Old browning shotgun choke id

[cjmac]

This was my dad's old browning 12 gauge automatic he left to me a long time ago. Great shape.I just don't have any info on it.And cannot figure out what it is on the browning Website.
I am trying to figure out what choke it has.
It is a fixed choke , but not sure what .
Id love to use it with 00buck

 

[6brdx]

• One star (
  
  **
  ): Full choke (tightest pattern)
• Two stars (
  
  *** *
  ): Improved Modified choke
• Three stars (
  
  **** * *
  ): Modified choke
• Four stars (
  
  ***** * * *
  ): Improved Cylinder choke (widest pattern)
• Two stars with a hyphen (
  
  **−* * negative
  ): Improved Cylinder choke
• Two stars with a dollar sign (
  
  *** *
  ): Skeet choke
• Three stars with a dollar sign (
  
  **** * *
  ): Cylinder bore (no choke)

 

[cjmac]

• One star (
  View attachment 1717362
  **
  ): Full choke (tightest pattern)
• Two stars (
  View attachment 1717360
  *** *
  ): Improved Modified choke
• Three stars (
  View attachment 1717364
  **** * *
  ): Modified choke
• Four stars (
  View attachment 1717361
  ***** * * *
  ): Improved Cylinder choke (widest pattern)
• Two stars with a hyphen (
  View attachment 1717363
  **−* * negative
  ): Improved Cylinder choke
• Two stars with a dollar sign (
  View attachment 1717359
  *** *
  ): Skeet choke
• Three stars with a dollar sign (
  View attachment 1717365
  **** * *
  ): Cylinder bore (no choke)

So this is a full choke ? Unfortunately.
Kinda sucks, ill have to buy another shot gun to do what im needing to do . .
We hunt bottoms and close to creek where its super thick . Need a good spread of buckshot . Longest shot we get there is about 30max

 

[cjmac]

Is it possible to just swap the barrel with one that has a Modified choke?

 

[6brdx]

yes it is just swap bbl

 

[dfrosch]

Barrel Codes/ Stamps/ Chokes | Browning Owners

* designates full choke (F). *- designates improved modified choke (IM). ** designates modified choke (M). **- designates improved cylinder...

browningowners.com

According to this, **- means it's an improved cylinder.

Can you measure it? The through bore size should be around .725 to .730. A full choke would measure .690 - .695, IC would be .715 to .720.

 

[cjmac]

Barrel Codes/ Stamps/ Chokes | Browning Owners

* designates full choke (F). *- designates improved modified choke (IM). ** designates modified choke (M). **- designates improved cylinder...

browningowners.com

According to this, **- means it's an improved cylinder.

Can you measure it? The through bore size should be around .725 to .730. A full choke would measure .690 - .695, IC would be .715 to .720.

I can measure it when I get home in few hours .

 

[cjmac]

yes it is just swap bbl

The problem is finding one

 

[dfrosch]

The length of the barrel might be an indicator also. They generally didn't make 30" IC barrels, or 26" full choke barrels, but there may be some exceptions.

 

[dfrosch]

I can measure it when I get home in few hours .

Please let us know...

I also found this:

In 1969 Browning started using two digits for the date of manufacture which was followed by a four digit code that identified the type of Auto-5:
M=standard weight
G=light weight
This was then followed by the serial number beginning with 1000.
Example: 69G1000 = A 1969 Auto-5 Lightweight 12 ga.. shotgun with a serial number of 1000.

I'm thinking that 1969 should actually be 1968 - when they started this. It's a note for the 1968 to 1976 date range.

Is it a light weight model?

Auto-5 Semi-Automatic Shotgun - Browning

www.browning.com

 

[dusterdave173]

So this is a full choke ? Unfortunately.
Kinda sucks, ill have to buy another shot gun to do what im needing to do . .
We hunt bottoms and close to creek where its super thick . Need a good spread of buckshot . Longest shot we get there is about 30max

I would get some shells exactly like you plan on using and test it before a swap--you just never know

I have my dads Light 12--they are wonderful guns

 

[dfrosch]

I would get some shells exactly like you plan on using and test it before a swap--you just never know

I have my dads Light 12--they are wonderful guns

Yeah, see how it patterns before you do anything.

 

[243winxb]

Have this in my notes.

 

[TRSR8]

Remember, gun that age was made when paper hulls were the norm, modern shotshells are going to pattern tighter.

 

[cjmac]

Please let us know...

I also found this:

In 1969 Browning started using two digits for the date of manufacture which was followed by a four digit code that identified the type of Auto-5:
M=standard weight
G=light weight
This was then followed by the serial number beginning with 1000.
Example: 69G1000 = A 1969 Auto-5 Lightweight 12 ga.. shotgun with a serial number of 1000.

I'm thinking that 1969 should actually be 1968 - when they started this. It's a note for the 1968 to 1976 date range.

Is it a light weight model?

Auto-5 Semi-Automatic Shotgun - Browning

www.browning.com

Yes, I believe it is called a light twelve ? I'll get some more pictures here in a little bit

 

[243winxb]

Id love to use it with 00buck

Shells with plactic buffering will produce tight patterns. Available in factory shells, last i looked.

Any choke will work. Different story if using slugs,
then I/C is recomended.

 

[cjmac]

Shelsl with plactic buffering will produce tight patterns. Available in factory shells, last i looked.

Any choke will work. Different story if using slugs,
then I/C is recomended.

Someone told me a while back that it was not good to shoot 00buck in a full choke as it would crowd.The pellets dent them and cause odd flight pattern?
I'm not sure I completely believe that

 

[243winxb]

Out of round pellets open patterns, very true.

To much choke can blow patterns. Patterning the gun is needed.

Copper plated shot should be used with buffer, for best pattern, in any choke.

 

[cjmac]

Out of round pellets open patterns, very true.

To much choke can blow patterns. Patterning the gun is needed.

Copper plated shot should be used with buffer, for best pattern, in any choke.

We're just still not sure yet.If this is a full choke or not lol

 

[dfrosch]

Someone told me a while back that it was not good to shoot 00buck in a full choke as it would crowd.The pellets dent them and cause odd flight pattern?
I'm not sure I completely believe that

What happens inside the barrel often dictates how the shot flies. The taper from the chamber to the bore(the forcing cone), and the taper from the bore to the choke diameter are the critical areas.

In theory, a shot pattern in flight looks like a cone, with the point at the front. The perfect shot will fly truer and faster. The deformed shot will fly slower and spread outward.