Think your Sunday is going badly? Look at my barrel..

[antse7en]

Having seen the damage caused by chokes that have even a tiny imperfection caused by handling before 90% certain that will be the problem.

I was lucky to get away with it on a Beretta.

The thing is when your gun is modified although it is structurally strong enough to withstand being shot and pass proof there is far less room for error than the sporter barrels which have a lot more metal in the choke area.

Hence i opted to just have my MK38 taken out to 3/8-3/8 rather than having it "choked"

My experience with Teague has been good over the years and i find it unlikely they would shirk their liabilities if their fault.

Personally i would have given them the chance to sort the problem before publicizing it and backing them into a corner.

Curious to know how many cartridges you may have put through it since the conversion?

On the plus side you can just saw the end off and have a dedicated set of skeet barrels

Thanks for sharing your view.

Yes, I am in agreement my experience with Teague precision (and my dealing with Nigel even prior to that) has all been very good - I would equally agree and hold the hope of a satisfactory resolution. 

I am affording them every opportunity to resolve the problem, and see my (ongoing) participation in this forum entirely unrelated to that outcome. Good or bad I will share it - largely the purpose of a sharing platform. I certainly can't subscribe to the comment re: backing them into a corner - there's been none of that, nor any bad mouthing which would frankly be unjust and a waste of time. Simply a playback of my experience and expectations. I am not a gunsmith and Teague are far more qualified than me to provide an assessment - something I am happy to provide commentary on for the benefit of this forum and its readers.

Ultimately I know the level of care I take in the storage, use and maintenance of my equipment - therefore I do not believe handling to be the issue. In terms of usage, I normally shoot 3/8 and 5/8 and the F F was only added to the gun literally the night prior after minimal use since purchase - another point which adds to my conclusion as you can probably appreciate. 

26" skeet barrels on a MK38... enough to make my eyes water! 

 

[MartynB]

One of the great things on a forum , is the ability to ask has anyone else had this problem, so I think Ant is doing the right thing by asking before he contacts his supplier .  More than a few years back when the steering rack went pop on my out of warranty car , the main dealer said “ never seen that before Sir “ . The LR forum showed numerous cases of failure on 2008 /2009 vehicles . I ended up with a 50% ex gratia payment based on presenting the evidence ! 
 

There are many reasons Ant’s gun could have failed ,  ranging from ammunition , the quoted theory of  choke damage  but you can’t rule out a faulty component . Even the best companies in manufacturing struggle to get to “ Six Sigma” levels of perfection , so his concern on the product quality is valid , one  out of tolerance unit can slip through .  He’s done the right thing asked questions then sent it off to the converter for evaluation . 
 

 

[Freddypip]

I'm sure many will disagree with this but I put a layer of the thinnest PTFE tape on my choke threads and then tighten them down. They do not work loose - I check them every so often. I remove, clean and replace them every 1,000 cartridges (generally 2 months). I work in insurance claims and speak often to forensic scientists and none have suggested that PTFE would affect the barrel or choke material. PTFE tape is - I understand - similar to greasing the chokes but with a better 'grip' to keep the chokes in.

After market chokes - probably make no difference but for me (a 686E & 682 gold) I wanted external chokes for balance and to protect the barrel ends. Like Ant I also ended up with 3/8 & 5/8 which are not standard.

 

[MartynB]

For what it’s worth , PTFE tape is used to take up the slack in coarse pitch threads where liquids or gases might escape . Personally I wouldn’t use it on a choke .  I also don’t over-grease a choke . Any form of lubrication means  that you use more torque  than the thread requires dry to achieve the same  effect . If your chokes are backing out use less not more ! 

 

[El Spavo]

Always concerns me slightly when I see shooters tightening/fiddling with their extended chokes by hand before every stand, and I don't mean those who are changing them completely, just... Noodling with them. Might just be devil's hands and/or habit, but it's a bit disconcerting for me to see for the reasons this thread is bringing out. 

 

[schmokinn]

Always concerns me slightly when I see shooters tightening/fiddling with their extended chokes by hand before every stand, and I don't mean those who are changing them completely, just... Noodling with them. Might just be devil's hands and/or habit, but it's a bit disconcerting for me to see for the reasons this thread is bringing out. 

Simply ensures that they have not come loose before shooting,its a good habit.

Better than somebody pointing out you have a few threads showing.

Its a fine line between tight and overtight.

Thanks for sharing your view.

Yes, I am in agreement my experience with Teague precision (and my dealing with Nigel even prior to that) has all been very good - I would equally agree and hold the hope of a satisfactory resolution. 

I am affording them every opportunity to resolve the problem, and see my (ongoing) participation in this forum entirely unrelated to that outcome. Good or bad I will share it - largely the purpose of a sharing platform. I certainly can't subscribe to the comment re: backing them into a corner - there's been none of that, nor any bad mouthing which would frankly be unjust and a waste of time. Simply a playback of my experience and expectations. I am not a gunsmith and Teague are far more qualified than me to provide an assessment - something I am happy to provide commentary on for the benefit of this forum and its readers.

