Will firing with no choke installed damage threads?

Harry Callahan · May 24, 2011, 09:43 AM

Seems to me this would not be a good idea but had to ask.

BigJimP · May 24, 2011, 10:19 AM

Yes, its a bad idea ...but in theory - the only thing that will touch the threads is the plastic wad ...and you'll get a lot of plastic fouling in the threads.

I've seen a few guys ( of questionable intelligence in my opinion ) do it intentionally - because they think they're cool or whatever ....but I've seen it happen once in a while, where someone forgets to put a choke tube into the gun ...( including one of my kids - on one of my Brownings) ...and I think we were lucky that it didn't cause any damage - but he only fired 3 or 4 shells before we realized it.

I wouldn't do it intentionally ..and balistically, there isn't any reason to do it - if you have a Cyclinder choke...that's as open a pattern as you'd ever need.

Harry Callahan · May 24, 2011, 10:24 AM

Thanks, BigJim. Just didn't sound right but wanted someone with more experience than me telling me so.

BigJimP · May 24, 2011, 10:46 AM

For what its worth -- I always store my guns now with choke tubes screwed into the barrels ( they're cleaned and lubed regularly ) ...but if they go into the safe with choke tubes installed ...they at least come out of the safe, before they go into a travel case - with something in them ...

but after that incident / where we had 5 shooters using my guns ...I didn't have enough modified extended chokes for all 5 Browning 12ga Over Unders ...and in the confusion of getting everyone set up with a gun / looking at my son on the firing line - I just assumed that gun got a pair of the flush chokes installed ...and while he shoots with me quite a bit / he was helping one of his buddies get set up and just forgot to check his own gun.

So it happens ...

Kind of like bringing a 28ga gun to the club ....and loading 15 boxes of 20ga shells.../ and having to pay $ 12 a box for 28ga shells ....

zippy13 · May 24, 2011, 08:53 PM

The screw-in choke tube also contributes to the structural integrity of the muzzle. Sometimes there is more metal in the choke tube than there is in the barrel.

zippy13 · May 24, 2011, 08:56 PM

Kind of like bringing a 28ga gun to the club ....and loading 15 boxes of 20ga shells.../ and having to pay $ 12 a box for 28ga shells ...

Big Jim, ol' buddy, can you spell T-U-B-E--G-U-N ?

BigJimP · May 25, 2011, 11:01 AM

and after I posted that yesterday ...I check the back of my vehicle a 2nd time to make sure I had a 20ga gun in the case and 20ga shells yesterday ....

I'm just too cheap to invest in a good carrier barrel like you big dogs ....

oneounceload · May 25, 2011, 11:40 AM

The threads in most choke-tube barrels are very fine and not very deep. Shooting without tubes in there exposes them to unnecessary potential damage beyond the plastic fouling. - In short, use the tubes when shooting

94bluerat · May 26, 2011, 07:07 AM

You can run the engine in your car for a few minutes with no oil, "just to see what it does". But, I wouldn't recommend it....

LSnSC · May 27, 2011, 09:32 PM

Lead shot, no. Ive seen one of the top shooters in the nation do it several times in a sporting clays match for in your face targets. Done it myself once or twice.
Steel shot possibly.

clemsonbloz · May 28, 2011, 07:20 AM

If you've seen top shooters in clays do it, they are not likely very worried about barrel damage.. The big dogs usually have gun sponsers and get the latest and greatest toys before we can buy them..

Shooting without a choke tube will cause possible barrel damage from the ultra thin wall that the tube fills up..

