Do they make chokeless shotguns?

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Plenoptic

Inactive
Hello everybody,

I'm a pistol guy, but recently my grandfather passed on and nobody wanted his shotgun so I took it. I've never really considered owning a shotgun but now having held one I see the attraction and want to start learning how to shoot the thing. However, I am familiar with the fact that shotguns have choke tubes but I can't find any threads inside the barrel and there were no choke tubes stored with it. Is there such a thing as a chokeless shotgun barrel. I don't want to shoot the thing for now, knowing that I might ruin the barrel. And any other information on what I've got such as when this model was made, etc. would be appreciated. It's a Browning BPS SPECIAL STEEL 12GA-23/4" AND 3" FIELD MODEL 28". It has the slide release next to the trigger and a single or repeating switch at the base of the magazine and has "made in japan" stamped on the barrel
 
Greetings, Plenoptic, and welcome aboard.

Screw-in choke systems are relative new, and as you are aware are easily identified by the internal threading at the muzzle area. Before screw-ins, shotguns were made with fixed chokes. Just because your grandfather's gun doesn't have threads, don't assume the barrel isn't choked. The barrel will be marked with Browning's code.

The BPS (Browning Pump Shotgun) is a well respected model and should give you years of service if properly maintained. If you didn't get a manual with the gun, as is often the case with heirloom arms, here's a link the a .pdf file (Note, it's for a screw-in choke version BPS)

BROWNING FIXED CHOKE CODES (ON REAR LEFT-SIDE OF BARREL)
'*' designates full choke (F).
'*-' designates improved modified choke (IM).
'**' designates modified choke (M).
'**-' designates improved cylinder choke (IC).
'**$' designates skeet (SK).
'***' designates cylinder bore (CYL).
 
I'm beginning to dislike the multi-choke system. I shoot a lot of sporting clays and there are people (myself included), that spend way too much time trying to figure out the right choke based on each target presentation. Instead of concentrating on the bird, we waste time and energy on the choke.

Unless I had a gun with a fixed extra-full choke, I say just shoot and enjoy.
 
You won't ruin that great shotgun and I can "almost" say for sure that it will be a modified choke in a 28" barrel...If it was a 30" barrel then I'd have said full...

You can send the barrel to Browning and they will thread the barrel for choke tubes for you after reaming out the constriction or just leave it as is and get another barrel with tubes from them or The Barrel Exchange or my favourite Corson's Barrels...

That is a great shotgun, classic design and well worth keeping and if need be adding another barrel for a HD gun with say a factory 24" instead of the unnecessary 18½" version...

Wear well and welcome
 
1) You have a very good shotgun there. One of the best pump guns made.

2) Most shotgun barrels are "choked", even if they do not have a choke tube system. They have what is known as a fixed choke. The only shotgun barrel that has no choke applied to it is called "cylinder" bore. As it's name suggests, it is simply a straight cylinder.
 
I'm beginning to dislike the multi-choke system. I shoot a lot of sporting clays and there are people (myself included), that spend way too much time trying to figure out the right choke based on each target presentation. Instead of concentrating on the bird, we waste time and energy on the choke.

Unless I had a gun with a fixed extra-full choke, I say just shoot and enjoy.
Click to expand...

Actually, I like it, I just don't pay that much attention to it. I have recently ordered a couple of flats of 3/4 oz shells. I have discovered that they work better with a bit tighter choke, so I usually change to light modified (.015" constriction) when I shoot those rounds. There is so little shot, with more open chokes I think there are holes in the pattern. At any rate, I hit better with a tighter choke with this particular load. When I shoot skeet, I shoot a skeet choke (.005" constriction), when I shoot sporting clays I use IC. I sometimes change to a light modified when there are longer shots, but that's about it for me. I try not to over think it. I personally don't think it makes all that much difference when shooting clay games. During a hundred round course of sporting clays, I may change chokes twice.

I shoot at one club where they have trappers. In talking with these guys, they inform me that they have some shooters that change chokes at every station. Fact is, it is very rare indeed that I can blame a miss on my choke selection. I almost always know the second I pull the trigger that I shot behind, led too much, Pulled, stopped my gun, etc. etc. I don't think I have ever thought, wow, if I had used a "supertight giddygapper extended choke", I would have had that one.

Just my thoughts.
 
I have a few of both and I tend to go for the gun w/o screw in chokes. It is getting more difficult to buy off the shelf guns (particularly in the US) w/o screw ins. Picked up an early Browning BSS 20g. M/IC and non-selective trigger. Love it. Plus, the store knocked off some because it did not have chokes! :p Have a Winc M21 that is skt1 and skt2 ... a bit tighter than todays skt chokings. A buddy said I should get it tubed ... nuts to him!

Watched some guys shooting 5-stand a couple of weeks ago. One older gent had a Rem M1100 and was doing well. He and the gun looked like they'd been together awhile. While soem spun chokes in and out he just banged and broke. After the round he was asked what choke and loads he had in and the replied "Had this for over 40 years and it still has the same bbl that came on it. 28 inch Modified ... I think. I just shoot them [birds]. I just pour a bunch of 7 1/2 and 8 together, stir it up and load a 1 ounce load that works of me. Clays or quail." End of converstaion. Loved it.
 
All of the older guns had chokes - they were just fixed - not changeable. Virtually all of the guns made in the last 30 years - have changeable screw in chokes.

In the old days - because the choke was fixed - we had a "duck" gun choked Full ( we shot lead then ) , a "pheasant" gun choked Mod, a "grouse gun" choked IC ....

