Threading barrels for choke tubes....

[oo_buck]

I have an older Stevens 311 12 ga that has been cut down to 20" barrels.  There is no "choke" left in the gun, and the pattern out past 25yds or so is pretty worthless......

My thoughts are, if screw in  chokes were installed in say full or extra full, shouldn't that improve the patterning and effective range of the gun?  While of course, keeping that "coach gun" appearance....

Also, what should I expect to pay to have the gun threaded for screw in tubes?

[gunnut69]

Sure.  That's the idea behind screw in chokes.  Still you must have those barrels measured.  Wall thickness has to be great enough to allow the outside diameter of the tube and the thread depth.  If it turns out the barrels are too thin it is still possible to have some choke installed.  In a single barrel one could install a sleeve. Simply a soldered in liner that provides the choke. Unfortunately the heat of soldering in the sleeve would surely un-solder the barrels and that gets expensive.  I'm suggest a jug choke.  It's simply a recess, usually installed with a piloted reamer or barrel hone.  It provides a degree of choke by removing enough metal ahead of the ends of the bare to give the effect of a choke.  Probably won't get full but modified is usually doable.  Wall thickness is still an issue but in most American built doubles some choke can be put back in these older weapons..