Back boring 16 gauge Sterlingworth

[Cflanagan]

Hi,

I am hoping to get some opinions on back boring a 16 ga Sterlingworth that I recently purchased. The gun has a .002 choked barrel and the other is closer to modified. The serial number (350173) dates the gun back to early production (1912-13) but the barrels are not original as they are marked savage.

I have been told that at a certain timeframe savage would not do repairs to older Fox guns unless they had replaced the barrels which is what I believe happened to this gun. After patterning the gun I have decided that I would really like to tighten the .002 choke from close to Cyl to more of an improved cyl. I have heard that back boring can be a way to achieve this as well as improving the overal pattern of the shot.

This gun is not a collector. It will be used as a hunting gun so I am comfortable with making alterations. I am adding a 1” recoil pad to increase the length of pull as well.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to tighten the pattern other than back boring? Thanks for any advice you may have!

[OH Osthaus]

have you patterned different loads

you might be surprised how much difference there can be from one load to another

i would think a buffered load may give you the affect of a few degrees of constriction

[kgb]

A jug/recess choke can fix things up for you. I had the procedure done by Mike Orlen to take a 16ga choke from .003" to .014". Tightened up my known shell exactly like I expected it to.

[Cflanagan]

Thank you both for your responses,

I have patterned the gun and while the barrels don’t measure exact cyl/ modified chokes, they shoot pretty spot on for those. The cyl has a 32” pattern or even slightly more at 20 yards and the mod has a 20” pattern at 20 yards.

I was shooting RST loads (2 1/2” 7/8oz #6). I plan to shoot these or 1oz loads but didn’t have any of the 1oz loads for patterning. I did shoot a spreader load through the modified barrel at 16yrds for fun to see the pattern but that’s besides the point.

This gun is one that will be used in the field and I personally feel more effective on birds with an improved cyl or even light mod vs cylinder. Is Mike Orlen with Briley or is he on his own? I have seen his name around. I am curious what the benefit of a jug/recess choke would be over back boring the barrel. I am glad to hear that something can be done to tighten the pattern on this cyl barrel.

[Jeff S]

I have no idea what your "wall thickness" is at the end of your barrels, and I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I will offer my "2 cents worth". I own a 1922 Ivers Johnson / Simson that has "cut" barrels. A previous owner had Briley thin wall choke tubes installed. I love that gun and the way it shoots with the 4 different chokes. I'm not suggesting that you do it to your Fox, I'm just saying that someone else did it to a gun that I own, and it works great.

[fullchoke16]

+1 on the choke tubes. A few years back I picked up a Model 21 that a previous owner had Briley thread the barrels on. With 7 thin wall lead tubes and 2 steel shot tubes it is without a doubt the most versatile gun in the safe. Non original barrels also made it affordable for an average guy.

[vaturkey]

Mike Orlen can add choke tubes as long as there is enough barrel wall thickness. You might want to give him a buzz as he no doubt has worked on a pile of Sterlingworths.

[kgb]

Certainly cheaper to jug choke vs. full-length backbore. FWIW, the choke work I've had done by Mike Orlen came as very quick turn-arounds. I sent him a set of Fox barrels to have backbored, he got them in mid-March of this year and I finally bothered him enough to send them back to me this month, unaltered, so I can get stock work done on the gun. I don't know why he let them go so long without working on them, but any small choke alterations always seem to get done and returned quickly.

Choke tubes may be a better option, whether from Orlen or Briley.