I recently bought a 20ga single shot Ithaca/Lefever nitro express series 'field and trap' model because I like hammerless singles. This one is tricked out with a vent rib and a fairly modern Poly-Choke with ported section at the end.

It has also had the chamber opened to 3 inches. When I was a kid with nothing but a single shot .410 this combination was one of my fantasies.

I am considering using it with 3" Federal heavy metal or the new tungston super shot loads. My first question is whether the TSS would ruin the poly choke. Secondly, while there appears to be way plenty barrel thickness where the chamber was extended, I kind of wonder about damaging the gun (any more) with the heavier 3" loads.

What'd'ya think?...Geo

George, that's a nice looking gun. Nice tools made by an Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.

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Thanx Gil, my phone gets ornery sometimes and wouldn't let me post the pics...Geo

Some reason, that Poly-Choke lying there on the Purdey cleaning cloth makes my eyes hurt...Geo

You can't hurt that gun or a PolyChoke with any factory load, even with the new TSS.
JR

As with any adjustable choke where the barrel is slotted, patterning in various choke settings is extremely important.
It may throw perfect patterns but I once had one with such a Poly-Choke that threw the pattern in different quadrants of the patterning board depending on the setting I had it on.

I have heard of this also over the years, had about forgotten it. Send the barrel to Mike Orlen and let him cut that abomination off and install an extra full tube.
JR

Tools which supposedly offer the ability to multi-task, using them, seldom work as well as a dedicated tool. If PolyChokes and Cutts Compensators had been the answer to the question of how to change pattern sizes in the field, or how to make one gun/barrel set multi-purpose, threaded choke tubes would never have gotten the market share they have.

That's a nice old shotgun, Geo. I'd be inclined, if I wanted to dedicate it to turkey, to do as John suggested.

SRH

Very interesting point about the polychoke shooting to various points of impact at different settings. Good advice about losing the pickle and having a set turkey choke installed. Gil Stacey and I have been discussing that off line.

I think I'll try it out as is the rest of this season and shoot a few patterns at a refrigerator box or something. My main concern was 'do no damage'...Geo

I have looked over one of these years ago. Looked it up in Blue Book at the shop because I never seen one before. If I remember correctly considering grade relatively few were made (Ithaca-Lefever I think). I would not pay someone to remove useful feature to replace with something of no added benefit. I would appreciate if you test that gun and tell how it went. You will need old tire, long string and something to take cover behind. If you want I can bring some ammo to the Southern for you to use. Sorry, can't help with tire and string part.

Tire and string? Oh My! The gun is well built and strong as well as being in good shape, so I'm not worried about safety Jag. My worry was the extra hard tungston shot damaging the choke and the bigger recoil of the 3" shells...Geo

Curtis Wilbanks, aka, The Gun Docc, of Eastanollee, Ga. (N. Ga. mountains) has been modifying Savage 220A,B,C, and D break-actions for turkey hunting for quite awhile. He has also converted Baikals and other single-shots to single purpose turkey guns. These guns have 3" chambers (rechambered the Savages) and are perfect for hunting the mountains where weight is a factor in toting turkey gear up and down mountains and ridges chasing gobblers. William Lambert of Sumtoy Chokes (Jesup, Ga.) has developed a thriving business in turning out turkey chokes and low profile, lightweight red dot mounts radiused to fit the barrels or actions and receivers of turkey guns. He has made hundreds of conversions of single-shots, pumps and autos into single purpose guns. When I started looking for a single-shot to modify into a turkey gun, I bought both a Baikal MP-18 and a high condition Savage 220A both in 20 gauge. I opted for converting the Baikal as I was having a case of Vandal's remorse for even considering altering the Savage. With George's gun, the Vandals were at work when they added the pickle. It would make a fine turkey gun with a turkey choke added. When I had another gun modified by Sumtoy, I was present when he made three modifications in choke length and constriction to get the pattern right (a specific load) for turkeys. I'd test fire the gun and he'd make the changes on the spot. Gil

Before I paid to have it removed I’d shoot a few patterns on the pattern board. Use to hunt with a friend who had one on a Ithaca 37, 16 ga. and his point of impact was fine. He killed everything from quail to geese in the air and bunnies, squirrels and deer on land. He was a one gun for everything person and shot well with one on the end of his pump. I’d like to kill as much game in the rest of my life as that old gun took. But back then I could find two dozen coveys in a long day where today I know of maybe five total and I don’t hunt them at all on my farms.