Choke Tubes from gun to gun

pabuckslayer08 · June 21, 2011, 08:30 PM

Ive been shooting my 1100 and 11-87 and just bought a complete 6 set pack of remington tubes for them, recently I bought a new Beretta A400 and wanted to see what you guys thought of using them in this gun since it only comes with F,M, and CY. Also I may use my extra tight turkey tube in it, any one see any possible issues by me using mainly my remington IC and Turkey tube

PJR · June 21, 2011, 08:52 PM

The Remington chokes won't fit in a Beretta.

oneounceload · June 21, 2011, 08:53 PM

Isn't going to happen. The A400 takes Optima HP chokes - these only fit a few Beretta guns. Briley makes chokes that will fit.

Do NOT try to put your Remington chokes in the Beretta - at least you'll screw up the threads, at worst, one will get stuck and cause a barrel obstruction

BigJimP · June 22, 2011, 11:16 AM

At least once a month I hear that someone screwed up the threads in a barrel ...because they just assumed that all chokes tubes ( of the same gague ) from all mfg's will fit all guns ....and its sad.

I was in a buddy's shop yesterday ....and a kid came in with his dad's field grade Beretta ...with a stuck choke / he tried to screw in a Browning choke ...that his buddy had / and it was half way in and stuck hard. Gun smith used some heat --- and a pipe wrench to get it out ...and fixed the gun for $ 20 ( but the $ 50 choke tube is dead ...) !!

The good news - when it happens - a good gunsmith can usually fix it / get the choke out and "chase" the threads in the barrel to clean them up. But it sort of depends on how foolish the person was that was trying to put the choke into the gun ...

Within a family of gun mfgs ( like Browning and Winchester - since they are both part of FN now / and shotgun divisions seem to be being run by Browning - the newer guns are all using Browning's Invector Plus chokes). Many of the older Brownings of course have the Invector chokes vs Invector Plus ...and they are not interchangeable either even though they may both be 12ga Citori's ...

In the Beretta family of mfg's ( Beretta, Benelli, Stoeger, Franchi, etc ...they're may be some the same / but I know Benelli and Beretta are different - at least on my guns). Even in 12ga Benelli's - some have different thread patterns depending on when they were made ...like in their SuperSport models a few yrs ago they were threaded on the body / now they are threaded near the top ...they look the same / the guns look the same ..but the threads in the barrels and on the chokes are different.

zippy13 · June 22, 2011, 11:49 AM

Be careful with choke tubes! As Big Jim indicated, to add to the confusion, some gun makers have several versions of choke tubes. IINM, Perazzi is now doing 4th generation choke tubes.

Slugo · June 22, 2011, 12:01 PM

Oh no, what did I do to my barrel!?!

oneounceload · June 22, 2011, 12:31 PM

Beretta was always nice enough to change choke tube threads with each new model - they made you buy new ones for every gun.

If the OP has ANY doubt as to what will work, Briley has a choke chart showing which WILL interchange. As Jim mentioned, some sister companies MAY, others may not

pabuckslayer08 · June 22, 2011, 03:54 PM

Huh, good thing I didnt try anything yet. Ive owned all Remington Shotguns my whole life from 870s to 1100s, to 11-87s an always just swapped them around. Guess Ill be sure to mark my Beretta tubes and order a IC and IM choke for it.

BigJimP · June 22, 2011, 05:08 PM

And - Never -- Ever --- use a choke tube wrench to screw them in or out !!

You don't need that much leverage ....and cross threading them is way too easy...

Even with flush mounted chokes ...all you need is to put your finger inside the choke and screw it into the gun and make them finger tight. They need to go in and out "like butter"...and if they don't / get into the barrel with a tooth brush and some solvent and clean them out ....and lube them ....and do the same with the choke ...and do it again, and again ...until they do go in and out " like butter " ....

a buddy bought a new Browning BPS Trap grade pump gun yesterday ...and it took us 4 or 5 times / and 30 min's to get the barrel and choke tube threads in the barrel clean enough so the chokes would go in and out smoothly and easily ....( and it's a new gun ) ...that had all kinds of grease in it for preservative when it was shipped from the factory ...and it was in inventory for close to a yr probably .... ( and we're shooting it on Tue, if all goes well !! )...after we pattern it / and get the point of impact set for him ...

oneounceload · June 22, 2011, 05:57 PM

One thing I'll add as a caveat to Jim's "in and out like butter" is to also constantly check them to make they aren't starting to come loose - otherwise debris, plastic, powder residue, etc., can get in between the tube and the barrel and lead to blowing the choke out of the barrel end, splitting the barrel and causing you much grief and possible agony

BigJimP · June 22, 2011, 06:45 PM

+1 - ... OneOunce is right ....

and I would also recommend storing the guns in your safe / with choke tubes screwed into them ( so you don't forget / and go to your local club / and have no choke in the gun ) when you fire it.

