Opening Fixed Choke?

.You might check out Mike Orlen. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him.
Reasonable prices and quick turnaround time.
$ 60 to open up a barrel, $ 65 to thread for tubes. Still have to buy the tubes though
 
Take a look online for a used barrel. Ebay or Numrich Arms might help. You may find a barrel already choked Improved cylinder. I was able to find one for my 11-48, although mine isn’t a 16ga.
 
Please don't cut the barrel off. Seems like a no-brainer to me, especially if only doing 1 barrel. If you can buy a reamer for $35, but can have a gunsmith do it for $60, then it's only costing you $25 more to have an "expert" do it. There are lots of different charts around, showing choke diameters for 16 gauge. They're all different, depending on manufacturer, country of origin, how much the guy had been drinking, etc. Chokes are constrictions, relative to a particular bore diameter, which varies gun to gun. I'd open the existing choke up so it's about 0.012" smaller than the bore, which should turn your FULL into about LM/IC. Quite versatile. And you'd be good shooting just about any factory shells through it, even steel or tungsten (although erring on the side of caution, I wouldn't go bigger than about #3 shot w/ steel/tungsten).

I created this table a while back, which is sort of a culmination of all the evidence I found regarding choke constrictions. Ignore the bore diameters, as they're based on a "standard" or "true" bore. In reality, one 16 gauge bore is different from the next. Think of it this way. It's not the final diameter that matters. Rather, it's the amount of constriction that matters. And constriction varies from gauge to gauge for a particular choke. A 12 gauge & a 28 gauge have much different diameters, but all other things being equal, a 12 gauge MOD (about 0.020" constriction) throws the same size pattern as a 28 gauge MOD (about 0.015" constriction).
16 ga chokes.JPG
 
A5, could you give that chart a "tab" or two, the left edge is cut off, thanks.
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Please don't cut the barrel off. Seems like a no-brainer to me, especially if only doing 1 barrel. If you can buy a reamer for $35, but can have a gunsmith do it for $60, then it's only costing you $25 more to have an "expert" do it. There are lots of different charts around, showing choke diameters for 16 gauge. They're all different, depending on manufacturer, country of origin, how much the guy had been drinking, etc. Chokes are constrictions, relative to a particular bore diameter, which varies gun to gun. I'd open the existing choke up so it's about 0.012" smaller than the bore, which should turn your FULL into about LM/IC. Quite versatile. And you'd be good shooting just about any factory shells through it, even steel or tungsten (although erring on the side of caution, I wouldn't go bigger than about #3 shot w/ steel/tungsten).

I created this table a while back, which is sort of a culmination of all the evidence I found regarding choke constrictions. Ignore the bore diameters, as they're based on a "standard" or "true" bore. In reality, one 16 gauge bore is different from the next. Think of it this way. It's not the final diameter that matters. Rather, it's the amount of constriction that matters. And constriction varies from gauge to gauge for a particular choke. A 12 gauge & a 28 gauge have much different diameters, but all other things being equal, a 12 gauge MOD (about 0.020" constriction) throws the same size pattern as a 28 gauge MOD (about 0.015" constriction).
View attachment 4204
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birddude said:
For 60.00 I wouldn't even think about a DIY!!!
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Agree 100%. Spend $60 and have Mike Orlen open it up. A lot cheaper than buying another barrel if you could even find one.
 
Chirocat46 said:
Hello all,

Recently have inherited a few shotguns from my late grandfather. One is a Remington 11-48 and the other is a Remington 11. Both are 16GA and both are fixed full choke. Would love to carry them this season but being in north central kansas I see a lot more quail than pheasant. Hunt over pointing dog, shots are generally taken withing 25-30 yards and feel full choke would be a bit excessive and not the best fit for majority of shots taken. Anyone have any experience with opening a fixed choke?

Will probably only open the 11-48

TIA
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About 2 years ago I had a similar issue. Have an older 1100 20 gauge remington with full choke. really like the gun but shooting steel out of it in full choke really was too tight. A search online and found a place in Michigan Odenthals gunsmithing. sent the barrel in. They reamed it out and threaded it for Truchoke thin wall chokes. Been shooting it since. Wasn’t cheap but we’ll worth it to be able to use it again now that so many states are open forcing the use of nontoxic shot.
 
Before I did anything I would do a bunch of pattering with different loads. Years ago, I quail hunted with a guy with a full choke barrel. He shot light load 4's. I cleaned some of the birds and they weren't bad. It makes since. Ther's a lot less shot. You can't buy them now though; you'd have to reload.
 
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