Why variable choke systems are not longer available in new shotguns???

[saturno_v]

Hello

I have an old Mossberg 500 12 ga with variable choke (C-Lect Choke) which I love.
I get a lot of satisfaction with it at the trap range, it patterns very well.
I find it very useful not having to deal with choke tubes like my friends do.

Up to the 70's these variable choke systems were very common for pump and semi-auto shotguns...C-Lect Choke, Vary Choke, Poly Choke, Accu Choke and so on (every brand had a name for it).
They all were based on a screwed barrel tip with a twist ring to change the choke amount.

Why these systems are not longer offered with new shotguns???
Now the only available method is interchangeable choke tubes.

There were limitations or long term ill effects??

The only limitation I know is that I cannot use steel loads on my shotgun...I do not care anyway since I would never use steel loads anyway, regardless of the shotgun. I know several people, "shotgun experts" that think the same..they never use steel, they think it's hard on barrels anyway.

Any other reason for the disappearance of the "twist in" chokes??

My Mossy is about 40 years old....few scratches and scuffs on the stock and the receiver, little bluing left on the barrel but still going very strong...it never misses a shot, never ever malfunctioned!!!
I trust my life to it, under my bed stuffed with 00 Buckshot.
If I could find an other pump gun with variable choke (either Mossberg or Remington) at decent price I would get it in a hear beat.
I got mine for $80 out of the door and I can shoot 3 inches magnum load in it...what not to like???!!!


Thanks in advance for your comment and answers!


Regards

 

[subierex]

Ha! I've got an old Mossy bolt-gun in 20ga with the C-lect choke. Thing patterns way, way low, so much so I never shoot the dern thing. Bought it off a buddy years ago for next to nothing.

I was just looking at it earlier tonight. It's in surprisingly good shape and feels good on the shoulder. Maybe I'll look for some sort of rear sight to bring POA up.

 

[evbutler462]

No single barrel shotgun sits in my safe or goes to the woods with me unless it has a Polychoke on it. It is the most versatile device ever made for a shotgunner. I also like the Truglo and the old Lyman that Sears used on their Winchester JC Higgins semiauto.

I think they look cool. I homestly believe that if Polychoke would sponsor a good clay shooter that everyone would be using them.

God forbid that I have to go back to those screw-ins. With a quick twist of the wrist you can select any choke you need.

 

[evbutler462]

I might add that the Truglos and Polychokes are steel rated.

 

[WardenWolf]

Most new shotguns use screw chokes, and most manufacturers use the same universal thread for every model shotgun they produce of the same gauge. These shotguns normally come with standard screw chokes, but there are still aftermarket variable chokes available.

Long story short: the industry changed how they make shotguns, and Poly Chokes and such are no longer standard equipment but, because the threads are much more standardized, it is also much easier to get one for your gun.

 

[Griff56]

Cabelas sells a screw in model of the poly choke. It has a 3.5 rating out of a 5. Just keyword in Polychoke.

 

[rcmodel]

Why variable choke systems are not longer available in new shotguns???

Because they are Fugly!

And people won't buy them just because they work if they are Fugly!

For instance, a Poly-Choke on a used shotgun cuts the resale value considerably!

rcmodel

 

[evbutler462]

Unscrew it and put the factory tube back in before you sell it or trade it. Almost any gun made in the last 20 years has threaded barrels. I toss the screw-in into the safe, screw in a Poly II and use it until I sell or trade the gun. Unscrew it and trade the Poly II for one that fits the gun I'm buying.

On old guns, the difference in price and trade in value is offset by the convenience of an installed Polychoke. I've been using them over 50 years.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love the looks of the Deluxe Polychoke. Some don't. But--I sure like the convenience.

Happy hunting!!

 

[chas08]

Because they are Fugly!

Probably more to this than most would admit. But I like them. I have an old Ted Williams 300 wth a Lyman adjustable choke that I traded for just before hunting season, and I love it. I've been considering buying a screw on Poly-Choke to fit my 870 and 1187. I would like to handle one first to see how it affects the guns balance before I part with a $100.

 

[saturno_v]

Because they are Fugly!

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

Personally I do not find them ugly (but maybe it's just me...I personally find Mosin Nagants quite appealing!! )...and they are tremendously convenient

I do put too much weight to the aesthetics factor when I buy a gun....

 

[ulflyer]

No Steel in Adjustable Chokes?

I'm not a shotgunner but recently got a Sears Ted Wms Mod 12 with adj choke. Why no steel? Are they simply too hard on the choke fingers (or whatever they're called)?
It appears on mine, that when the choke is screwed down to full choke, the fingers are nearly closed.

 

[evbutler462]

In the 1980s, Polychoke proofed their variable chokes for steel.

Some gunners use steel with the older guns with Lymans and Polys but only use IC. I've not heard of any problems.

IM and Full chokes are not steel rated with any choke.

 

[ulflyer]

Evbutler: good to know. Thanks. I'll pass that info on to new owner when I get around to selling it, in case they're not savvy either.

