doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com History of Choke Boring

Colonel Peter Hawkers book,"Hawker on shooting," tenth edition , published and revised by his son in 1854, pages, 12&13 clearly describes choke and relief choke boring methods used at that time by British gun makers. Because concentration of shot at a distance had long been the goal of gunmakers/wildfowlers it is not surprising that simultaneous solutions to the problem were taking place both sides of the Atlantic if not world wide.

Roy, your post may be the synopsis of published information that "No one is responsible for the invention of choke boring". I will try to compile a list of writers who precede you in correct and incorrect information about this subject. Additions to my list are welcome. First, John Davis (in honor of his wonderful book compiling Kimble's shooting career), Jimmy Robinson, Dick Baldwin, Ed Muderlak, American Field, Sports Afield magazine, Bill Murphy, Sportsmen's Review, Jack O'Connor, et all.

We sometimes forget about France and gun development. From an article in Forest and Stream , May 2, 1878 we see----In the early part of the 1800s, fifty or sixty years before common in England, Boutet, Perin, Lepage, Paris, Armand, Pirmet, Delpire, Autelet, Briere, Gasset, and others were making choke bored flintlocks. They quote from "Le Vieux Chasseur" [The Old Hunter] of 1835, page 28 choke boring, noting some "choked " guns were slightly open at the muzzle, while others were constricted up to two sizes at the muzzle. They discuss that too much choke can be a hinderance for dense patterns and that just a bit of choke seems to work best.

Then, " Nearly 35 years ago[early 1840s] , in New York City, Mullins [sic], made graded draw-bore guns. To give a general view of Mullins' plan we would say: Start at the breech with half a size, contract up about eight inches three-eights of a size, and from this point to the muzzle one-eighth of a size."

The writer said he had been using a Mullins gun for 26 years.

Daryl

Daryl
That most probably was John Mullin-Patricks older brother.
John was in business from @ 1840-60. Patrick arrived @ 1851
Have a couple of John's guns will have to get a bore guage.
Reguards
Bill

Bill, that would be interesting. Sadly I have passed up a couple of John Mullin guns, but would not do it again. I would love to hear how a "draw-bored" Mullin measures.

Bill McPhail, will measure any of the Mullins guns for you at the Vintages but my micrometers are not good past about .795 so eights and loose bored tens can't be accurately measured with my equipment. I would be very interested in measuring bores and chokes in Mullins guns that are bored by the claimed method. Bill Murphy

The 2 John Mullins I have are 12's.
Mr Murphy I would love to see you at the Vintagers, but can't
make it this year but will see you in the Spring-Southern and/or
Baltimore.Will try to measure bores soon.
Thanks
Bill

An essay on shooting [based on La Chasse au Fusil By Gervais François Magné de Marolles], published 1789

http://books.google.com/books?id=-Q0AAAA...ary_s&cad=0



The author is searching for a full choke. He discounts any effect of choke, but he does talk about it being used. The treatise he mentions was by Alonzo Martinez de Espinar, arquebufs bearer to Philip IV of Spain. Philip reigned from 1621 to 1665.

While certainly not "choke" as we understand it. The concept seems to have been developing for a very long time.

Pete

I believe that my Patrick Mullin which is a breech loader has a "Jug" choke. I can't remember if my Tonks has a choke or not.

Here's an early gunsmith trade card from my collection that I always found interesting:





Anybody ever heard of J.W. Batcheller or his latest improved tools?