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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 123 Likes: 3
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 123 Likes: 3 |
I recently acquired a classic Churchill SLE Field model from 1938: 25" barrels, 6'3" wt, 14 7/8" LOP with good drop and cast for me. Surprisingly the CG is out to 4 3/8". Currently it is choked .016/.032. So if I open the chokes it would make a fast quail/grouse gun. A second set of 30" tubes would make it an all around gun.
I inquired about adding a second set of 30" barrels from EJ Churchill: 10,000 GBPs! Two barrels sets like this seem to bring 12-16 K. So the "by the maker" option would put me deeply underwater.
Any options stateside or elsewhere to have it re- barreled more economically?
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651 |
Even if it was economical it is very hard to get the longer barrel set to balance and swing like the shorter one. It would feel like you had to completely different guns. You'll never find a set of barrels to sleeve over here, might back in the home country but not likely. I guess you could watch the auction houses like Holt's and bid on a gun which needs to be sleeved and hope for a longshot easy fit.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452 |
Nice classic gun, better to shop for another that fills your fast quail/grouse need than risk choke opening. Probably 3 shops in the US capable of doing a proper job, and even if good work value will be reduced considerably
Long barrel same advice, factory two barrel sets were built to match. Adding a 2nd barrel not built for the gun is likely to come out muzzle heavy.
Churchills 25 inch guns are very specific built to Churchill's idea of the perfect handling gun. Alter it's no longer a representative example of his ideas and methods of shooting.
You may find the Churchill is perfect for all your shooting, He thought so. At the least buy a copy of Churchill's "Game Shooting" and see what he had to say about it.
Boats
Last edited by Boats; 08/29/15 08:20 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,306 Likes: 613
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,306 Likes: 613 |
Actually that is a good price for a maker made(it will still be outsourced to trade workers)set of barrels. There is no inexpensive way of adding or replacing a set of tubes on a British gun. I recently added a set of NOS Fox barrels to a gun for a client and it was very costly. Best of luck with it and as others have posted, you should try to bond with that short set of tubes and see if the Churchill method is for you.
Firearms imports, consignments ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/Ez9oz9Rl.jpg)
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 103 |
If it's properly balanced once it's raised to the shoulder it's hard to notice if the barrels are 25" or 28" or whatever. Balance is everything.
John McCain is my war hero.
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 971 Likes: 41
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 971 Likes: 41 |
Fashion brought in the 25" barrels, fashion replaced them with the 30 inches (in America) and eventually fashion will reboot the 25 inches again. So if you wait the 25s will eventually be OK.
Tongue in cheek but not so much. This made in the US recent fashion that disqualifies 25 inch barrels, considers 28 inches "short" is entertaining seen from a European point of view.
Sell the XXV and get something else, rebarreling is not only expensive, it will take forever.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 602 Likes: 39
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 602 Likes: 39 |
If it's properly balanced once it's raised to the shoulder it's hard to notice if the barrels are 25" or 28" or whatever. Balance is everything. I agree in principle with the above. I use a 26" SXS that weighs 6lb. 4oz. for most of my upland hunting but that said, I prefer longer bbls & a more weight forward feel for other types of shooting such as sporting clays & doves & I think that is where the O.P. is coming from. Even when the Churchill 25 concept was very popular you didn't see many people using them for pigeon, duck or clay target guns.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1 |
Open the chokes to .005/.015 and adjust from there by changing the loads. You'll never need another upland gun.
Want, that's a different story.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452 |
I prefer long barrels and tight chokes for longer range and almost any sporting clays course. Short fast open choke gun is nice at times too. My VHE 26 inch Parker factory choked about .007 & .012 is a great outfit under 25 yards.
Look at RST Cassic shot shells for that XXV. Their 2 1/2 inch Spreader ought to be perfect for grouse. Need a Long gun good excuse to buy a classic English Waterfowl gun.
I don't generally believe in compromise, about the only gun that will do it all is a modern automatic with choke tunes.
Boats
Last edited by Boats; 08/29/15 12:42 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,694 Likes: 225
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,694 Likes: 225 |
OK, I am the odd man out.
Have Briley fit 20 gauge full length tubes
with screw in chokes.
Good for everything except maybe geese and sandhill crane
Mike
USAF RET 1971-95 ![[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]](http://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/57865_80x60.jpg)
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