Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns What's a Polychoke?

I got asked that today.

Shot a round of skeet today at the local gun club. As is my practice I was shooting one of my old pawnshop rescue guns; today it was a Remington Model 11 20 gauge that has a polychoke. Such shotguns are not a handicap for me as I'm going to shoot a 20-22 whether it's a $250 blue collar gun or a $2500 Italian over-under.

One of the younger (30-something) shooters on the squad was curious about my shotgun and asked me about it. I think all he had ever seen was current clay target guns.To him, my Remington Model 11 was ancient and I think he was surprised that such an antique would function and break targets just like his fancy Italian autoloader. And this guy wasn't a new clay target shooter either (he went 25 straight).

He became intrigued with the polychoke and asked me what it was. He sincerely didn't know what it was. I explained it was like the 1930's version of choke tubes. Demonstrated how it would go from cylinder to full with a simple twist. He thought that was a pretty good idea.

Yup, it worked 75 years ago, and still does even if not in vogue.

I remember that there was a time in the fifties when it appeared that it must have been illegal to display a used shotgun that didn't have one.

Dial-a-duck.

my brother has a Stevens A5 clone with a polychoke on it and it shoots just fine. and while we're walking down memory lane, how about the original screw in chokes, the Cutts Compensator.

My 16ga Ithaca 37 has a poly choke, and I like it. Seems like I use to have a small problem with Remington and cheap Federal plastic wads deposting plastic in it, but haven't noticed it much lately. Probably because I rotate through so many shotguns now, I don't shoot it enough to have a problem.

A buddy had a Cutts Compensator on his Marlin Super Goose. I don't know if the Compensator worked or if the wieght of the gun was a factor, but it was an almost pleasant gun to shoot.

My first hunting shotgun (after the .410) was a military surplus 520 Stevens riot gun with a Herter's version of a ventilated Poly Choke to bring it up to legal length and the butt cut back a bit.

The purpose of a Poly Choke is to give kids something to do with nervous energy while walking corn rows - find the perfect choke for immediate conditions.

In this modern era it's play with the magazine cap where parts go flying like my cousin's kid some years ago while blocking.

I look at a super nice 870 20 bore with a polychoke and this thread almost makes me way to go buy it. Thanks, thanks alot.......

Maybe 20 years from now color coded choke tubes with holes in them will be considered oh-so-yesterday and frowned upon...lowering the value of shotgun.

The 'in' thing will be some simple device on the muzzle that goes from cylinder to full in a slight turn.

And Nighthawk, indeed many times as a teen anticipating something to shoot I'd play with the polychoke getting just right for the shot that seldom came...that I'd usually miss when it did!

I had a Remington 31 (steel) 20 gauge that came from the factory with an adjustable choke. In a weak moment my snob nature got the best of me and I swapped it off.

I think it's fun to watch guys shooting sporting clays busy cranking choke tubes in/out with their little pencil sharpener gizmos. Watching them you'd think you can't break a target without changing choke tubes for every shot. More than once I've stepped up and asked what tube they recommended and cranked on the polychoke or simply went ahead and shot the stand with my fixed choke gun (often one with no ventilated rib).

Glad I'm not the only one, almost didn't admit that.

I have a twin to your model. 11 or I should say my brother does. I loaned it to him several years ago and haven't seen it since. Neat little guns.

I have been shooting in a combo league, one round of trap, one of skeet, with a 1947 Model 12 that has a Cutts Compensator. The pullers often ask, "what is that thing?". I tell them it is what their granddaddy used back in the day. I'm averaging 23 at skeet with it.