In the midwest during the late 1940's and early 1950's all of my dad's friends shot pumps or semi-auto's. I don't remember anyone owning/using a SxS. Us kids usually got a single shot (new or used)as our first shotgun anywhere from age 10 to 13. I got a bolt-action Mossberg. Almost ALL of these American shotguns were factory FULL chokes.

Whether through wisdom or ignorance, everyone thought FULL was the ideal choke, and that "it hit harder". We hunted everything with these full-choked shotguns -- geese, ducks, rabbits, and squirrels (only a few quail). Some people ordered their new shotguns with Modified chokes; but they were a very small minority.

At that time, I didn't that know a gunsmith could open a choke, nor did I know of a local gunsmith that had ever done so. I don't remember the topic even being discussed. None of these midwestern small town gunsmiths did it full time, they all had other jobs. Ours was also a rural mailman.

Once in a while you would see an older shotgun with the barrel shortened 3" with a hacksaw, and trimmed with a file. These were mostly used by rabbit or quail hunters.

About the mid-1950's we started seeing a few Polychokes in magazine ads, and on an occasional new shotgun. They slowly gained populaity, but most people I knew kept the adjustments on either Modified, Full, or Extra-Full.

Card shoots were popular at the time. Whoever had a pellet closest to the X, or the most pellets in the tny circle was the winner of the ham, turkey, pie, or cash. Interestingly, these fund-raising shoots were held in the middle of small towns, Sarurday or Sunday afternoons, on the lawn of the post office, VFW, Elks Club, or a church. Two or three bales of straw was considered an adequate backstop. Full chokes were preferred, and the norm. I don't remember the distance, but it was probably 25 yards, or so. No one wore earplugs, and no one owned shooting earmuffs.

In those days, FULL choke dominated.

I think this help explains why we see so many old pump guns with Full chokes. It doesn't really explain why SxS's from an earlier decade were bored F & F. But I don't think there was much after-market choke modification going on prior to the 1970's.

Jerry

Last edited by jerry66stl; 01/27/11 09:43 PM.