doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Adding choke to cut barrels

I've been reading several threads lately on opening chokes. However, I'm in the opposite position- I have a Holland whose barrels are 29 5/8" and cyl/cyl. Given the measurements, I'm going to guess they were cut down at some point. Now, is there another option to add a little choke besides screw in? I'd be happy with Sk/mod or even less... just not double cylinder! I would think screw ins would look weird on an old fine double... and hurt resale should it be sold down the road. Thoughts?

Is "Jug Choke" an option on a gun like this?

At that point how about a Briley or Teague in the left Bbl only?

Whatever you do send it to someone well versed in this kind of activity....

Before you act, get the serial number to holland and holland and confirm the original configuration for choke and barrel length. You should not alter it without knowing for sure. This is especially true if resale value is important.

If it is altered you could have a barrel jug choked. I have a 16 ga Purdey with cut barrels, confirmed by the maker, which I have put briley tubes into and through some stock work and a lighter recoil pad moved the balance back to its original point. It is a sweet gun, but resale already ruined before I brought it.

I advise caution if resale is important, if shooting it yourself is critical then after having the wall thickness at the muzzle measured to ensure they are thick enough for jug choking, then i think that is best for less impact on resale while making it more useful to you.

I personally would put briley tubes in it, if the barrels were cut, but many find that an abomination.

One last word before you alter chokes of you reload there are things you can do to tighten up patterns some such as harder shot and taping shot wads, test that to with both targets then a patterning board. You may find your need for tighter chokes in the barrels is not as great as you think.

Someone will be along very soon to tell you how you don't really need any choke with today's modern shotshells. But it won't be me. If you have enough "meat" near the muzzles you can get some choke by jug choking, but not a large amount, usually. You can have a permanent choke tube soldered into the barrel, but it requires machining and a very capable smith. There will be a faint line showing at the muzzle but nothing else would be visible, if done right.

I have a 32" BE 1919 Fox that was for sale with Briley S1 series thin wall screw-ins. Very few people have ever noticed them. Not sure how they would affect the value of a double that has had the barrels already cut. If I were interested I'd much rather have a double with screw-in chokes than one with no choke at all in both barrels, so it would not degrade the value in my eyes. Others will probably disagree.

SRH

I completely agree with Old Colonel, first ask H&H on the original configuration then start pattern testing different loads using different shot cups as opposed to the modern plastic wads to tighten the pattern.

My older Pedersoli muzzleloader had cylinder bores and while shooting another black powder shooter said that with a shot cup you could tighten that pattern measurably. My Pedersoli already was throwing tighter patterns when I was using a heavier shot charge and a lower powder charge. I never did try the shot cup but he said it worked on his muzzleloader.

http://www.possibleshop.com/s-s-wads-shotgun.html

I don't really understand the "sanctity" of a breech loading double with two cylinder bore 29 5/8" barrels, even if Holland did make the gun like that originally. Who would be beating your door down to buy it? If the man wants choke he should have choke. What would you do if it were yours (not addressed to any one poster in particular) and you find out that it was all original ........ try to convince yourself you really didn't need any choke in the first place, or try to find a buyer that wanted a 29 5/8" barreled double with no chokes?

SRH

Unfortunately Hollando didn't start keeping records of weight and barrel length for a couple decades after this was built. I do have a copy of the order book, but it doesn't day length. But another fact that suggests cut to my mind is that it balances about 1.5" behind the hinge pin. So possibly cut and honed, though there is still plenty of thickness left.

I realize it's never going to be a high value gun now, but since it's not likely to be in my collection forever (trading up), I don't want to destroy any more value than is already gone.

There is one re-loading trick that could possibly tighten the pattern and that involves use of buffer to cushion the shot during set-back preventing deformation. However, buffer raises the pressure of the load and I wouldn't advise shooting a buffered load through an old Holland without knowing that the pressure was within limits. The only way to know is to send the loads to Tom Armbrust for testing. It may not make a difference, but if you are going to buy the gun anyway, it would be something to think about doing.
Here are some loads to consider:
https://www.nssa-nsca.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ceretto.pdf

If resale is a consideration sell it now, it's never going to be worth more. Buy a gun choked to suit your needs.

Boats

Sounds like a wonderful skeet gun, just the way it sits.

Have you patterned it? It may surprise you.