boring/threading 1911 a grade - advice?

[Linfdsay2117]

I bought an A grade 1911 - with factory Krupp fluid steel barrels - 30' mod/mod. I was thinking about getting them threaded for choke tubes - anyone have experience with this? Can it be done? Can one barrel be threaded and not the other? Thanks!!

[Brian Dudley]

You can do what you want to your gun, but know that once you do this, it will be YOUR gun. The value and desirability of it will be destroyed. Choke tubes in a vintage doubles is a turn-off to most buyers.

[Linfdsay2117]

Yes- the gun is mine. Otherwise I respectfully disagree with your comment. If you substitute the word "collector" for the word "buyer" in your comment - then I agree. I bought the gun to use - not collect. I have already had to repair the stock twice so - I doubt there is a lot of collector value left in it. I just like shooting a gun that represent Philadelphia manufacturing at its best. Not much of it left anymore.

[Jeff S]

I bought an A grade 1911 - with factory Krupp fluid steel barrels - 30' mod/mod. I was thinking about getting them threaded for choke tubes - anyone have experience with this? Can it be done? Can one barrel be threaded and not the other? Thanks!!

You asked if anyone has any experience with this, so I'll make two comments: First, in my bathroom I have a stack of old Field & Streams that I sometimes read while I'm "thinking". In the December, 2005 issue, Shooting Editor Philip Bourjaily discusses the restoration of a 1939 Fox Sterlingworth. The gun was originally chocked IC and Mod, and he had Briley install choke tubes. He said the prices was $499 which included 5 choke tubes. I'm guessing that he must like doing that, because in the February 2017 issue, he did the exact same thing to a 1940 J.P. Saur.

Secondly, I own a 1922 Simson that has Briley thin walled choke tubes. I did not have this work done. The choke tubes had already been installed when I acquired it. I'm guessing that at one time there was a major "failure" in the barrels, or perhaps a severe dent that made it unshootable. The owner cut the barrels down to 24" and had chokes installed. This is my theory because it had "tight" choke tubes. If a guy cut the barrels down so that it could be used as a grouse gun in thick brush, it seems to me that he would have installed "open" chokes. The barrels on this Simson a very light, but the choke tubes seem to be fine.

I'm not saying that choke tubes are a good, or a bad idea. I'm simply stating that it has been done. Personally, I buy a lot of "spreaders" from Morris at RST Shells. Morris and I have a good arrangement. I send him money, and he sends me shells.

[Stan Hillis]

One of my favorite Fox guns is a BE grade 12 ga. with 32" barrels that had been restocked and threaded for thin walled S1 series Brileys when I saw it advertised. I was able to buy the gun for probably 50-60% of what it would have brought "unmolested". If I could have a wish come true it would be that the gun would be returned to it's original condition. But, that's a pipe dream.
I have killed ducks with it, I have killed many limits of doves with it, and I have won S x S events with it. I love the gun, but ............... I wish it had never been threaded for choke tubes. It's never done anything for me it couldn't have done with the original chokes. I'll never do it to a nice vintage gun. Spreaders work too good. I've opened the chokes on one vintage Fox, many years ago, and I regret it to this day. JMO, and you need to do what's right for you.

SRH

[vaturkey]

I have not opened the chokes on any of my original condition Foxes. I have opened them up on all my Custom Foxes to better suit my needs for those guns. I wouldn't go the Choke Tube route on any classic myself. I would by such a gun, but only at a rather significant discount.

[grouse28]

I think choke tubes are over rated, unless shooting clays.
Most of what you want can be done with different types of loads, spreaders, as has been mentioned.
If you need a full choked duck and goose gun a vintage gun is probably not the best choice with heavy loads.
Ducks over decoys or jump shooting, ok but not serious pass shooting, unless using a 9lb HE.
I seldom change the tubes n my modern guns when hunting birds.

[eightbore]

"Learn to shoot a shotgun" is the normal response to a person wanting to spend $500 to lower the value of his gun by $1000 by messing with the barrels. We aren't criticizing your plan, we are trying to help you to enjoy our sport. "Collecting" has nothing to do with it.

[gunsrus]

I did it once to a SxS . Never again .

[Woody]

People nowadays way over think chokes. I’ve been there. Screw in chokes, changing tubes etc. But now days give me a gun IC/Mod. and I’m happy. You can tune it to what you want to use it for with ammo.

[WPGRIFFON]

Linfdsay2117

You always run the risk of bulging the barrels when choke threading, I speak from experience having a double choke tubed and damaged. I have several loads for spreaders, nothing but a slightly different wad, a small plastic X in the shot cup and an overshot card. With modified and full choke double guns I am able to achieve skeet to IC patterns with my spreader handloads. Send me a PM if you are interested.

WPGriffon

[Brian Dudley]

Yes, there are times when choke does make a big difference, but it does not make up for needing to become a better shot.

If you do your part, the gun will do its part.

[Linfdsay2117]

Sincere thanks to all who responded - especially with further technical information - which is primarily what I am looking for. I seem to have touched a nerve with some - as if choke tubes are desecrating the gun somehow. Frankly - given the design of the barrels (as described in McIntosh's book) I was not even sure it could be done. Which was one of my questions.

As far as Brian Dudley's comments - I seem to have gone from being a bad collector to being a defective shot for needing choke tubes. I admit to being a horrible gun collector. I like shooting a gun from Philadelphia - because that is where I am from. But I am not a gun collector. As far as the relative value of choke tubes - i.e., the size of the choke - I think that is pretty self evident. I will probably do more research and look into other options.