I am sure 90 times out of 100 it'd be ok,,, but I like my barrels!`

May 24, 2011, 09:43 AM	#1
Harry Callahan Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2006 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 832	Will firing with no choke installed damage threads? Seems to me this would not be a good idea but had to ask. __________________ "Ah ah. I know what you're thinkin'. Did he fire 6 shots or only 5? To tell you the truth in all this excitement I've kind of lost track myself. But with this being a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off... you've got to ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? WELL DO YA, PUNK?!!!"- Harry Callahan(Dirty Harry)

May 24, 2011, 10:24 AM	#3
Harry Callahan Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2006 Location: Chicago suburbs Posts: 832	Thanks, BigJim. Just didn't sound right but wanted someone with more experience than me telling me so. __________________ "Ah ah. I know what you're thinkin'. Did he fire 6 shots or only 5? To tell you the truth in all this excitement I've kind of lost track myself. But with this being a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off... you've got to ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? WELL DO YA, PUNK?!!!"- Harry Callahan(Dirty Harry)

May 26, 2011, 07:07 AM	#9
94bluerat Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2007 Location: South of Canada Posts: 204	You can run the engine in your car for a few minutes with no oil, "just to see what it does". But, I wouldn't recommend it.... __________________ "Got a shotgun, a rifle and a four wheel drive" - HW Jr. Rifleman BSA Eagle Scout

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May 24, 2011, 10:19 AM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Yes, its a bad idea ...but in theory - the only thing that will touch the threads is the plastic wad ...and you'll get a lot of plastic fouling in the threads. I've seen a few guys ( of questionable intelligence in my opinion ) do it intentionally - because they think they're cool or whatever ....but I've seen it happen once in a while, where someone forgets to put a choke tube into the gun ...( including one of my kids - on one of my Brownings) ...and I think we were lucky that it didn't cause any damage - but he only fired 3 or 4 shells before we realized it. I wouldn't do it intentionally ..and balistically, there isn't any reason to do it - if you have a Cyclinder choke...that's as open a pattern as you'd ever need.

May 24, 2011, 10:46 AM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	For what its worth -- I always store my guns now with choke tubes screwed into the barrels ( they're cleaned and lubed regularly ) ...but if they go into the safe with choke tubes installed ...they at least come out of the safe, before they go into a travel case - with something in them ... but after that incident / where we had 5 shooters using my guns ...I didn't have enough modified extended chokes for all 5 Browning 12ga Over Unders ...and in the confusion of getting everyone set up with a gun / looking at my son on the firing line - I just assumed that gun got a pair of the flush chokes installed ...and while he shoots with me quite a bit / he was helping one of his buddies get set up and just forgot to check his own gun. So it happens ... Kind of like bringing a 28ga gun to the club ....and loading 15 boxes of 20ga shells.../ and having to pay $ 12 a box for 28ga shells ....

May 24, 2011, 08:53 PM	#5
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	The screw-in choke tube also contributes to the structural integrity of the muzzle. Sometimes there is more metal in the choke tube than there is in the barrel.

May 24, 2011, 08:56 PM	#6
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Kind of like bringing a 28ga gun to the club ....and loading 15 boxes of 20ga shells.../ and having to pay $ 12 a box for 28ga shells ... Big Jim, ol' buddy, can you spell T-U-B-E--G-U-N ?

May 25, 2011, 11:01 AM	#7
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	and after I posted that yesterday ...I check the back of my vehicle a 2nd time to make sure I had a 20ga gun in the case and 20ga shells yesterday .... I'm just too cheap to invest in a good carrier barrel like you big dogs ....

May 25, 2011, 11:40 AM	#8
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	The threads in most choke-tube barrels are very fine and not very deep. Shooting without tubes in there exposes them to unnecessary potential damage beyond the plastic fouling. - In short, use the tubes when shooting

May 27, 2011, 09:32 PM	#10
LSnSC Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2010 Posts: 514	Lead shot, no. Ive seen one of the top shooters in the nation do it several times in a sporting clays match for in your face targets. Done it myself once or twice. Steel shot possibly.

May 28, 2011, 07:20 AM	#11
clemsonbloz Member Join Date: June 3, 2010 Posts: 83	If you've seen top shooters in clays do it, they are not likely very worried about barrel damage.. The big dogs usually have gun sponsers and get the latest and greatest toys before we can buy them.. Shooting without a choke tube will cause possible barrel damage from the ultra thin wall that the tube fills up.. I am sure 90 times out of 100 it'd be ok,,, but I like my barrels!`