It makes me nervous - to store a gun without a choke in it in each barrel.

In my "shooting box" that goes with me everytime I go to the club / or to the field, or wherever ....I keep several plastic fishing lure boxes ( with about 8 compartments in them ) and put the chokes in them. One box for Citori Inv Plus 20ga chokes / one box for Citori Inv Plus 28ga chokes / ...one for ...Citori Inv ( not plus) chokes ....or whatever .../ and a few odds and ends in that box ...to be an amateur gunsmith, if I need to be, at the club...a hammer, a break down cleaning rod, some break free oil, some bandaids, some allen wrenches, some extra trigger shoes, some extra front sight lite pipes, a long screw driver and a long allen wrench to take the butt stock off a gun if I had to .../ a few screw drivers / a nail that could act as a punch ...stuff like that ....

My box is a 12 gallon plastic rubbermaid storage box / with a lid ...( it used to be an 8 gallon box ) and it grew ...???

pabuckslayer08 · June 22, 2011, 07:15 PM

Sounds like a neat little idea, as much as Ive shot I woulda thought I would have known that chokes were all a little different. So heres the qusetion, what makes them different. Is it the threads

oneounceload · June 22, 2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Sounds like a neat little idea, as much as Ive shot I woulda thought I would have known that chokes were all a little different. So heres the qusetion, what makes them different. Is it the threads

I see two approaches to your question - differences as in constrictions; differences as in between brands

For differences between constrictions and their sizes:

http://www.hallowellco.com/choke_chart.htm

That chart shows the differences in constrictions and their typical name across all the gauge sizes

This chart shows what Briley considers appropriate for sporting:

http://www.briley.com/2009/sportingclays.html

This shows what they recommend for hunting:

http://www.briley.com/2009/hunting.html

As to the other aspect - why the differences between brands - some have threads near the muzzle, some further back. Some barrels are designed with different nominal bore diameters - in 12 that can mean anything between .729 and .750 - that's a lot of difference

Extended or flush has no bearing on proper size - extended give you a way to use your hand and not a wrench to seat the tube, as well as a way to see exactly what you have in the barrel (more important to sporting shooters), and to some extent, the extended tend top protect the muzzle of the gun - better to ruin a $65 choke tube than a $2500 barrel set

Beretta is well-known for changing choke tube requirements when they bring out new models as they vary barrel diameters, etc. just enough to make you buy new chokes.

Remember what folks say about having a successful gun store - the profit isn't in the gun, it is in the accessories.......

BigJimP · June 23, 2011, 11:51 AM

OneOunce gave you the serious answer ....

But, Yes, the threads are different ...and I don't know if its the "threads per inch" that is different ...or the pitch ...or whatever ..../ both in the barrel and on the choke itself ( and I'm no machinist ) ...and I haven't measured a bunch of different brands.

But enough of them are close enough ...that the "Bubbas" out there ....think they can " make em fit " with a little more force ...and that's where the trouble starts...

oneounceload · June 23, 2011, 12:01 PM

Jim's right - do NOT force a choke

I have a friend who has a Beretta 390 , 391 and another variation of the 391 - he has 3 sets of chokes as NONE of them use the same..............they are all close. I have an A400 - it is different yet again - just Beretta's way of making you spend more money on Briley chokes (who makes Beretta and just about everyone else's)

BigJimP · June 23, 2011, 01:44 PM

I need to look into buying some shares of stock in Briley ....

.300 Weatherby Mag · June 23, 2011, 02:04 PM

Just from my limited selection of shotguns... Trying to keep them straight is pain... I'll give some examples from my choke tube puzzle..

Beretta Mobilechoke
Beretta Optima
Browning invector
Remchoke
Mossberg Acc-Chokes
Brileys for various guns
Chokes for Various Winchesters
Cutts Chokes
ETC...

