will this decrease the value of my shotgun?

[redranger1]

hey guys, i have a stoeger .410 SxS with full chokes. the gun isnt a really valuable one, but it is in 99% and i want to keep the value of the gun. problem is that i want to shoot skeet with it and thats tuff to do w/ full chokes. if i had it fixed so that i can put screw in chokes in it would that hurt the value of the gun much if any? thanks guys.

 

[Majic]

Yes modifying a firearm will cause it to lose value in the collectors market. On a general basis with a utility firearm like yours what little is lost usually isn't paid any mind.
Are you sure both barrels are full choke?

 

[HSMITH]

Screw in chokes would increase the value of your gun slightly if you have them installed by a recognized name in the business, but the increase will be less than you paid for the installation by quite a bit.

 

[dgludwig]

I think Majic and HSMITH are both right on this one. If the shotgun is a collector's piece or might become so, then adding screw-in chokes will likely impact its value negatively. On the other hand, if the shotgun is a "shooter" (no offense, but yours is probably in that category), then adding the chokes (by a reputable, well-known smith, as HSMITH pointed out) would probably add a little to the value.

Another take on this issue is that, even if the gun is collectable, you still might want to add the chokes because it simply accomodates your needs/wants-the heck with diminished value!

 

[kymasabe]

You man want to reconsider your choice of shotgun to shoot skeet with. As I remember, the Stoeger SxS, (coach guns) are not terribly expensive and you may be spending alot of money putting in chokes in a gun that's not worth all that much. You may find that for a few dollars more you could buy another gun thay may be better suited to skeet. If you're comfortable with your .410 and don't want much more kick, you can find some nice 20 gauge guns out there that would be much more effective. I've owned .410's, mostly for home defense, but have had them at the range and they just don't have the "legs" for skeet and trap. .410's are usually choked in FULL to keep what little shot they have in a tight pattern. If you open up that pattern, the clay busting ability of the .410 drops dramatically. Just some things to consider. I wouldnt want you to spend a load of $$ on choke tubes and then discover you can't hit a darn thing with them.