Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Poly choke?

I have a Wingmaster 870 that has had a Poly Choke mounted. It was done well. It looks decent other than being an eye-sore. How does the PC compare to choke tubes?

I have yet to pattern it.

I inherited an older wingmaster that had one. I didnt like the looks of it, took it to the patterning board anyway. It actually patterned very well with some Fed 2 3/4 loads and twisted up to extra full. Just a tick behind a 3” 870 with a designated turkey choke as far as density. I still couldnt stand it for upland hunting and bought a 26” IC plain rib for it. I kept the poly barrel for another turkey option.

From what I know they work fairly well, you would have to pattern the shotgun with your load and see what restriction works for what you need. I just can't get past the lump at the end of the barrel and the sight picture.

Had one once on my very first 870.
I sent it to Poly-Choke when I was 15 yrs old....that was a long time ago.
It shot pretty well for what it was but the older I got the more I wanted a screw in choke and not that bulbous thing on the end of my barrel.
The one thing I remember I really liked about it was the bright orange bead they installed.

Something I quickly looked up

http://stevespages.com/NewManuals/PolyChoke/Poly%20Choke.pdf

I have a first year Ithaca 37R with Deluxe Polychoke. It’s such a vintage thing, just part of that era. I thought about whacking it and going with screw in chokes. It would have been too whippy. I chose to keep it and admit it’s grown on me.

DF

People bad mouth them, but one sure saved my uncles old M12 20 gauge. I had that gun rebuilt with a Simmons vent rib, oversize safety, tightened up, re-blued and the gunsmith cut the full choke 28" barrel down and cut in a recessed choke which he said would work well. Well it didn't and that barrel was thin and before screw in chokes hit the market. A ventilated Poly Choke was my only other option back in those days, but you know what? I like it. Changing it from an open to a more closed choke out in the field is way easier than messing with a pocket full of choke tubes. I did cut the last two vent sections off of it along the way and re-blued the end and it didn't hurt it any and even made it a touch quieter. I threaten to get a Beretta o/u for beating the brush, but that old Winchester is like an extension of my arm and the partridge and rabbits dislike it a great deal.

I bought a new A-5 in '63, just as plastic wads were coming into widespread use. My Modified choked gun was full with the new wads. Peters loaded spreader loads for a while and they opened the Browning up. After a few years, I could no longer find spreader loads so I installed a poly choke. It actually worked as advertised, but I hated it. I took it to a smith and the order read, " Remove poly choke, cut to 20 inches, install Lyman choke ." He misread the order and made it 20 " overall, rather than what should have been a little over 24". Bummer......hated shorty too. Then after a while, Browning came out with the Jappan made A-5 with Invector chokes. I bought a barrel. It fit the old Belgium action perfectly. Problems solved. Shorty is on the gun while in my bedroom. The Invector barrel goes hunting. Happy at last.

Jack

My Dad's old model 37 has one that brings the barrel to 24 inches in length. I think that the added weight of the polychoke makes it swing like a 26 or 28 incher. Don't care for the looks, but I love the way it points. As for the choke itself, no data to back me up but my impression is that with lead shot in small sizes, it's pretty much what it says it is. Not sure beyond that. I do know that #2 steel with the choke set on "Slug" was lethal on ducks.

They made extra barrels for each of the guns made, yet some thought a chanker on the end was the better option.

Did anyone make a quiver, scabbard, or some other holster-type device for carrying those extra barrels along in the field?

In the 1960's it was almost certainly the least expensive option and people weren't made of money like they seem to be now. And, as you know, older model 37 barrels had to be fitted individually to the receiver. Then you still had a fixed choke gun with a barrel length someone else decided on. Polychoke was a good solution, even if they offend some aesthetic sensibilities.

Back then, like today, chokes are mostly overrated. Most would be better off learning just how far an IC or Mod will take them instead of worrying about having the perfect choke. And except for skeet and trap the perfect choke for the given opportunity is rare.

In the 1960's it was almost certainly the least expensive option and people weren't made of money like they seem to be now. And, as you know, older model 37 barrels had to be fitted individually to the receiver. Then you still had a fixed choke gun with a barrel length someone else decided on. Polychoke was a good solution, even if they offend some aesthetic sensibilities.

Dang, I got distracted and appear to have double-posted! Not too good at multi-tasking. I don't feel that strongly about it one way or the other, LOL. Battue, you are right, choke is probably overthought and IC will suffice for 90% of shots. My father's 37 was originally modified and probably was too tight for use as a quail gun in the thickets of Eastern NC. I don't know why he didn't get IC to begin with, probably got a good deal on one in stock locally.