And the best part.. None of them are interchangable!!!!!!! If you want to make yourself sick just misplace a $80+ choketube

BigJimP · June 23, 2011, 02:32 PM

I understand ....

my youngest son ( 32 yrs old ) ....left a full set of chokes ( 8 Midas Grade Browning extended chokes on a picnic table - in a plastic lure box - as he was screwing in a set of chokes into a gun of mine he borrows ) ...at a sporting clays shoot. So about $ 400 worth of chokes....for a Browning Invector Plus Choke 12ga...that 40% of more of shooters could have just picked up and used ...

but thanks to someone's honesty ....a shooter turned them into the clubhouse ( my name was not on the boxes ) ...and we picked them up at the lost and found ...much to his relief. It happens ...and I got real lucky ...

oneounceload · June 23, 2011, 03:07 PM

Now you why I like them fixed-choke, mission-specific guns, Jim............Have a friend who bought himself a K-80.........extra chokes are $135/each........

PJR · June 23, 2011, 05:00 PM

If I had a cyl, mod and full I'd probably add an IC and never think about it again.

I fussed over chokes in my earlier years playing with shotguns and for one gun at least have amassed just about every constriction twice over (Briley loves me.) Over time however I shifted to a basic theory that there are three kinds of targets: In Your Face, Out There and OMG!!!

So in my 12s when shooting lead I have .005" or Skeet, .015" or Light Modified or .025" or Improved Modified. Most days on a clays course or in the field you'll find Light Mod in my gun and my fixed choke field gun is Skeet and Light Mod.

pabuckslayer08 · June 23, 2011, 05:17 PM

So since my gun comes with full, modified, IC I should be good for turkey or long shots, hunting rabbits and or pheasant and dove with the mod. and the IC on the short range clay course

BigJimP · June 23, 2011, 05:53 PM

I use these in all of my Brownings ...a little cheaper ...

http://www.browning.com/products/cat...ng-accessories

so yes, I wanted him to do whatever he wanted - so I gave him 10 chokes / put 2 in the gun and 8 in the box ...( 2 Skeet, 2 IC, 2 Mod, 2 Imp Mod, 2 Full ) ....and he can spin them in and out as he sees fit....but more and more we leave a pair of Mod's in the guns on most courses. But the idea was for him to put the box in his vest ...not leave it on the picnic table ....for somebody else to help themselves....( its his mothers fault - the ex-wife) ...

I see Briley carries a full line of Krieghoff chokes ...and the most expensive I see are $ 100 each ...

http://www.briley.com/krieghofftitanium.aspx

but if he's going to buy a Krieghoff ...he can afford the $ 135 each for them ( its probably the same thing ...and Krieghoff just re-brands them for a few extra bucks)....

pabuckslayer ....I'd add a Skeet choke too ...if you want to shoot skeet - but IC or Cyl will get it done as well. Sometimes I'll carry a pair of Cycl chokes instead of the Skeet chokes ...but when I shoot skeet, I put Skeet chokes into the guns.

June 21, 2011, 08:30 PM	#1
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	Choke Tubes from gun to gun Ive been shooting my 1100 and 11-87 and just bought a complete 6 set pack of remington tubes for them, recently I bought a new Beretta A400 and wanted to see what you guys thought of using them in this gun since it only comes with F,M, and CY. Also I may use my extra tight turkey tube in it, any one see any possible issues by me using mainly my remington IC and Turkey tube

June 21, 2011, 08:52 PM	#2
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	The Remington chokes won't fit in a Beretta.

June 21, 2011, 08:53 PM	#3
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Isn't going to happen. The A400 takes Optima HP chokes - these only fit a few Beretta guns. Briley makes chokes that will fit. Do NOT try to put your Remington chokes in the Beretta - at least you'll screw up the threads, at worst, one will get stuck and cause a barrel obstruction

June 22, 2011, 11:16 AM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	At least once a month I hear that someone screwed up the threads in a barrel ...because they just assumed that all chokes tubes ( of the same gague ) from all mfg's will fit all guns ....and its sad. I was in a buddy's shop yesterday ....and a kid came in with his dad's field grade Beretta ...with a stuck choke / he tried to screw in a Browning choke ...that his buddy had / and it was half way in and stuck hard. Gun smith used some heat --- and a pipe wrench to get it out ...and fixed the gun for $ 20 ( but the $ 50 choke tube is dead ...) !! The good news - when it happens - a good gunsmith can usually fix it / get the choke out and "chase" the threads in the barrel to clean them up. But it sort of depends on how foolish the person was that was trying to put the choke into the gun ... Within a family of gun mfgs ( like Browning and Winchester - since they are both part of FN now / and shotgun divisions seem to be being run by Browning - the newer guns are all using Browning's Invector Plus chokes). Many of the older Brownings of course have the Invector chokes vs Invector Plus ...and they are not interchangeable either even though they may both be 12ga Citori's ... In the Beretta family of mfg's ( Beretta, Benelli, Stoeger, Franchi, etc ...they're may be some the same / but I know Benelli and Beretta are different - at least on my guns). Even in 12ga Benelli's - some have different thread patterns depending on when they were made ...like in their SuperSport models a few yrs ago they were threaded on the body / now they are threaded near the top ...they look the same / the guns look the same ..but the threads in the barrels and on the chokes are different.

June 22, 2011, 11:49 AM	#5
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Be careful with choke tubes! As Big Jim indicated, to add to the confusion, some gun makers have several versions of choke tubes. IINM, Perazzi is now doing 4th generation choke tubes.

June 22, 2011, 12:01 PM	#6
Slugo Junior member Join Date: September 15, 2001 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,007	Oh no, what did I do to my barrel!?!

June 22, 2011, 12:31 PM	#7
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Beretta was always nice enough to change choke tube threads with each new model - they made you buy new ones for every gun. If the OP has ANY doubt as to what will work, Briley has a choke chart showing which WILL interchange. As Jim mentioned, some sister companies MAY, others may not

June 22, 2011, 03:54 PM	#8
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	Huh, good thing I didnt try anything yet. Ive owned all Remington Shotguns my whole life from 870s to 1100s, to 11-87s an always just swapped them around. Guess Ill be sure to mark my Beretta tubes and order a IC and IM choke for it.

June 22, 2011, 05:08 PM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	And - Never -- Ever --- use a choke tube wrench to screw them in or out !! You don't need that much leverage ....and cross threading them is way too easy... Even with flush mounted chokes ...all you need is to put your finger inside the choke and screw it into the gun and make them finger tight. They need to go in and out "like butter"...and if they don't / get into the barrel with a tooth brush and some solvent and clean them out ....and lube them ....and do the same with the choke ...and do it again, and again ...until they do go in and out " like butter " .... a buddy bought a new Browning BPS Trap grade pump gun yesterday ...and it took us 4 or 5 times / and 30 min's to get the barrel and choke tube threads in the barrel clean enough so the chokes would go in and out smoothly and easily ....( and it's a new gun ) ...that had all kinds of grease in it for preservative when it was shipped from the factory ...and it was in inventory for close to a yr probably .... ( and we're shooting it on Tue, if all goes well !! )...after we pattern it / and get the point of impact set for him ...

June 22, 2011, 05:57 PM	#10
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	One thing I'll add as a caveat to Jim's "in and out like butter" is to also constantly check them to make they aren't starting to come loose - otherwise debris, plastic, powder residue, etc., can get in between the tube and the barrel and lead to blowing the choke out of the barrel end, splitting the barrel and causing you much grief and possible agony

June 22, 2011, 06:45 PM	#11
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	+1 - ... OneOunce is right .... and I would also recommend storing the guns in your safe / with choke tubes screwed into them ( so you don't forget / and go to your local club / and have no choke in the gun ) when you fire it. It makes me nervous - to store a gun without a choke in it in each barrel. In my "shooting box" that goes with me everytime I go to the club / or to the field, or wherever ....I keep several plastic fishing lure boxes ( with about 8 compartments in them ) and put the chokes in them. One box for Citori Inv Plus 20ga chokes / one box for Citori Inv Plus 28ga chokes / ...one for ...Citori Inv ( not plus) chokes ....or whatever .../ and a few odds and ends in that box ...to be an amateur gunsmith, if I need to be, at the club...a hammer, a break down cleaning rod, some break free oil, some bandaids, some allen wrenches, some extra trigger shoes, some extra front sight lite pipes, a long screw driver and a long allen wrench to take the butt stock off a gun if I had to .../ a few screw drivers / a nail that could act as a punch ...stuff like that .... My box is a 12 gallon plastic rubbermaid storage box / with a lid ...( it used to be an 8 gallon box ) and it grew ...???

