A300 Ultima Patrol

[Ben_G]

How do people feel about screw in chokes for a defensive shotgun?

My understanding is it shakes out to be 50/50 on personal preference. A lot of guys who I know who are against it come from the combat/duty mindset when they'll always prefer one less point of failure, a lot of the guys who are for chokes are all about optimizing performance for use case, and are in less of a regular rough and tumble mindset/environment.

As always, it comes down to actual use case, understanding the system and what constraints go with it, and configuring accordingly.

I've got no problem running chokes in my defensive shotgun as I'm not deploying out of a vehicle into combat (something that can shake a choke loose over time); in fact I'm probably going to break clays with it 100x more than running it tactically. If it's ever actually deployed, it'll be from a safe or lockbox.

[DamonL]

I know the Beretta 1301 gen 1 was a cylinder bore and gen 2 has screw in chokes. I think the FBI/DEA issued fixed Modified choked shotguns before the patrol rifle took over. It makes sense for institutional users to not want screw in chokes, one less thing to go wrong. I have screw in chokes for my shotguns, both home defense and sporting. I am an individual user and I like the ability to adjust my patterns. In the attributes of the ideal defensive shotgun, I was wondering how screw in chokes fit in.

I am also firmly in the semi-auto camp vs pump shotgun. I am only using buckshot and slugs for a defensive shotgun. I don’t have specialty ammo that LE uses.

[gato naranja]

A lot of guys who I know who are against it come from the combat/duty mindset when they'll always prefer one less point of failure, a lot of the guys who are for chokes are all about optimizing performance for use case, and are in less of a regular rough and tumble mindset/environment.

I can understand a reluctance by individuals or agencies. Many of these probably have no qualms about equally likely points of failure on other weapons, but as I like to point out, "humans are weird."

In my own case, I was one of the "naysayers" until I finally decided to obtain a barrel equipped with replaceable tubes and get more comfortable with the lay of the land. Once I got in the habit of double- or triple-checking the tubes after use/cleaning, I never had a problem with replaceable chokes aside from difficult removal after one far too overly-long session (which has not been, nor ever will be, repeated).

[MRW]

I never minded chokes on shotguns set up for defensive use. I've had hunting shotguns that have seen lots of rounds and haven't had issues. The ability to adjust chokes to available defensive loads is an advantage. In some of my barrels, I see better patterns from improved cylinder over cylinder chokes when shooting buckshot loads.

Chokes are just one more part of the gun to check, maintain, and clean.

[rob_s]

I can understand a reluctance by individuals or agencies. Many of these probably have no qualms about equally likely points of failure on other weapons, but as I like to point out, "humans are weird.".

Fwiw…

Cutting down on failure points isn’t a relative game. Just because an AR may have 20 doesn’t mean that 20 becomes my threshold for every gun. If I can reduce the number, or do the cost:benefit evaluation, on ebpvery gun then I’d prefer to.

That’s said, I’m not enough of an expert on fighting shotguns to know the pros and cons here, although that also kind of makes me lean towards not having them in these instances.

I think I’m more in the “test it so I’m familiar and govern accordingly” camp than the fiddle fart camp.

[Dave J]

How do people feel about screw in chokes for a defensive shotgun?

Used to be, I didn’t really want them, primarily from the “one more potential failure point” school of thought.

However, I’ve found great training value from running my defensive shotguns in 3-gun matches. About every other match, I run into some distant steel or one of those stupid spinners that my cylinder bore guns just won’t get done with birdshot…and it really isn’t that hard to check on a choke before putting the gun away, so I’ve somewhat changed my mind.

Agency use, I definitely wouldn’t want them, but it should be a total non-issue for a tuned in user.

(BTW, if anyone with a choked 1301T barrel would like to trade for an unchoked one, please let me know.)

[TCinVA]

How do people feel about screw in chokes for a defensive shotgun?

If I can have them without it causing me any problems, I'm fine with it.

But all my go-to shotguns have fixed bores, either cylinder, improved cylinder, or modified.

You can use choke to fine-tune some buckshot performance sometimes, but in general I find life is just easier if I keep a supply of FFC on hand and run that in my fixed choke guns.

If I were buying a 1301 today I'd do my best to get one with the screw in choke system...but I'd probably leave the choke that comes with the gun in it and never bother with other chokes just because the shooting I'm doing doesn't really require any of that tinkering.

[BobM]

I have an 1187 Special Purpose with a 21” rifle sighted REM-choke barrel and an Aimpoint. I’ve taken it to a Tac Con, two combat shotgun classes, and deer and turkey hunting. I screw in the full choke tube for turkey season and an IC tube other times. Fortunately the dot is on with Hornady Critical Duty 00, Federal TruBall, and Federal Grand Slam turkey loads.

[SeriousStudent]

This is going to be good. Ben_G - many thanks for your input.

I'm looking forward to snagging one of these shotguns, and examining the other products launched.

I carry a Beretta 92X Compact every day. I trust them to defend my family. I can't think of a higher compliment.

[nalesq]

If I could afford to shoot nothing but Federal Flite Control buck, I wouldn’t care about chokes on a defensive shotgun. However, that is not my reality. The ability to train more meaningfully with cheap birdshot is one of the main reasons I prefer the ability to use chokes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro