doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Opening chokes on chrome lined barrrels

Over the years, I have had Mike Orlen of Amherst, MA open up chokes on at least 4 doubles and install a screw-in choke on a single shot .410. I live in coastal Georgia. From shipping from my home to him and back to me was 10-14 days total each time. For other jobs, I have gone elsewhere, but if I needed another choke opened up, I'd go back to him. Gil

I once owned an Italian SLE 12 bore with chromed barrels that I had in for service at Orvis with Jordan Smith. One item I desired to be accomplished was opening the XXF/XF chokes. At the time (about 8 years ago) the only place that would work on them of which he was aware was Briley. They were able to do it with some effort as I recall. As it turned out, I could never shoot the gun well and wound up selling it!

I have a friend who is turkey choke manufacturer who also installs his chokes and he told me that the chromed steel is tough to cut threads into and among the hardest he works with are Benelli automatic barrels and all Yildiz shotguns.
Gil

You might have been guilty of putting the cart before the horse, eh? I resemble that.

Quite a few gunsmiths have the equipment necessary to deal with chromed bores. Those that don't have it, in my experience, will tell you that and may very well recommend someone else (maybe local, if you're lucky) who can do it.

Stan, How right you are. I have learned quite a lot since that first sidelock but also recognize I have much more to learn!

My gunsmiths (plural) have told me it takes special reamers to do chrome lined bores. This was two different gunsmiths, well known who referred me to other folks. Both do normal non-chrome barrels. PS. I've used both Mike and Dean to do chokes. No issue with either. Mike has done two SKB's SXS's for me.

Carbide.
It's common for reamers.
No magic to it.

Science - - like magic, only real !


Have a day
Dr.WtS

So, this morning I picked up a shotgun I had bought and had shipped to my local FFL holder, who is Comp-N-Choke, a maker of aftermarket choke tubes. They also happen to do barrel work .......... opening chokes, cutting off barrels to a shorter length and threading for screw in choke tubes, porting, etc. While waiting for my background check to clear I questioned Stuart Boswell, who does the barrel work, about chrome lined bores. Here are his answers. Carbide tools are not required to do work on chrome lined shotgun barrels. The cutting tools just have to be sharp and you have to "go slow". Benelli and Yildiz brands are indeed harder to work than most others, but are manageable. He does a lot of Benellis for people who want their barrel cut down to 20"-21" and threaded for choke tubes, for turkeys, and said he often gets comments from prospective clients that think chrome lined barrels can't be cut, threaded, or ported. Stuart was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, explaining that it is no big deal to cut, mill, or thread chrome lined barrels, if you know what you're doing. He does scores of barrels a year.