Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Adjustable chokes

I have a question maybe some of you old-timers can answer.Before choke tubes many shotguns were made with adjustable chokes, for instance Poly-Chokes. I have seen many used Ithaca 37s and Mossbergs among other models during my travels to various gun dealers and shows. Other than making some nice shotguns look pretty ugly did these things really work? Did they pattern accurately to the choke that it was set on? Just curious because many of the guns I see them on seemed to be bargains. By the way, I'm an old-timer too but never owned a gun with an adjustable choke. Thanks in advance.
Bob

I never thought I'd be saying this but, I picked up a Model 12, 16 gauge with a Poly Choke and I kind a like it. My first thought was to cut it off and a install choke tube or leave it cylinder. Took it hunting and liked being able to twist the old "dial-a-duck" for the conditions at hand. As far as I can tell, the thing works darn pretty good.

I used to hunt with a guy that had an old Model 12 in 12 ga, with a Poly-Choke on it.

Agreed, it was ugly, but he swore by it, and was one of the best wingshots I ever knew.

I'm not sure they were that accurate as it would vary depending on the barrel's actual bore diameter relative to a reference and then how much restriction they provided but they definitely will open or close the pattern.

I've got an Ithaca 37 with a Hartford choke. Same-same as Polychoke.

I've never run anything like a scientific test between it and, say, a Remington 870 with screw in chokes, but when I first got it, I patterned some Wallyworld shotshells on paper, and it seemed to me that it was working as advertised.

Oh, and BTW, I resent your insinuation that my shotgun is "pretty ugly."

Thanks guys for the input. I haven't heard anything negative yet.
Bob

When my dad was in the Army the MPs were selling some pump riot guns for peanuts. He picked one up and quickly trotted over to a gunsmith to have a Herter's version of a Poly Choke installed to get the shotgun up to legal length (and a big pad too). Was my first shotgun after the .410, not one of Dad's wisest moves but money was tight. It worked, but don't get one for a kid. They're constantly fiddling with it to get it set "just right" according to what the books said.

Still have it as a truck gun but there's a fair chance of breaking pre-steel versions when using steel, particularly past modified.

They work.

Two big negatives for me...one is the obvious, the corn cob effect gets more of my attention shooting than it should (I just plain hate the looks of the Polychoke and the Cutts); two, is the effect of lowering the point of impact of the gun. One could build up the comb to compensate...

The older I get, the less enamored I am of variable chokes, choke tubes and the like. I have several guns w/ choke tubes, use them, but find also that my fixed choke guns are not much of a disadvantage in their realm. For example, my plain Jane field Model 12 Winchester 16 gauge has a modified choke, about .012" constriction, and I really can't remember feeling I needed something much different (it's my favorite chukar gun, and has done some fancy work on sage grouse as well). My 12 gauge Model 12, with fixed full choke, is a tremendous dove gun when they are high and fast, and wouldn't be helped with less choke. For close stuff, it's simply too heavy and long to be ideal, so full choke is perfect.

Another point worth mentioning, much like with variable scopes, is the temptation to be twisting the choke and thinking about it too much at the expense of focus on more important things (like the bird, dog, etc.).

Not disparaging those who like them, but the variable chokes don't suit me.

Put the shotgun down and back away. I have sent help. They will take you away for a while and help you get your mind right. If Browning and Johnson had wanted you to hunt with a potato on the end of their gun they'd have put one there for you. Those things are just too damned ugly to even contemplate. That's like uglying up a bird dog until it looks like one of those hairless chihuahua things.

Not pretty ugly ..... really ugly LOL. I have an old Mossberg 500 with the potato on the end of a 25 inch barrel. It works great.
Or maybe it just uglies the birds to death

I have had a couple of poly chokes over the years and find that they work pretty well and they are much more field friendly than tubes, just twist and forget. All of mine have been the plain poly choke w/o the bird cage and I tend to like them best. My brother had a vened one on a model 37 and I never could see it changed things much. All in all the looks don't bother me though I agree with the above poster that stated his fixed choke guns didn't seem to hinder him so I pretty much can do without them. I do always keep my eye peeled for plain barrel, fixed choke guns or guns with a poly choke as they can usually be bought for a real bargin. As an example I just recently passed up a Remington model 31 that was very nice with a poly choke that I probably could have bought for under $200. While I was debating what I would do with another shotgun someone else bought it but it was a heck of a lot more gun than most of the new stuff being offered today.

I have three friends who shoot either the Poly chi=oke or the Cutts, and I owned all those guns at one time.
I luv 'em, just because they are unique, but the fact remains that they DO work!
My goose hunting buddy can really drop them out of the air with 2 3/4" Winchester2's with his 1100 remington set on IC out of his Polychoke, and the two thers use a Wingmaster and M12 respectively for upland, and enjoy them as well.
Cat

I have a Mossberg 500 20 gauge with a vent rib and celect choke, thing works great. No issues because of sight height. I have a poly-choke barrel for a 12 gauge LH 870 that shoots very low.

A guy I shoot with had a Beretta 303 with a Cutts. He found a screw in poly-choke for the Cutts. That was quite a contraption...

I stiil have a Rem. 12ga 870 Mag. that was my duck gun in the 70's and mid 80's (before steel shot ) and it worked GOOD, I kinda like it because it reminds me of the old days