Determining type of choke?

[Bull Elk]

I have a re-blued shotgun that has the fixed choke markings covered with the new re-blue. Is there another way of finding out what the choke is?

Thanks........

[-hanko]

I have a re-blued shotgun that has the fixed choke markings covered with the new re-blue. Is there another way of finding out what the choke is?

Thanks........

Measure barrel inside diameter at the business end??

[Tom-ADC]

[NapalmCheese]

Measure barrel inside diameter at the business end??

Mic the ID of the muzzle end and compare to a chart.

There is a specialized tool that will give you the actual constriction (bore - choke) which is a better measure of choke (since the ratio effects your pattern, not the actual ID).

[wweigle]

Not all manufactures use the same bore diameter and choke diameter size that is stated in the chart above. You may find that yours does not measure exactly as as the above chart indicates, but you should be able to make an educated guess if its slightly different. The choke constriction is an amount tighter than the bore. So if your shotguns was bored larger or smaller, the choke constriction will likely be larger or smaller also, but will likely have the same amount of constriction.

[wjc]

Are there any notches on the muzzle end of the choke?

My Baretta replaceable chokes have them.

F = full = 1 star
IM = Improved Modified = 2 stars = 3/4 choke
M = Modified = 3 stars = 1/2 choke
IC = Improved Cylinder = 4 stars = 1/4 choke
CL = Cylinder = 5 stars

[Brd_Hntr]

Shoot the shotgun at a pattern board and see what you actually get. This has the advantage of showing the point of impact with respect to the point of aim. It is straight forward to count pellet holes and calculate the percentages. Most shotgun ranges have a pattern board set-up. Ask an experienced hand to help you out. Often fixed chokes may have been adjusted by a gunsmith over the years, so the original markings may not be accurate. You can just measure the muzzle, but this will be only an approximation.

[JagerDog]

Kinda odd that bluing would obscure the choke designation...unless it took a lot of polishing. What kinda shotgun?

As bird hunter said though, what matters is the pattern, not the name/designation.