Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Re-choke Browning M12 20ga

Self defense gun with a choke is exactly what that barrel on the A-5 is. As a S-I-L says, you can tell that I am serious when I install the inventor barrel to hunt with the Old Browning.

I use two O/U guns. A twelve Beretta SP IV and a Browning Syprtposed Pigeon Grade twenty. They do have their limitations for follow up shots.

I probably should not have mentioned grandson. Sometimes I still miss him so much.... God knows our number of days before we are born. My continued thanks to God for letting us have him for almost three years. And many thanks to Him that the child's death was instant. There was no suffering on his part. Also, God makes it possible for us to go on. A last blessing, since the kids already had a daughter, there would likely not been more. While trying for another boy, we ended up with not one, but two more beautiful and bright granddaughters. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

BTW, ther mom teaches and their dad farms and ranches. There is something a little different about farm/ranch girls. They have been going to check crops and cattle with their dad ever since they hit sippy cup status. And yes, even the four yo knows the difference between bulls and cows, and it is not just the hump on their back.

Best,

I’d open it to IC with no regrets or second thoughts. These are shooter guns, not collectors items, so have no worry about devalue. If you decide later you need more choke, it’s a simple matter to have Briley install thin wall choke tubes.

I'm thinking I/C is the way to go. Should have been choked that way from the factory anyways.

Not a huge bit of collector value with this shotgun, but it is a Grade I with very nice wood, near mint with box.

Probably harder to do in Canada, but maybe you can find one of the Winchester/Miroku Model 12's to trade for. They're the same as the earlier Brownings, but they were choked IC instead of MOD.

You're right. Not sure if I've ever seen one of those for sale here. Nice shotguns.

Haven't seen it mentioned. Maybe just try some cheaper promotional loads. Their softer shot may open up your patterns.

Right after plastic wads were introduced, I bought two cases (20 boxes each back then) of spreader loads each year at a wholesaler in Amarillo. Same price as regular. Then they kind of disappeared from the marketplace, or he stopped carrying the them?? Then I got promoted again and shipped of to larger cities in areas where I didn't need a thousand shot shells in ten years. Not that many quail opportunities. I did not realize they are still around.

Jack

ROFL! I remember bringing several guns through the crossing near Sumas, WA years ago on my move to Alaska. All my Canada paperwork was good. Cutest little border guard you ever saw was trying the usual border guard banter to see if you were legit. you know, lone while male traveling into Canada, must be high on the list of profiled bad guys or something. At one point she was frustrated that I made no mis-spoken responses, so she blurted out "You like guns, don't you?!" It was hard not to burst out laughing! I don't remember my exact reply but my UNSPOKEN thought was, Yes, dear, and what do YOU like?

Have you shot it or are you just assuming its too tight because it says "MOD" on the barrel? I use to think I needed more open chokes too but find most fixed chokes throw a better pattern and if you spend some time shooting and can get past the mental part of chokes I bet you will find MOD is really a good over all choke.

The pre 64 M-12's really pattern well. I have a 16 gauge 28 inch full I shoot skeet with all the time and though Im sure the full cost me a target from time to time I dont see it as a real problem.

So go shoot the hell out of that gun and if you give MOD a honest run I bet you find it perfect

Grouse/woodcock hunting here requires a very open choke as shots can be very close and fast. Pretty carry the shotgun at ready at times. I had a 20ga 870 for a while and switched it to a SK as the IC was found to be too tight.

I've shot a lot of grouse and woodcock with a double 20 choked full and mod.
If you can't hit them with a mod you're not going to hit them with a skeet.

Way to go .......... You're some awesome.

All I know is choke can be a very mental game.
You see it every day on the sporting clay courses
I put in lt mod or mod and always seem to have the
right choke. Very few targets I miss and think I would
have broken with less choke.

Plus, every time I open a choke I regret it. I still say shoot it for a bit and then open it up if you REALLY feel its necessary.

Go to a pattern board set 15 yards away and shoot it with a modified choke, then shoot it with a skeet-1. Your pattern will be about 3- 4" larger. That's 1 1/2- 2" on ether side.
Are you missing by 2"?
Chokes help with inches.
Try this, go to a skeet range and shoot a round with a mod then shoot a round with a Skeet-1. I bet your score will not change by more than 1 clay.
To help out a mod get some Herter's Select Field Super Spreader Shotshells. They are cheap and work great.
Super Spreader
A modified will work better all all around than a skeet-1. What happens when they get out to 30-35 yards? That skeet-1 is fairly useless and the mod is working fine.
I have hunted this season with my new Browning Feather with IM and LM chokes. The misses I got were my fault, not the chokes.

I had one of those abrowning model 12s in 20ga.
That mod choke worked very well for me.
Suggest you shoot it a bit before you drop some money on the choke.

I took the easy way out of this and bought an Ithaca M37 Featherweight 20ga with 26" bbl and IC choke. Weighs in at a trim 6.25lbs.

First shotgun I ever owned was a M37 bought new in 1975 for $175 so this one was a no-brainer. The M12 was a very nice shotgun but this Ithaca holds a bit more sentimental value.

Great advise and great looking gun SuperCub!


DMc