June 22, 2011, 07:15 PM	#12
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	Sounds like a neat little idea, as much as Ive shot I woulda thought I would have known that chokes were all a little different. So heres the qusetion, what makes them different. Is it the threads

June 23, 2011, 11:51 AM	#14
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	OneOunce gave you the serious answer .... But, Yes, the threads are different ...and I don't know if its the "threads per inch" that is different ...or the pitch ...or whatever ..../ both in the barrel and on the choke itself ( and I'm no machinist ) ...and I haven't measured a bunch of different brands. But enough of them are close enough ...that the "Bubbas" out there ....think they can " make em fit " with a little more force ...and that's where the trouble starts...

June 23, 2011, 12:01 PM	#15
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Jim's right - do NOT force a choke I have a friend who has a Beretta 390 , 391 and another variation of the 391 - he has 3 sets of chokes as NONE of them use the same..............they are all close. I have an A400 - it is different yet again - just Beretta's way of making you spend more money on Briley chokes (who makes Beretta and just about everyone else's)

June 23, 2011, 01:44 PM	#16
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I need to look into buying some shares of stock in Briley ....

June 23, 2011, 02:04 PM	#17
.300 Weatherby Mag Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2008 Posts: 1,777	Just from my limited selection of shotguns... Trying to keep them straight is pain... I'll give some examples from my choke tube puzzle.. Beretta Mobilechoke Beretta Optima Browning invector Remchoke Mossberg Acc-Chokes Brileys for various guns Chokes for Various Winchesters Cutts Chokes ETC... And the best part.. None of them are interchangable!!!!!!! If you want to make yourself sick just misplace a $80+ choketube

June 23, 2011, 02:32 PM	#18
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I understand .... my youngest son ( 32 yrs old ) ....left a full set of chokes ( 8 Midas Grade Browning extended chokes on a picnic table - in a plastic lure box - as he was screwing in a set of chokes into a gun of mine he borrows ) ...at a sporting clays shoot. So about $ 400 worth of chokes....for a Browning Invector Plus Choke 12ga...that 40% of more of shooters could have just picked up and used ... but thanks to someone's honesty ....a shooter turned them into the clubhouse ( my name was not on the boxes ) ...and we picked them up at the lost and found ...much to his relief. It happens ...and I got real lucky ...

June 23, 2011, 03:07 PM	#19
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Now you why I like them fixed-choke, mission-specific guns, Jim............Have a friend who bought himself a K-80.........extra chokes are $135/each........

June 23, 2011, 05:00 PM	#20
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	If I had a cyl, mod and full I'd probably add an IC and never think about it again. I fussed over chokes in my earlier years playing with shotguns and for one gun at least have amassed just about every constriction twice over (Briley loves me.) Over time however I shifted to a basic theory that there are three kinds of targets: In Your Face, Out There and OMG!!! So in my 12s when shooting lead I have .005" or Skeet, .015" or Light Modified or .025" or Improved Modified. Most days on a clays course or in the field you'll find Light Mod in my gun and my fixed choke field gun is Skeet and Light Mod.

June 23, 2011, 05:17 PM	#21
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	So since my gun comes with full, modified, IC I should be good for turkey or long shots, hunting rabbits and or pheasant and dove with the mod. and the IC on the short range clay course

June 23, 2011, 05:53 PM	#22
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I use these in all of my Brownings ...a little cheaper ... http://www.browning.com/products/cat...ng-accessories so yes, I wanted him to do whatever he wanted - so I gave him 10 chokes / put 2 in the gun and 8 in the box ...( 2 Skeet, 2 IC, 2 Mod, 2 Imp Mod, 2 Full ) ....and he can spin them in and out as he sees fit....but more and more we leave a pair of Mod's in the guns on most courses. But the idea was for him to put the box in his vest ...not leave it on the picnic table ....for somebody else to help themselves....( its his mothers fault - the ex-wife) ... I see Briley carries a full line of Krieghoff chokes ...and the most expensive I see are $ 100 each ... http://www.briley.com/krieghofftitanium.aspx but if he's going to buy a Krieghoff ...he can afford the $ 135 each for them ( its probably the same thing ...and Krieghoff just re-brands them for a few extra bucks).... pabuckslayer ....I'd add a Skeet choke too ...if you want to shoot skeet - but IC or Cyl will get it done as well. Sometimes I'll carry a pair of Cycl chokes instead of the Skeet chokes ...but when I shoot skeet, I put Skeet chokes into the guns.