly Choked Model 12 (I bought it that way). It's functional but I much prefer using a double (SxS or OU). for variety of pattern I handload to either tighten things up or open them. I;ve only done fixed target patterning, which some on here claim is worthless, but it shows me how open the pattern is and where it is relative to my point of aim (I know you don't aim a shotgun). But that's how I get by using antiques as firearms.

Joined: 25 Jan 2014 Posts: 268 Location: MN

I don't like choke tubes for a couple reasons that have nothing to do with the pattern.
I can no longer see those little notches, or remember what they mean, is one notch open or tight?
Where does one store the extra chokes?
After my years of frustration, someone on this site suggested Negrini choke boxes. I have two boxes now to help sort the chokes. and I have written on the box what the notches mean.

At one time we had five guns with tubes in the safe, we are down to two now.

For reference, I have three guns with poly chokes that I use 80 percent of the time.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1531 Location: Western WA

Our first shotgun was a M12 with a Polychoke. Naturally at first we turned it all the way to Full and X Full to “get more range” which of course did quite the opposite. After chewing up some rabbits and ringnecks we settled down to IC with far better results.

Anyway, recently I ran some pattern checks at the pattern board (posted here somewhere) and confirmed that the Polychoke actually works as advertised and possibly more, wide open to extremely tight. Unfortunately the middle settings delivered very unsatisfactory patterns compared to my fixed choke guns, very uneven and messy. I have an early Beretta 686 Special Sporting (or something like that) 12 ga with fixed chokes which patterns like a cookie cutter, so perfectly concentric and even that I dare not trifle with choke tubes.

B.

AmericanMeet -- Fixed-target patterning is far from worthless-- it is very relevant to shooting performance, even on 90 degree deflection shots, because the target velocity is an order of magnitude less than the shot velocity at practical ranges. i.e., For most shots, the target is effectively stationery! Shot stringing becomes a much more serious issue when the shots are extremely long. The longer the distance to the target, the lower the shot velocity and the longer the shot string. Shot stringing is far from the only reason for low performance on long shots. I'll point out again that most upland birds are taken at 25 yards plus or minus 5 or maybe 10. Same thing with decoyed waterfowl. Most shots are not 90 degree deflection. Admittedly, high waterfowl pass-shooting or some driven "tall" birds are. Fixed-target patterning may not be perfect, but it is the best that can practically be done. Yes, you can do like Bob Brister did and put a big sheet of plywood on a trailer and have someone drive by at a speed representative of the intended target. Read Brister's book "Shotgunning - The Art and Science" to see how that worked out and what he thinks of it.

And Dan Lee -- Literally, the expression states: "in tastes there is no dispute", or syntactically rearranged: "there is no disputing tastes". The meaning of the word that means "tastes" can be extended to mean "preferences". There is nothing in the statement about accounting for or explaining tastes. The statement is about the validity of arguing the correctness of the tastes of another.

Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 58 Location: tulsa

I had Mike do to an 870 16 , 12, a 1100 12 and a couple of Win 97s 16 and 12. I am happy the way they all turned out. He sent back a 37 16 barrel and said it was too thin for the tubes he installs. One these days I will break down and send it to
Briley or have someone put a Poly-Choke or Cutts on it. The 37 barrel was shortened before I got it so I might go with a way to make it a little longer.