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Any love for the Polychoke?

9K views 50 replies 36 participants last post by  polychoke 
#1 ·
I grew up on a Winchester model 12 which was cut down to 22" and had a Polychoke brazed on. Yesterday I shot it for the first time in nine months or so. Got 23 out of 25 on trap. Enough to make me happy and upset a few.

For years I cringed when I saw a nice shotgun with one. I was convinced it was ruined. It was a ugly thing that didn't work well. Now that I have aged and shot the Model 12 some more, I rediscovered just how practical Polychokes are. The one I have is marked 1, improved cylinder, 3, modified, 5, and full.

Recently I have had a crazy idea. I am getting a 870 barrel within the next week or so. I planned on having the barrel cut back to 26" and have it threaded for standard choke tubes. Now I am wondering about having the barrel cut to 22" on this as well and have one of these added so I don't need to goof around with tubes. The 22" barrel was just fine for trap and five stand so I am not concerned with the length being too short for all three games here. The walnut stock cavity has been filled with shot, and a 12 oz lead weight has been put in the magazine tube so it would swing just fine.

Does anybody else here like these things? Sure, they are far from elegant but they just work. If I decide to do this, does anybody have a source for a brand new non vented Polychoke assembly? I would like the brazed on kind, not the screw in but with a front bead or bead hole. I would prefer to not have the Polychoke 2.

I hope to not have a mob come after me for admitting my fondness for this device. If nothing else comes of it, a thoughtful discussion on the topic could be nice. Thanks in advance.
 
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#30 ·
I ended up with a poly on a shotgun that was bought to replace a shotgun that had been borrowed and was burned up in a field fire, (long story). Anyway it was on a Revelation 16 gauge pump and it did not matter where the choke was set the pattern was the same.
 
#31 ·
My father's Ithaca 37 had a polychoke with the side vents on it.... looked like a muzzle brake almost.. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I actually like the way that specific model of polychoke looks; those vents are cool.
I never patterned the gun so don't know if it worked or not, but it seems like a great idea. I know they blasted gases and sound out to the sides just like a muzzlebrake...and theoretically the extra weight out front should help keep the gun swinging on airborne targets.
 
#32 ·
I had no qualms about the way it patterned and it definitely worked.. it was simply installed incorrectly, shot low and right. I was actually think of putting it back on but I'm not finding anyone that wants to do it. It's not for everyone but it could be a real time saver by simply twisting to your desired choke.. My 1100 is now an open choke and that's a bit too open even for skeet.. Slugs work really good in it though. :beerchug:
 
#33 ·
I also have guns with Polychokes...

I have two Winchester Model 12 guns with Polychokes. Handy at Sporting Clays or in a mix of open fields and woods. If you go with screw in chokes, you need to walk around with the extra tubes and wrench. My son has a Remington 870 with a Polychoke and a ribbed barrel. When shooting it you really don't notice the thing at all. I have not done a proper job patterning any of them. But I get the impression that some settings may have a better pattern than others. As I have aged, I tend to leave them set at one click below full choke and have been pretty happy with how they shoot.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Boy does that bring back distant memories.
My first shotgun, a bolt action Mossberg 410 had a poly-choke. Rabbits on my uncle's nursery were in trouble when I was a brash 10 year old running amuck on those acres. I was let loose with 4-5 shells and had to bring back at least 1 set of ears for every 2 rounds or no more ammo.
As I remember it worked great and I often switched from imp cyl to full as the critters ran between the rows of 5 gallon cans...didn't have much use for modified. My only regret is not patterning it just to see what was what.
It was stoutly built, never lost it's setting and was a solid piece of hardware.

Sure love to see a pattern picture...anyone?
 
#36 · (Edited)
Not exactly, the value really is lower. And, yes, if you like the polychoke then you should be shopping because, you are in luck my friend. It is not the oddball ness. But again, if you like these, then go for it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying what you like. And if your likes are out of step with others, embrace your good fortune.

You want to know what is really tough? Wake up one day and decide you want to collect M1 carbines. That is a tough break, better stay home. Wanting shotguns with polychokes - fat city, fill you wallet and go out looking.
 
#44 ·
As a teen some 50 years ago I remember the various large chokes to be a left over undesirable from the previous generations. They were never preferred, never desirable, never sought after. Just a left over gimmick from some past trend advertising campaign.

My friends and I thought the chokes to be about as useful as a corn cob attached to the tip of a fishing pole and just as ugly. Just plain weird looking.
 
#46 ·
I had one many years ago when a teenager. It was a Mossberg 20 ga. Ugly as sin but it shot well and knocked the pheasants down. My neighbor had one on a Winchester model 12 with a cut down barrel. They are handy but some consider them an eyesore. If they improve my shooting, I'm all for them.
 
#47 ·
My dad has a mossberg bolt action 20ga from the mid to late 70s with a poly choke. I think its a 385k? Cool rifle. He hadnt cleaned it... ever. So i did a complete tear down of it. Cleaned and lubed absolutly everything. Took it clay shooting afterwards. Shot good, i really liked the adjustable choke on it. Id like to get an extra box mag for it if i can find one.
 
#48 ·
I mentioned a few months ago that I bought an 1100 with a poly choke on it. Appearance was ok to me especially if it worked. I shot it see what the pattern was like. The pattern was fine except it was low and to the right..way off for any kind of shooting. I shot all the settings, patterned nicely except it was consistently low and to the right. I had a hunch it was the poly choke and not that the barrel was bent in any way. Long story short, I cut it off in back of the choke and the gun shoots perfectly for an open choke. Slugs work fine out of it. I'm not sure how it could be incorrectly installed I just know what happened to this particular one.

So... I would have loved this choke if it was installed correctly. Imagine how versatile it would have been. I recently bought another barrel with screw in Remchokes. Kind of a pita to change vs the polychoke but I didn't want to chance a removal and then a reinstall and maybe end up with the same thing. I am envious for the folks that installed them and work properly..
 
#49 · (Edited)
Here's an adjustable choke repair situation for you

A number of years ago I purchased a then contemporary inexpensive field model Winchester 12 gauge equipped with a raised barrel rib and an off brand adjustable choke. I got it at a really great price because a previous owner had fired a shotgun slug through the choke while it was on the full setting. As a result the threaded choke adjustment sleeve was split from top to bottom. I took the split adjustment sleeve off and placed it in a padded jaw vise and applied pressure to the sleeve to bring the crack back into original registration. I V'd the outside of the compressed crack area with a thin 1" HD cutting disk in a Dremel tool. I then took a 3/32" 6013 welding electrode and ran a 45 amp DC electrode positive bead of weld down the external surface of the crack. With a small first cut file I brought the filled in weld metal down to a very slightly rounded flush to the existing surface curvature condition. A bit of surface finishing against 600 grit emory paper on a flat plate blended the weld in quite nicely. I used some Birchwood Casey cold bluing to make the weld repaired area invisible. I was quite surprised that the cold bluing on the 6013 weld metal was a 100% color match to the original metal. If I was doing the same repair today I would probably use a low amperage setting on a TIG welder to do the fill in weld job.
 
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