How to Modify a Choke After Cutting the Barrel

Shotguns come from the factory with a choke, which is a constriction of the internal bore diameter at or near the muzzle. This choke can be a fixed part of the barrel, a screw-in tube or an externally adjustable device. Occasionally a home gunsmith will shorten the barrel of a personally-owned shotgun to improve its handling or carrying qualities. This removes any choke the barrel may have had, which tends to cause erratic shot patterns and reduce the gun's effectiveness. Fortunately, a 19th-century technique known as "jugging" allows the home gunsmith to inexpensively restore his shotgun's choke.

Things You'll Need

  • Electric drill
  • Wood dowel, 3/8-inch
  • Hacksaw blade
  • Sandpaper
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut a 5-inch section of the dowel. Use the hacksaw blade to split one end of the dowel. Tear the sandpaper into strips and insert a strip into the slit end of the dowel.

    • 2

      Chuck the dowel in the drill. Unload the shotgun and insert the end of the dowel with the sandpaper into the muzzle.

    • 3

      Operate the drill and move the sandpaper back and forth in the barrel between 1/4-inch and 3 inches back from the muzzle. Replace the sandpaper strip when it loses its effectiveness. Continue until you achieve a larger diameter portion of the inside of the barrel, returning to the nominal bore diameter at the muzzle. Strive for a smooth transition into and out of the increased-diameter section.