 

[Jerry D]

my 20 ga rem 1100 has a polychoke and it most definitely is good looking. I would say it looks better then normal screw in choke tubes. I would say it looks sort of like having a sweet muzzle break on the gun. Also the convenience of them is next to none. Its just like turning a nut on a bolt and its got markings to show you what choke your at. Also you can select "chokes" between the standard chokes. Its quick to adjust in the field and the gun patterns well with it.

The only downfall is that the gun is old and I can not unscrew it, at least I don't think I can. They also no longer make barrels that fit it. I believe also that the barrel isn't even rated for steel shot if I am correct as that was why i was looking for a new one. I specifically picked up a new pump for my steel shooting needs


It is nice to be able to adjust choke levels with just a quick turn but I do not mind screw in chokes either as you don't change your choke level that often in the field. A good tip is to by extended choke tubes so you can just twist them in/out by hand in the field w/o the tools.

 

[Virginian]

Quote:
Why variable choke systems are not longer available in new shotguns???

Because they are Fugly!

And people won't buy them just because they work if they are Fugly!

For instance, a Poly-Choke on a used shotgun cuts the resale value considerably!

rcmodel

Like it or not, most shooters and gun manufacturers agree - Poly Chokes are MAJOR FUGLY !!!!! I had a bolt action 20 gauge Mossberg with a C-Lect choke. Apparently a wad got hung in the vent slots behind the choke, and the next shot sent the C-Lect choke to parts unknown. I will never own another gun with a variable choke - OR barrel ports.

 

[Capstick1]

I have an old Browning Auto five with a polychoke 2 on the barrel. I also replaced the forend with a black one made by Bell and Carlson. I guess some people would find this gun a little ugly but this is a versatile go to gun for shooting in clay games. With a twist of the choke adjustment collar I can go from shooting trap to skeet or sporting clays. It's simple. There's no need to carry a collection of choke tubes around with you with this setup.

 

[evbutler462]

Jerry, use a penetrate such as CLP Breakfree. Soak the choke end in a cup of it for a couple of days. Then use a little force. Clean the choke fingers and inside of the sleeve real good You'll be back in business in no time.

 

[ArmedBear]

they obstruct your view of the target
they're a weight on the end of the barrel, which messes with swing
they don't give consistent constriction/patterns
they're something else to clean
they are ugly
screw-in chokes allow constriction changes without these issues, and they produce excellent, consistent patterns

 

[flyboy1788]

Ive got a ted williams model 200 with an adjustable choke, and it is a practical device, but it is ugly to a point where i am almost embarrased to take it out.

 

[Coronach]

As someone once said, while taking my battered Ithaca 37 bbl from 28"+polychoke to a nice, trim 18.0001", "Wow. Who hung the catalytic converter on your muzzle?"

That barrel was the best $20 I ever spent. But that polychoke was seriously beastly ugly. Who thought that was a good idea?

Mike

 

[WardenWolf]

Classic shotguns, that have all the wood inlays and ingraved receivers, really don't go well with a Poly Choke. But they're perfectly fine on the newer synthetic-furniture tactical models. What's the difference? One is designed to look good while working well, the other sacrifices everything else purely for function.

Which shotgun type is right? Neither. I enjoy a nicely formed wood stock, whether on a shotgun or a PSL rifle. However, the synthetic furniture is much more rugged. You can bump it up against something without it scratching or cracking, and you don't get the same emotional attachment to it that you get out of wood. Some of these wood stocks are almost too nice to take out into the bush. When I know I'm going to be crashing through bushes and it's not practical or possible shield my gun all the time, I'll take a synthetic stock. And on my synthetic stocked gun, I'll have whatever accessory on it that will make it work better, regardless of looks.

 

[chas08]

they obstruct your view of the target

"ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE" leastwise, on my T.W. 300. The factory installed Lyman is level with or slightly below the vent rib, so all I see is bead when shouldered. And it is also designed into the overall barrel length which minimizes the imbalance of an aftermarket add on.

 

[ArmedBear]

If variable chokes were superior, their appearance wouldn't matter.

There's nothing particularly attractive about a semiauto shotgun anyway. By nature, it's a functional contraption, no matter how much lipstick you put on the pig.

However, as I said, they put a weight on the muzzle, they obstruct the shooter's view of the target, they don't pattern as well or as consistently as tubes or fixed barrels, and there's more to clean. What's to like?

 

[ArmedBear]

The factory installed Lyman is level with or slightly below the vent rib

Exactly. It obstructs your view.

I don't shoot a shotgun using one eye and the bead. I miss, when I try to use it like a rifle.

 

[loosecannon]

Before the choke tube era, having a different choke required buying another barrel. For many, the variable choke gizmo worked and was ok to use especially if it was on a vent ribbed barrel.

Target shooters and shotgun purists avoided them. If not properly installed, point of impact would be way off. Using one correctly required patterning throughout the choke constriction range and then marking the sweet spots.

Years ago I managed to obtain fantastic buckshot patters with a Polychoked 870.

People either love them or hate them, and the lover group is a very small minority.