The Things Trap Shooters Do

[Researcher]

A No. 4E Knick --

I could live with the grip modifications if the shooter's hand required it. but those slots crudely cut in the barrel are hard on my heart! When I was in college there was a No. 4E Knick that had a long tenure on the used gun rack at J. Warshal's Sporting Goods at 1st & Madison in Seattle, because of a Cutts Compensator on its barrel.

[Silvers]

The idiom comes to mind: "one man's poison is another man's medicine" and that's for certain with Trap shooting guns. But it was or is the guy's Knick and as long as he's happy that's all that matters. Personally I dislike shotgun barrel porting in any form, and don't own and will not buy any with porting. Same with Cutts Compensators although many friends like and shoot well with them on vintage shotguns. Just in jest, the local long-ago term for a Cutts was a Donkey D. D referring to a slang term for a certain appendage ..... if ya get my drift. frank

[eightbore]

I have an SC Parker barrel with a Cutts. Happy to say that it's not attached to a gun. It's a barrel I bought, just cuz. I have posted before about an Ithaca Knick with a Cutts that I saw in the front window of Tendler's Sales at 913 D Street NW, Washington D.C. about 65 years ago.

[Fin2Feather]

I own a gun or two that have had things done to them that would cause some buyers to walk away, but when I see stuff like this I think, "Hey, my guns got off pretty easy"

[eightbore]

I have a B Grade 10 gauge Parker, Worlds Fair gun, with 18" Damascus barrels. That may be "the limit".

[Foxnut]

Oh Lord….what trap shooters can do to a gun!!! I know they were trying to “customize” it to get that one extra target but some of it is just crazy!!

[Randy G Roberts]

My Uncle whom I dearly loved was a dedicated trap shooter. He did well for himself and had a lot of nice guns. I remember one day when he showed up for a visit in his Mercedes which I was mesmerized by at the time. He invited me as a youngster to have a peek in his trunk at some guns he had, I think I was about 14 at the time. The one I recall best was a Win. M 12. I don't recall the grade but it was a graded gun, a nice one. He had taken it to his shop and drilled a series of porting holes in it. The holes were not all that evenly spaced and the bit had ran across the barrel leaving marks. He thought it to be quite the accomplishment, surely something that would gain him a target.

[Stan Hillis]

I have an 870 Wingmaster that sports a 36" original Remington VR barrel. It was used by a card shooter and has been backbored to increase the choke constriction to .062". I think it is so cool, except for the holes (ports) drilled in the barrel on both sides near the muzzle, as Randy's uncle did. The barrel is so "rare" that I have actually considered sending it to a precision micro-welder to have the holes sealed, then refinishing it to at least look original once more.

[DarylC]

I have an 870 Wingmaster that sports a 36" original Remington VR barrel. It was used by a card shooter and has been backboard to increase the choke constriction to .062". I think it is so cool, except for the holes (ports) drilled in the barrel on both sides near the muzzle, as Randy's uncle did. The barrel is so "rare" that I have actually considered sending it to a precision micro-welder to have the holes sealed, then refinishing it to at least look original once more.

I'd do that in a heartbeat Stan

As far as Cutts Compensators goes, my first memories of a gun club were of the one I still belong to and it was home to some world class skeet shooters who all shot M12's, M11-48's, M11's, all sporting Cutts, which we consider today vintage guns. To me the Cutts is part of that vintage label and have proven to be extremely effective for what they were designed for. I just think they are cool.

[Fin2Feather]

what's the difference between a Cutts and a Poly Choke?

[Stan Hillis]

I have an 870 Wingmaster that sports a 36" original Remington VR barrel. It was used by a card shooter and has been backboard to increase the choke constriction to .062". I think it is so cool, except for the holes (ports) drilled in the barrel on both sides near the muzzle, as Randy's uncle did. The barrel is so "rare" that I have actually considered sending it to a precision micro-welder to have the holes sealed, then refinishing it to at least look original once more.

I mistakenly referred to the 870 barrel as being 36". Just to satisfy my own doubts about my memory I measured it and it is only 34". My bad, and my apologies to all.

[Stan Hillis]

what's the difference between a Cutts and a Poly Choke?

A Cutts has interchangeable screw on choke tube of differing constrictions. Poly Choke is a device that acts like an adjustable collet, and has no tubes that screw on or off. If I had to have one or the other I'd choose a Cutts without hesitation.

[eightbore]

An odd thought came to me after reading Daryl's comments. I actually own some of the odd guns previously owned by his club members. The famous Harry Wright, one of his club members, shot Cutts guns exclusively at skeet and in shooting exhibitions. He was an All-American skeet competitor and trick shooter. One of the things I inherited from Harry was a fully chrome plated Model 42 barrel with chrome plated Cutts and chrome plated chokes. Some day I will have the rest of the gun chrome plated. A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon with Harry's grandson, talking about the "old days". I'm glad I'm not old like these other guys.

[Researcher]

There were a lot of compensators/choke devices screwed on the muzzle end of shotgun barrels during the middle fifty years of the 20th century. Here are ten of them --

There are probably that many more.

[DarylC]

what's the difference between a Cutts and a Poly Choke?

A Cutts has interchangeable screw on choke tube of differing constrictions. Poly Choke is a device that acts like an adjustable collet, and has no tubes that screw on or off. If I had to have one or the other I'd choose a Cutts without hesitation.

Stan,
I have a Cutts collet style adjustable choke device and it's very functional.

Bill,
Harry is one of the shooters I was referring to. He gave me a custome stock he had made for one of his Remington 32's and I put it on mine. Neat thing is Harry was left handed and he saw me shooting my 32 with RH cast in it. He said come on back to my house and I'll fix you right up. His gun collection was amazing.