Restless Choke Tubes!

Toad

Toad

Active member
I'm sure somebody else on this forum must have the same problem as me, just wondering what to do...

I have been shooting a beretta xtrema 2 ever since they first came out (wow, what a gun!). I have no complaints about it whatsoever except that the choke tubes tend to back themselves out. I have to check constantly to make sure it's still tight and I "thumb" tighten it several times a day while hunting. Although the choke tube is flush with the end of the barrel when it is fully tightened, it is not unusual for it to be sticking out 1/8" or more after shooting a round of trap. Last year it actually fell out of the gun while we were walking to our duck hunting spot and luckily I walked the exact same path back to the truck and found it as we were leaving. That was less than 24 hours and probably 10 shells after I had tightened it with the wrench.:eek:

Anybody ever had a gun that did this and what did you do to fix it? I have considered using teflon tape or liquid threadlocker, but I have never done it because I don't want to screw anything up. So, I just keep jamming the tip of my thumb in there at the end of every field and make sure it's still snug. It would be nice not to have to worry about it...:rolleyes:

I use IC for quail or ducks, IC or M for pheasants, IM for trap, and F for turkeys, so it's important that I still have the ability to change choke tubes. I don't want the thing permanently welded in there. But it would be nice if it didn't fall out on its own.:cool:
 
My benelli started doing that the last couple of years. I bought a new choke tube this fall and it is tight as can be and doesnt back out. So maybe the threads on the chokes get worn out? I would try some teflon tape, I would think that it wouldnt hurt anything and would probably tighten it right up.
 
Toad try some wax on the threads it will act as a lock-tite of sorts but will come out when you want it to, this will give the threads enough friction and should keep the choke where you want it. You won't need to worry about the gun heating enough to melt the wax or have any other adverse conditions on the wax. Bowstring wax should do the trick but if you don't have access to that just chalk up the threads with a regular candle stick. Good luck and hopefully you will have no worries from here on out.
 
Both my older Beretta and my Winny Super X2 Elite light have choke tubes that wonder. When I use the chokes that orginally came with the gun I have no problems but I like the extended choke tubes and they all wander a little bit.

I just make sure I tighten them up by hand after a volley of shots.
 
I'm sorry, you mentioned that you thumb tightened. I assume you mean with the factory supplied choke tube wrench?

If your tightening with the wrench and snugging it down good it should NOT come loose at all. These are the tubes that came with the gun correct?

I've use to have an Xtrema and when ever I tightened the tubes down with the wrench they never moved. Something sure doesn't seem right if they are coming loose so easily.
 
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Put a tiny drop of blue loctite on the threads and that'll fix it. Its not permanent at all and it'll be able to be unscrewed but won't back out.
 
birdshooter said:
I'm sorry, you mentioned that you thumb tightened. I assume you mean with the factory supplied choke tube wrench?

If your tightening with the wrench and snugging it down good it should NOT come loose at all. These are the tubes that came with the gun correct?

I've use to have an Xtrema and when ever I tightened the tubes down with the wrench they never moved. Something sure doesn't seem right if they are coming loose so easily.
Click to expand...

agree- I've got a Beretta and a Citori- if I tighten down with the proper wrench never had a tube come loose in 30 some years of hunting-
I'd never suggest putting something on the threads
 
To say your probably not tightening it right is an insult I know and I'm sure you can tighten a choke tube.

In my armorers classes we put thread locker on everything and the blue can be removed easily, certainly would be no problem on choke tube threads. Just a drop and snugging with the factory wrench and it shouldnt unscrew without the wrench. Hope it helps.
 
Nobody was trying to insult anyone here. He vaguely described that he thumb tightened the choke tube.

Choke tubes from the factory (especially flush mount tubes, or any for that matter) were NOT designed with the need of thread locker to keep them tight. Tightening with the factory supplied or aftermarket choke wrench should and will keep them tight. I have never in all my Beretta shotguns (I currently own two and have owned a half dozen over the years) run into a problem where the choke tube worked it's way out 1/8" after snugging it down good with the wrench. Not saying he is doing anything wrong and he probably isn't, only that his issue is very odd and the possibility exists that there may be a problem somewhere.
 
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The one exception where I have seen chokes loosen after shooting are extended chokes, especially ones that were designed to be hand tightened. When I shoot sporting I just get into the habit of checking my Briley extended chokes as I enter the stand.
 
No idea on your tubes wondering but my extrema 2 is miss firing. have cleaned and cleaned it took to gun smith still acts like the action isnt quite shutting. anyone else have this issue?
 
Thanks for all the responses. These are the factory tubes that came with the gun.

I was not insulted by the suggestion that I wasn't tightening the choke tubes enough. The posters who suggested that were only trying to help and I appreciate it.:thumbsup: I never put a torque wrench on them or anything, but they are plenty snug when I install them with the wrench. I don't want to strip the threads or break the wrench, but I install them plenty tight.

"Thumb" tightening is what I do in the field when I notice that the tube is sticking out past the end of the barrel. Yes, I use the tip of my thumb, and yes, the gun is unloaded at the time.:eek: Then when I get back home or to the hotel I use the wrench again.

I will try the suggestions you all gave and hopefully that will keep 'em in tight. If none of those works, I will just cross-thread the MF'er and that'll get it good and stuck.:laugh:

Turtle- I don't know how long you've had yours but mine wanted to eat a couple hundred rounds before the action got super smooth. I took the bolt out and cleaned and oiled it a couple times thinking it would help but it just needed "breaking in". The problem I always had was only the first shell if I didn't let the bolt slam shut. It always cycled just fine on follow up shots. My dad always "eased" the bolt on his 1100 into position on the first shell so as to be quiet entering the field. I always did the same on my Browning Gold and the Xtrema II after I got it. The bolt on the Browning closed just fine from day 1, but the Xtrema II needed to slam for the first couple hundred rounds. If I "eased" it into position on the first shell, it wouldn't fully lock into position and the first trigger pull would be a "click" instead of a "bang". The action on mine is plenty smooth now, and fully locks even if I ease the bolt into position on the first round. Hope that helps.
 
Toad, thanks for your info on my extrema 2. Now can you explain to my wife why I need to buy another 20 boxes of rooster shells and go back out west for a week please. (on account of needing to get my action smoothed up).:cheers:
 
Yeah, let me talk to her for ya.:thumbsup: Word of caution: some of my friends' wives probably regard me as a bad influence since I "force" their husbands to go fishing and hunting instead of working on honey-do lists.

10 more days until MY first pheasant hunt of the season. CAN'T WAIT!!! Headed West to "BYRD" country. ;)
 
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