We grew up with a Rem M-31 skeet with solid rib and poly choke. I killed a pile of rabbits and squirrels with it. Even a few turkeys. My brother killed a deer or two with it also. Didn't appreciate what I had and it was sold to fund another. I picked up a Win M12 16ga deluxe field a couple of years ago from the Kansas City Cabela's. It was in great shape, but had a poly choke and was deeply discounted. I bit and brought it home. I have used it the past two dove seasons shooting the 1oz Herter's loads and it has been a hammer. I don't go looking for them, but don't shy away from them either. I bought a Ithaca M37R in 16ga from another Cabela's store that had a Poly but it would always eject the second shell at your feet and I took it back for a refund.

exactly right on the over thoughts on chokes..imo

battue, you are correct that IC was the way to go, but we were young and dumb, or at least mostly inexperienced, and the gun rag scribes of the day recommended Mod as our all round choice. It kind of worked well enough until the advent of plastic wads. All of a sudden we were using guns that mostly patterned full. I bought the poly choke after literally blowing up a quail at close range. On a previous outing, I had decapitated a dove. Saved me the trouble, but I was tearing up too many birds. On the other hand, I killed a pheasant at way too far on my first hunt for them. Spreader loads evaporated, so the choke dingus seemed to be my least expensive option. My final solution was the purchase of a Jap made barrel with screw in chokes for the A-5.

We were not made of money in the '60s. I skipped lunch for months to buy the Browning. Today, I own at least nine shotguns, counting two that my daughters keep. Dad had a saying, "poor people have poor ways." I think he was correct.

Jack

I had an old High Standard pump gun with a poly choke on it years ago. Liked it a bunch, shot it well and killed lots of game with it. The looks of it never bothered me a bit and the in the field versatility can't be beat. Lately I've been thinking of getting another. I actually find the retro look appealing these days.

I have a 1953 Sweet Sixteen with a Cyclone adjustable choke on it. It looks appropriate on a vintage gun. I'm also looking at a model 12 16 gauge with a Poly choke. They don't bother me at all. My Browning patterns pretty close to the markings on it and a little extra weight on the end of a shotgun barrel isn't a bad thing.

If a shooter is claiming missed targets because they find a Poly Choke distracting, I would opine they're probably missing the same targets with a standard barrel. The problem isn't the presence of the Poly choke but that the shooter momentarily shifts focus from the target to the end of the barrel to check lead and ends up shooting behind the target because they either slowed their swing or stopped it altogether.

I'm a fan of PC's.

I did not answer the basic question, "Do they work?" in my experience the answer is yes. My objection is that they are ugly.

jack

I god in consultation with John Moses Browning had come to the conclusion that sticking a potato on the end of a shotgun barrel was a decent moral thing to be done, every shotgun after the Winchester model 97 would have had one.

The only thing they are good for is to use it like knob end on a baseball bat. Used thus, a poly choke is a useful addition to a shotgun barrel when you need a club for beating on something/one.

I like it just fine. I have a poly choke on an old mossberg bolt action 12ga. Shotgun. Best bird gun I've ever used. I knock down pheasant with this gun after other hunters have given up as out of range (I have witnessess).
Just passed this gun down to my son this past Christmas.

I find the bolt action to be way more objectionable than the Poly Choke.

My grandfather hunted with a single shot hinge action shotgun for most of his life. My father bought it for him with his very first real paycheck. He went from one shot to 3! It has now passed to a fourth generation. It will fire anything from rabbit and bird shot to 2 3/4" deer slugs. The only thing it has ever needed, was new extractors. I carried it for a lot of years myself. I like it just fine.

I got one of those bolt action Poly Choked Mossbergs branded with Ward's Western Field for Christmas when I was about 14 or 15. Talk about a bummer, but the bolt was far more repulsive than he choke. A few years later, I got lucky and had the winning lottery ticket for a new Ithica Model 37 pump.

Happy, happy,

Jack

I completely understand the sentiments, K; just messin' on ya a little. You have to admit that a bolt is not most folks' cup of tea when it comes to shotguns; neither is the PC, but for most it is more tolerable than a bolt action. But as my dad used to say: "Use it up, wear it out; make it do, or do without." Earlier generations used and were more grateful for what they had, whether they bought it themselves or it was gifted to them.

