How do I Identify chokes?

[busyone5]

I have a Stoeger Condor 0/u with different chokes. The chokes have notches on them, one has three, the other four. What do these mean?

 

[suvdrvr]

I believe the notches are as follows. 1=full
2=IM
3=Mod
4=IC

 

[K80Geoff]

I did some checking and Browning marks their chokes with four notches as IC, three as Mod, two as Imp Mod, full with one notch. Not sure if Stoeger follows this pattern. Consult with the owners manual to be sure.

If you have access to calipers you might measure the constrictions in each tube. Normal 12 ga bbl diameter is .730" and the chokes would have more constriction.

Usually skeet is .005, IC .007 to.010, Mod .020 and full .030 to .040. These numbers indicate more constriction, so a skeet choke would measure .725.

However some guns are backbored (have a larger diameter bore to reduce recoil) and the chokes would vary in constriction depending on the amount of backboring. If the backboring was at 740 than skeet choke would be around 735 etc.

Be aware that some chokes have the restriction in the middle of the tube, not necessarily at the end!

 

[dodge]

I also have one of these and after contacting Stoeger they told me just what suvdrvr says. You can buy extra chokes by buying ones that fit a Winchester/Browning/Mossberg shotgun. The ones from Brownells run about $20 each.