The only draw back I see in this type of gage, is that once set to bore size, if the bore changes you will never know what they are. Going smaller would stop gage and then you don't know what you have.
I use a Skeet's gage and have seen the dial indicator change slightly moving up the barrel. Once I find what is bore size, I made up aluminum plugs, 1" long at .002 increments starting say at .729, .727, .725, etc. sometimes the .729 will not fit because of size on size, so I will go to .728. I have made some in 16 ga. for both the early .650 bore and the later .662 bore.
One end has been tapped for 1/4-20 thread in which a metal tip is secured to a 1/4" wooden dowel.
Very easy to make and lets you know of any taper in barrel.
I have run into more than one L.C. Smith that has a tapered barrel to choke, and I wonder if this is what Hunter Arms called their "Multiplied Choke Bore"
Last edited by JDW; 06/11/10 02:11 PM.