Heck, I'm not even that big of a fan of bolt action rifles!

I have no issues with bolt action shotguns or rifles. I am nearly as fast with the bolt as with a pump. I nailed 2 deer in 2 shots with that shotgun, and they were running.

(Edit: That is a foster type slug not shot )

I agree on improved cylinder choke. I owned two hunting lodges in South America. Banged away at thousands and thousands of birds every year. Improved cylinder gets the job done at everything from 15 yards out to 40 which seems to be the shot most decent wingshooters can kill consistantly.

Improved cylinder sucks for squirrels and turkeys and therein lies the rub. Here squirrel, rabbit, grouse, timberdoodle and turkey may all be on the menu on any particular day and it's nice to be able to change chokes to suit with a twist of the wrist.

I have no experience with a genuine, name-brand PolyChoke, but I once had a shotgun with a clone collect-type adjustable choke. That choke had numbers 1-8 on it, each with a click. It also had a line of print on it telling me that adjustment should be limited to two turns. BUT, from tightened all the way down to loosened where it came apart was twelve turns, and I was never sure where those two turns should be in there. Much informal patterning (I didn't count pellets inside 30 inch circles) showed little difference between one setting and another. I did notice that whatever loads I shot through it tended to soot it up pretty fast. I eventually had it taken off and slug sights mounted on the resulting 24 inch barrel, and later bought a 28" "mod" barrel.

Bought an 870 with a Poly-Choke and it hit over a foot low when I patterned it. The bead sat on a pedestal, and I ended up replacing the barrel (with a 26 inch improved cylinder). I have a 20 gauge Mossberg pump with their version and absolutely love it. It hammers pheasants and I have lost count of the straights I have shot with it on the skeet field.

Back around 1974, I purchased an 870 and had a poly choke installed. Patterned it at 20yds.Over a foot low. Sent it back and was told that they bent the barrel to bring the point of impact up..... Other than that, it worked great.

They are incredibly ugly... but with that said I own an old Win 12 spoting a polychoke that patterns so well it has became my dedicated turkey gun! Go figure!

Birds in a bag is what counts. Who gives a fug how your gun looks?

I think the {PloyChoke is a better idea than screw in chokes because it's easier to change the choke constriction.

The only disadvantage is they are "ugly." But why do many of the same people who think they're ugly think AR15s, with all their excressences, look "cool?"

Full disclosure: I don't have one because I shoot Over/Unders.

Mines not a Poly but a Lyman. Sure like it, as if you're in the dove fields and the birds are zooming close by, you can simply open up your pattern. Same goes for the high flyers!








DMc

My dad had a Westernfield 550 (Monkey Wards Mossberg) with a PC.

Uckin' fugly as a mud fence, but worked extremely well.

I have had guns with poly chokes on them.. My last was a model 12.. Liked it fine... Just pasted on a 870 16 ga. with a rib and Poly.. Kind of wish I had bought it now, but getting a 16 at my age will leave several cases of 12 and 28 unused...

I had a couple on guns I owned, they worked fine

I just came across a couple of Lyman Cutt's Compensators in my "stuff" drawer.

One is a 20 ga with a spreader, IC, Mod, and (2) Full choke tubes, and a wrench.

The other is a 12 gauge and has a spreader tube.

Any idea what these are worth?




Thx,

DMc

If they are that good, then those who like them can find one and have it fitted on. I doubt if all that many will do so.

First year production Ithaca 37R 20 ga. This one had the Deluxe Poly Choke when I got it. If I removed it, went with choke tubes, I think it would be too whippy, the Poly Choke adds some weight.

At first I didn't like it, but considered how popular they were in that era. It's grown on me and it's staying where it is. It is pretty handy. Vintage gun with vintage Poly Choke. They sorta go together.

Metal is original. Wood was pretty beat up, so I did some restoration on it. Barrel rust blued because of the soldered solid rib. When recutting the checkering, I discovered that the forearm was 18 lpi, the stock, 20 lpi. I had never seen that before. For M-37 fans, I recommend Walt Snyder's excellent book, "Ithaca Featherlight Repeaters...The Best Gun Going. A Complete History of the Ithaca Model 37 and the Model 87". Walt has the original factory records and is one of the top experts on these guns.

DF

Nice 20!!!!

Thanks.

My only Poly Choke. But I like the gun a lot and the Poly Choke fits right in.

DF

Yep, they go together like peanut butter and jelly and they are very handy. I wouldn't change it either. Nice gun !