Today you can buy one gun and shoot all the games - Skeet, Trap, Sporting Clays and bird hunting... So the idea is to change your choke, and pick your shell - to put a 30" pattern of sufficient density - at the kill range - to do the job.

Not changing chokes / or just shooting a Mod all the time - means you have a very ineffictive pattern beyond 40 yards / and an ineffective pattern at 15 yards - neither of which make any sense, when you can change them.

you're not shooting a "bullet" - you're putting a cloud / comet trail of shot on a target - with enough forward allowance - and on the flight path to kill or break the target. Sure you can shoot at 50 yards targets with a Skeet choke if you want ( and you may hit 2 out of 10 ... buy why do that ..) You can shoot Skeet with an Imp Mod if you want - but you are not going to get many 100 straights ....

The shotgun is a Tool / and part of it is the Choke --- shooting an Imp Mod for Skeet will not make you a better shooter / it defeats the purpose of a shotgun. I've seen a shooter shoot Skeet with a .22 rifle ( and we can debate the issue of safety with that another time ) and he did it sucessfully - but its a novelty - not something they would do in serious competition.
 
The BPS is a VERY GOOD shotgun. Grampa had good tast in guns. Does your gun have the magazine cut off feature to lock shells in the magazine? These are on the very early guns if memory serves. The original BPS came out some time in the late 70s or early 80s before screw in choke tubes became "standard". Before screw in tubes, barrels had to be changed to change choke or a funny bulbous add on screw select choke was available but ugly. If you have no threads near the muzzle and the barrel is smoothly transitioning from the chamber to the muzzle you don't have to worry about ruining the gun. Usually fixed choke guns (ones without screw in choke tubes) have the exact choke printed on the barrel near the guage markings. You'll enjoy shooting skeet and trap with that gun. You can also get a shorter barrel and extended magazine if you look around. Call browning, but the BPS is still being produced and barrels should be available. My only complaint about them is they are very heavy full size guns but extremely reliable with design features from the ithica 37 and earlier remington series on which that was based. The main differences between an ithica and browning bps are in the stamped internal parts, safety location and barrel take down. I hope you keep it, use it and pass it on. Your grampa would want that. rc
 
Thankyou to everybody for the information. Well as soon as I got word it's OK to shoot it as is, I was on the phone with a few local shotgun ranges about getting in and then I was asked a multitude of questions about whether I wanted skeet or trap, 5-stand, and how each is different. And I'm trying to explain how I just want to throw stuff in the air and shoot at it, you know, I've seen showman shooter and that's what I want to do. And then the rules. All you are allowed to bring is yourself and your gun. You have to buy their targets, their ammunition, blah, blah, blah. So I figured I'm not the "Rod and Gun Club" type. So I headed for Walmart and got a bunch of produce and a whole mess of shells, god only knows if I got the right kind for what I was doing. Headed out to the middle of nowhere and made a lot of salad, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. I must say I was very impressed with the BPS. I shot 300 shells without one single problem. I see why you guys heap so much praise on this gun but my god it is heavy and the pump action isn't exactly light on its feet either. But I loved how it performed and I'm keepin' it. You definitely have a new enthusiast amongst your ranks. To rc, what is the magazine cut off feature? Mine does have a selector switch for single and repeating. If I put it on single it will not reload from the magazine when I clear the spent shell, is this what you are referring to? Again, thank you to everybody for your responses and information.
 
Glad to hear that you had a wonderful first experience with your new gun.
After 300 rounds of making salad, now it's time to learn how to clean you new BPS :D

Did your grandfather shoot it a lot? If not, there's a possibility that it's still a little stiff for want of a good breaking-in. After a good cleaning and lubrication, you may find that it's a lot smoother.

Oops...
I almost forgot to ask. Did you determine what choke it has?
 
zippy13,

Yeah, I picked up a cleaning kit and all the accessories on my way back home and got the thing all cleaned up (thanks for the link to the owners manual), lubricated, and got some polish on the wood. My grandfather did use it quite a lot, but I think it just sat around the last couple years, the lubrication did make it a little better but not much. It has three score lines in the bluing where the fore stock rubs up against the bottom of the magazine, the bluing on the barrel looks just a hair dull, but the finish on the receiver block and the wood is still in magnificent condition. He always stored it wrapped in old 100% cotton t-shirts, I think I will continue to do the same. It is a modified choke barrel. I must say it is a little disconcerting that you're not supposed to dismantle and clean the receiver/breechblock mechanism. I guess I'm just used to pistols and revolvers where you tear down the entire gun when cleaning. Thanks again for the knowledge and wisdom.
 
The manual says not to strip down the receiver .... - but in reality, you should learn how to do that quickly and easily. Its really very easy - and any number of books will tell you how to drift out the pin in the receiver / take the trigger group out / and the other internal parts.

If I shoot my BPS - taking the trigger group out, etc - is all part of the normal cleaning procedure. When I was shooting the BPS a lot - it was a pretty easy 30 min procedure to strip / clean / put it back together.

I know this is all new to you / but in terms of most shotguns - the BPS isn't that heavy - my 12ga BPS with 28" barrel is 7 3/4 lbs. Many Over Unders are at least 8 1/2 lbs ....... but weight is your friend / a heavier gun reduces recoil significantly.

I hope you continue to enjoy the BPS - they're my favorite pump guns and I have one in 12ga and one in 20ga that have given me close to 30 yrs of usage.
 
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