Poly-Choke - Need an education please

[scootrd]

Ok, I readily admit it , Last time I used a shotgun I was 13 and was Duck hunting with my dad. I'm a complete shotgun layman.
Given that , I have a question , Though I understand what a Poly-choke is , and what it's intended purpose is for (I also find them aesthetically pretty ugly)

What I don't know is how are they installed? 
Once installed can they be uninstalled?
Does the Barrel have to be modified in any way to accept a poly-choke?
If a poly-choke was once installed and if taken off will the barrel bare signs as it once having been poly-choked?

Layman looking for an education. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Graybeard]

Generally if added to an existing barrel it is cut shorter and all choke that was in it is removed. I think they are permanently attached via silver solder or some such process. to remove you'd likely have to cut barrel still shorter again or at least refinish the entire barrel after the removal to make it look half way decent. Then you'd have no choke at all and a short barrel. Then what ya gonna do with it? Unless you like cylinder bore you'll need to pay to have some sorta choke device added to replace it.

They are bad news all the way around and best to just avoid barrels with them. If you have one and the barrel can be replaced I'd just toss or try to sell the PC barrel and buy a replacement.

[dukkillr]

They are bad news all the way around and best to just avoid barrels with them. If you have one and the barrel can be replaced I'd just toss or try to sell the PC barrel and buy a replacement.

Yup, this is the most important part of the issue.  Millions of otherwise fantastic guns were ruined by these things but there is no saving them now unless you need a trench gun.  Any used gun rack will have Model 12s, A-5s, 37s, and any number of other guns with no modern use because they'd been bored out and/or cut down because someone didn't understand the value of a fixed choke.  Just keep looking.

[Bullseye]

As the others said it would be hard to get rid of.

It is really to bad they are so dang ugly.  I used to have a Sears Ted Williams (Winchester) years ago with a polychoke.  Sold it to my father-in-law.  Usually as we are heading out to hunt turkeys he will hand me the gun and say is my choke right.  It is usually set to modified and I turn it down.  Really a good idea, no tubes and wrench to find and when I owned the gun I patterned it and it did its job.  If they just were not so ugly.

[NautiBuoys]

I must be in the minority as I don't find them ugly (especially the non-ported ones); then again, I've had one for 31 years and use it with great success. I think their heyday was pre-replaceable choke tubes, as don't see too often nowadays. I had one installed so I could use buckshot for deer (extra full) to turkey (full) to pheasant (mod); quail (improved but more usually, open) to slugs (open). Also, when steel shot came in, the more open choke helped. Yes, I have extra barrels for the same shotgun but my everyday barrel still wears the Polychoke. It has never worn out, never broken and yes, does open or tightened the patterns quite a bit (testing confirms).