Opening full chokes?

[Betterluckytg]

Has anyone tried the Brownells "flex hone" to open the chokes on either drilling or combination guns? I've had to send out one for repairs (not related to chokes) and would rather not repeat the experience. Several of mine are pre-war and I have no idea how fancy they got with chokes back then; you know, jug tapered, overbored and the rest... so am thinking that simply honing them out a tad or two should improve things. Yes? No? Maybe? Thanks!

[don't]

I have found most German guns have very tight choke & I doubt their hone will remove enough to make a difference. I use the brownells choke reamed followed by the choke hone to clean up any tool marks. Occassionaly I will use a flex hone for blending. If you want a more open pattern you might try spreader loads. DonT

[Betterluckytg]

Thank you for your reply.

[Diz]

[Fred]

[Diz]

[Diz]

I normally use a good expandable reamer to open chokes and by good, I mean precision and expensive. Cheap reamers will usually chatter and leave marks that will be very difficult to remove. In my opinion you cannot go strictly by measurement to gauge choke performance because the bore/choke diameter and length/taper relationships all have an effect. That and you are really taking the taper out of the choke and this straight section also has an effect. So, you must ream, shoot and check the actual pattern to get the results you want. I recommend using the same load you plan to shoot most for this testing. The process is, measure the choke as it is so as to have a reference point and then to ream some and measure again to get an idea of how fast it cuts. You can take metal out but it is really hard to put back. I will shoot a test pattern and ream further and test again. I shoot more shells as I get close to be sure I have a good average. When I am very close then I switch to emery cloth wrapped on a wooden dowel to polish and blend the choke area. Then a final test firing to confirm. It is a slow process to get good results but not that difficult. Good luck with your project, Diz

[Betterluckytg]

Thank you, Diz for that very detailed reply; just what I was looking for. You convinced me to stick with light loads in 2 3/4", and 1.5" shells if the light loads are too much for my poor old shot-out shoulder. I will also quit fretting about all the missed shots.

[Diz]

Betterluck, one option I failed to mention is the use of "spreader loads" in you tightly choked shotgun. There are wads available that are designed to spread the shot charge and make the gun shoot a lot "looser". This may be the easiest way to go. Check out Baschieri & Pellagri International Supersonic Spreader wads from Precision Reloading. Thanks, Diz

[Gut-n-Tight]

I've been opening a few Germanic choke holds for a few years. I have a Rheinmetall (formerly the Dreyse factory) 16 gauge SXS that was built in the twenties. It had very full chokes. Nice but neglected gun with inside bore pitting, worn but still tight. I used the good expandable type reamer to do it. I'd take just a little metal off at a time and followed this up by using a small car brake cylinder hone (2 stones). Then I took it to the skeet range and tried again. Now it is at SKEET II and it is now my best shooting iron for clay birds. When you do this you should do it from the chamber end by using a very long ratchet wrench extension. I also wrap tape around the shank of the reamer that is just small enough in diameter to clear the bore. I also found using a bushing that will slide over the narrow end of the extension but not go deeper than the bore (sits in the forcing cone) helps keep the reamer centered. Don't spare the lube. Come to think of it almost all my old Germanic shotgun barrels have been opened at least a little. I also use what we tool grinders called a Bright Boy stick. I whittle on this flexible polishing device enough to cram it into the choke and proceed to friction polish the thing until the palms of my hands are sore. They do shine after this.