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What is a "choke" on a shotgun???
- Thread starter -SD-
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Damn Im not thinking, here it is:dossey said:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?item=30384533
Colonel Ingus
New member
As was mentioned earlier, the choke is the restriction in bore diameter at the muzzle which helps control the rate at which the pellets spread out after leaving the barrel.
Choke typically referrs to the percentage of a shotgun's pattern that will stay within a 30 inch circle at a distance of 40 yard.
Full = >70%
Modified = 60-70%
Improved Cylinder = 55-60%
Cylinder Bore = <55% (there is no restriction in cylinder bores)
Unlike most people think, a shotgun barrel is not a simple tube from chamber to muzzle. A typical 12 gauge has a bore of .729 inches. The chamber area is larger than that and within an inch or two of the chamber there is a section called the "forcing cone". A typical forcing cone is a constriction in the inside diameter of the barrel from the chamber diameter to roughly .729 inches. This constriction takes place over about ½ inch in distance. When you look through a shotgun barrel from breech to muzzle, it looks like a step down, but it is not, it is a short taper. One of the first things done to improve shotgun patterning is to "lengthen" the forcing cone so that this restriction takes place over about 1½ to 2 inches. This modification will reduce pellet deformation, which improves the pattern density, and will also reduce felt recoil slightly. The last few inches of the barrel, as you approach the muzzle, is where the "choke" is. A simple restriction at the muzzle, which brings the bore diameter down to anywhere from a couple thousandths of an inch under the nominal .729", to restrictions of 40 thousandths or more under the .729" bore diameter which are used for "full" choke are possible. It's been proven that having a short parallel section of barrel AFTER the choke will help increase pattern density as well, and that's why the target and competition shotguns with interchangable choke tubes use tubes that are 4 to 5 inches in length, while hunting shotguns still use the 2 to 3 inch tubes.
A quick check to determine if a 12 gauge is full choke or not is to drop a dime through the barrel. A dime is just under .705 inches in diameter (depending on wear) and will not pass through a full choke on a normal, non-backbored 12 gauge barrel. (back boreing is a whole different situation, but a lot of better shotguns are starting to use that technology now)
So there's probably more than you ever wanted to know about "choke".
Choke typically referrs to the percentage of a shotgun's pattern that will stay within a 30 inch circle at a distance of 40 yard.
Full = >70%
Modified = 60-70%
Improved Cylinder = 55-60%
Cylinder Bore = <55% (there is no restriction in cylinder bores)
Unlike most people think, a shotgun barrel is not a simple tube from chamber to muzzle. A typical 12 gauge has a bore of .729 inches. The chamber area is larger than that and within an inch or two of the chamber there is a section called the "forcing cone". A typical forcing cone is a constriction in the inside diameter of the barrel from the chamber diameter to roughly .729 inches. This constriction takes place over about ½ inch in distance. When you look through a shotgun barrel from breech to muzzle, it looks like a step down, but it is not, it is a short taper. One of the first things done to improve shotgun patterning is to "lengthen" the forcing cone so that this restriction takes place over about 1½ to 2 inches. This modification will reduce pellet deformation, which improves the pattern density, and will also reduce felt recoil slightly. The last few inches of the barrel, as you approach the muzzle, is where the "choke" is. A simple restriction at the muzzle, which brings the bore diameter down to anywhere from a couple thousandths of an inch under the nominal .729", to restrictions of 40 thousandths or more under the .729" bore diameter which are used for "full" choke are possible. It's been proven that having a short parallel section of barrel AFTER the choke will help increase pattern density as well, and that's why the target and competition shotguns with interchangable choke tubes use tubes that are 4 to 5 inches in length, while hunting shotguns still use the 2 to 3 inch tubes.
A quick check to determine if a 12 gauge is full choke or not is to drop a dime through the barrel. A dime is just under .705 inches in diameter (depending on wear) and will not pass through a full choke on a normal, non-backbored 12 gauge barrel. (back boreing is a whole different situation, but a lot of better shotguns are starting to use that technology now)
So there's probably more than you ever wanted to know about "choke".
Y_lifter
New member
"Plug" was the term some of you were referring to
It's what you put into the guns magazine to block it partially and restrict
the number of shells it can hold. My Grand dads old 16 Ga Belgian made browning has this Old hand made wooden one that I discovered was in there.. cool.
It's what you put into the guns magazine to block it partially and restrict
the number of shells it can hold. My Grand dads old 16 Ga Belgian made browning has this Old hand made wooden one that I discovered was in there.. cool.
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