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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 327
Member
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 327 |
I bought another 16 GA barrel from Corson's Barrels and fitted it to my M31. Now my full choke barrels sits in the locker while I use the Poly-Choke barrel. If you are not concerned with "collector originality" send the gun to poly-choke. Otherwise, be on the lookout for spare barrels. Of course, Briley's thinwall tubes may work as well.
If you reload, try cutting down the petals on the plastic wads, as the "bore scrubbed" shot should open up the pattern a bit. FWIW.
Mike Doerner
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 803
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 803 |
"I've heard of duck and turkey hunting with a 20, but it can't be what the manufacturer had in mind."
That's on of the things that the manufacturers had in mind. Light weight US guns manufactured 12's and 16's were not common. A way to reduce weight was to use a 20 frame and barrel(s). These guns were used from shooting pheseants to ducks to anything that had hair or feathers. Remember also, that the shell construction of the day gave wider patterns. I have a FULL choke 870 that I used for pheseant,ducks and whatever. With the advent of non-toxic loads, my son even shot Canada Geese with steel 2's in a 3" load. -Dick
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,282 Likes: 211
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,282 Likes: 211 |
' had a friend, who for years loved to hunt geese in Canada with his GWPs. His gun that he always was a Browning Superposed , 20 ga., with 3" chambers. He never thought of changing to something else.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,064
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,064 |
Full choke twenties? Love 'em. Great for long doves, late season pheasants, ducks over decoys. I have 3, a pump and 2 doubles. They do all that 7/8 oz. or 1 oz. of shot can be expected to. For doves, 7/8 oz. of #8's can get pretty thin from an IC or mod. tube. Just my tcw. Chopper
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,399 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,399 Likes: 15 |
I would not mess with the chokes. I have a shooting friend who collects and shoots M-31s. He was agast when I told him that you were considering opening the choke. Says he, original 20 ga. full choked M-31s are hard to find and pleads you not hurt it. I make spreaders for my tight 20s, other guages as will.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 386
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 386 |
Make sure you measure it. My last model 17 that I purchased is marked full choke but is a very usable .018. It certainly was opened but it's a nice long tapper and a nice surprise.
Tim
"Not all who wander are Lost" -Hoppie 14'
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002 |
Well, I did it, so I hope it doesn't turn out to be a gun I didn't really need. Oh, wait ... I already have a couple dozen guns I don't really need!
Walt -- no worries about altering it. As I badly explained in an earlier post (and, I suppose, the reason for the initial question), I have plenty of open choked scatterguns, and I'm not much for modifying otherwise decent ones. I'd sooner pass on a gun than open the choke(s). Earlier in my collecting career I opened up a Lefever to IC and Mod that I now wish was back at Mod and Full.
Tim -- You're right about the measurements. This one came in at 20 thou ... a light Full, if I understand these things, which should be about perfect for those doves. Hurry, September! Thanks to all for the input and advice. TT
"The very acme of duck shooting is a big 10, taking ducks in pass shooting only." - Charles Askins
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 47
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 47 |
As I recall back in the fiftys almost all shotguns regardless of bore size came with a full choke barrel. It wasn't till the sixties with the advent of shotcups that shooters went to a mod choke because of shotcup/full chokes would give such tight patterns.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 174
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 174 |
When we used to shoot dove, there were several fields where the majority of shooting was done at relatively long range. My father would take a 12ga Remington 1100 with a 30" full choke barrel. Someone would always point out that it was fine for birds that were a ways off, but with those close in, you'd blow them to pieces, provided you managed to hit them. My father would reply that the ones that were close in were no problem, he just shot those in the head.
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