Having Chokes Installed...

R

RdB

New member
...in a barrel with no threaded chokes.

I called Bob Day of R&D Custom Barrel (www.americhoke.com) I'm looking to get chokes installed in my Benelli M1 Super 90. After a lengthy conversation, I have decided to send out the barrel, and have it threaded for thinwall screw-in chokes. My main purpose for this gun is steel plate slug shooting, and bowling pin shoots (which require buckshot) The patterning was aweful with the cylinder bore 20" barrel. I'm looking forward to this, and will report back with results.
 
RdB,while adding chokes may improve things,and probably will, it may not be the answer you're looking for.

You say patterning is awful. How many loads did you try? Every shotgun gets different results when you change ammo.

Also, patterns are affected just as much by the forcing cone as the chokes, maybe more. I'd have the cone lengthened before or with the choke tubes and do some judicious patterning with a variety of buck.

Lots of us have had great results from the Estate "SWAT" 00. The Federal R/R stuff has its fans also.

HTH....
 
RdB, it was mine understanding that the chrome lined barrels for the M1S90 where too thin for chokes installation. If you need chokes, look around in the 4Sale ads and online sources and you can easily find 18.5" w/chokes benelli barrels for under $200.00.

btw: I have a 20" abd 18.5 M1S90 barrel with the latter have the options for chokes. The 20" deliverys very good patterns with Estate/Federal Classic/Remington Exp Buck/ etc...... Patterns at 25yrds are always under 12" with any of the above loads. the Estate Swat load produces 7" of less and about the same for the Express Buckshot.


Take Dave MsC advice and goe out and buy all that you can afford and try them all. You can find a good loading for you're shotgun.
 
Well, first off, the barrel has been shipped. :)

Secondly, I have tried federal 2 3/4" premium and classic buckshot (both "00") some winchester 2 3/4", Sellier & Bellot #4's, Fiocchi "00" low recoil (which doesn't function) and Wolf 2 3/4" "00" I have also tried 2 different handloads with 1 1/4 oz of #1 buck...It's true that I haven't tried as many different loads as I should've (the Estate load sounds interesting) But I also want to keep the cost of ammo at a minimum.

At 50', I can't keep all the pellets on a standard IDPA silhouette. I want to shoot bowling pins, and I'm looking to get around a 6" pattern @ 50' I also want to spend as little as possible for the ammo, i.e. Wolf or S&B. I plan on shooting a lot, so the initial cost of the installation ($75) plus 2 chokes (1 cyl bore, for slugs and 1 mod, for the buckshot) plus return shipping should put me up around $150. A new barrel runs around $335.

you can easily find 18.5" w/chokes benelli barrels for under $200.00.
Click to expand...
I have looked, and have found none. I would also settle for a 21" field barrel, so as not to burn up my (aluminum) mag extension.

The THREE Benelli authorized dealers I spoke with all commented about the difficulty of obtaining replacement barrels (I'm not sure why, though) One dealer (AAA Guns in Springfield, Ma) said that the 18.5" are not even available for retail sales, as one could make an "illegally configured" shotgun by adding that barrel to a gun w/a 7-shot tube (?) I don't know if this is true, or just bunk.

And about installing the chokes, there is a formula in the Brownell's catalog about installing the thinwall chokes (.775-44tpi) It requires a minimum side wall (after reaming & tapping) of .015". The Benelli barrel will have .026" sidewall. Bob @ R&D Custom confirmed this, and said clearly that the installation would not be a problem.

Lengthening of the forcing cone would be a great thing, but the chrome-lined barrel makes this difficult, and a bit more costly. So, choke tubes it is :)

Russ
 
I would like to point out some other issues;


1st off
numerous location like shotgun news, gunbroker, auctionarms & ebay have barrel comes thru & all under $300 new or use. Granted Benelli is not the cheapest and/or easiest to find.

2nd
Estate SWAT load is running about $4.95 per box of 10rds. Not bad and not over price. Great patterns and very consistent. I can't even get fed classic/prem in my hood for that low of a price. Wally mart also have value packs price for 15rds for 7.99 remington express.


3rd
I just looked at my barrel on my Benneli M1s90 20" cylinder bore. The wall thickness is around .055 and a Beretta ( don't use the benelli ) std choke tube at the threads parts are close to .052 thick. So these will have to be some very thin chokes if he is going to ream a barrel from .055 thickness walls to .026 and install a choke. The choke will most likely have very thin walls and threads.

I also removed my choke from the 18.5" and the measure of the barrel thickness at the muzzle threaded area and it = out to about .058 on both of my barrels.


4th
Various Shotguns shops will length the forceing cone at a very good price. MagnaPort is one location that I have used, IIRC it was at or around $55 per barrel maybe cheaper if you're getting additional work done.


Just remember that if the installation goes wrong or you don't like it, you can always get the barrel chopped down.

Good luck.
 
lockandrock,

I have scanned all the internet resources looking for a barrel. There were none available at this time. I did look into the Estate "SWAT" buckshot loads since reading the replies, Cheaper Than Dirt has "00" for $0.40 a round delivered, not bad at all, I will try some, "00", and hopefully they'll have #4's in stock soon as well.

These choke tubes are not standard Benelli tubes, and are made to fit barrels which otherwise can not accept choke tubes, and yes, they are quite thin, hence the name "thinwall" chock tubes :)

I certainly have not done a comprehensive evaluation of all available buckshot loads, but I am concerned with my guns' failure to cycle low recoil Fiocchi. I also realize that I could replace the recoil spring in my gun, to perhaps improve cycling with lighter loads. I may look into this also.

edit: The lengthened forcing cone is a real problem, due to the chrome lined bore. Doable, I'm sure, I just didn't look deeply into having it done.

Thanks,
Russ
 
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