Ultimately I know the level of care I take in the storage, use and maintenance of my equipment - therefore I do not believe handling to be the issue. In terms of usage, I normally shoot 3/8 and 5/8 and the F F was only added to the gun literally the night prior after minimal use since purchase - another point which adds to my conclusion as you can probably appreciate. 

26" skeet barrels on a MK38... enough to make my eyes water! 

i wasn't in any way saying you shouldn't share your experience,i just believe in giving the manufacturer the chance first.

If the outcome isn't satisfactory then give them both barrels!

 

[Will Hewland]

Always concerns me slightly when I see shooters tightening/fiddling with their extended chokes by hand before every stand, and I don't mean those who are changing them completely, just... Noodling with them. Might just be devil's hands and/or habit, but it's a bit disconcerting for me to see for the reasons this thread is bringing out. 

No different to looking down at your shoe-laces to see they are still tied. I also check tightness of comb and stock after every shoot, plus other screws; not by tightening further but by ensuring not coming loose. There is many a broken stock that would have been avoided by the odd stock-bolt check.

 

[Martinj]

Always concerns me slightly when I see shooters tightening/fiddling with their extended chokes by hand before every stand, and I don't mean those who are changing them completely, just... Noodling with them. Might just be devil's hands and/or habit, but it's a bit disconcerting for me to see for the reasons this thread is bringing out. 

That was me, a noodler!  , My chokes used to work loose during a shoot so I was in the habit of checking them for tightness. Since I changed guns AND got into the habit of applying grease to the threads, loose chokes have become a thing of the past - happy days.

 

[Guest]

interestingly my old 3800 has thin wall teagues , I normally use the blue silicon grease they supply, but found I had to re tighten with the key quite often on a fifty birder , so for a change gave it a thorough clean as it gets every time but this time I used red rubber grease as normally used on car brake parts, its a case of wipe on then wipe of like you do .  yup it worked , none of the chokes came loose but also came out with the tapered key as they should at the next few shoots , hasnt stopped me checking them every few stands though.

                good luck antse7even  hope vlad sorts it for you.

 

[El Spavo]

Simply ensures that they have not come loose before shooting,its a good habit.

Better than somebody pointing out you have a few threads showing.

Its a fine line between tight and overtight.

Yeah, get that, I guess I'm just used to my 525 which doesn't simply come loose until I use my key when I'm cleaning it or whatever, so it looks wierd to me when others are potentially having to tighten as they go round. If that was gonna do that randomly between stands, et voila, situations like the pictures Ant has put up. (not suggesting he didn't tighten them, just the outcome could be the same.) Doesn't even occur to me to check my chokes tightness cos they don't loosen off.

No different to looking down at your shoe-laces to see they are still tied. I also check tightness of comb and stock after every shoot, plus other screws; not by tightening further but by ensuring not coming loose. There is many a broken stock that would have been avoided by the odd stock-bolt check.

Yeah, that's just maintenance though. and something I expect most do. I check and loosen and retighten after every shoot or every other one just cos I worry they'll get stuck in, not cos they'll come loose, so that's reasonable. Just seems strange doing stuff halfway round unless there's an issue and I know people who shoot every single time with their hands messing around with the choke ends.

Ah, each to their own, just looks odd to me.

 

[Salopian]

Any news from Teague ? Have you noticed the damaged barrel on the end where the choke butts up against  ? looks like it has been bumped or dropped.

 

[antse7en]

Any news from Teague ? Have you noticed the damaged barrel on the end where the choke butts up against  ? looks like it has been bumped or dropped.

Nothing yet - will update here when I hear anything.

If you’re referring to what I think you are that’s lead protruding from the end following the blowout.

 

[Guest]

had you used that full choke previously or was a it a new to you addition ? as to get lead past  where choke butts up to inner  edge of barrel the choke would have to be some what deformed to start with surely ? and if it was detritous in the barrel  causing the choke to lift out of its normal seated position you surely would have noticed the extra effort to get the choke in before you shot it .  these are  made with afew thou gap/step down when fitted so you dont get any snagging on wads/pellets in normal use.

 

[Paul120]

One thing I always do when getting a new choke (I did it in Thursday morning when installing some teague mobil chokes i had bougt for a beretta in another make that takes mobil chokes as I didn't want to use the long extended chokes supplied on a game shoot) is to fit them and run a pencil down the choke and feel for the step at the join. 

 

[ColinD]

They where made by Teague for his Barrels when Teague converted it from fixed to multi choke.So I would expect Teague would have done the checking then

 

[jwpzx9r]

Any news from Teague ? Have you noticed the damaged barrel on the end where the choke butts up against  ? looks like it has been bumped or dropped.

Could be wrong but that looks like metal probably lead that has been forced passed the choke tube. I am not an expert but the only question that can be asked is was that choke tightened properly? Looking at the photograph it looks like it was which in turn makes me think that the choke did not fit the gun properly and it is a faulty engineering job. I am interested in what the diagnosis from Teague is.

On another choke fitting related story and it is true. I have a friend down here who shoots a Beretta DT10 some time ago we were trap shooting at a local club. Between rounds the guns were on the rack and I have no idea why but I checked the chokes of his gun both were so loose the were rattling in the tubes! I brought it to his attention and he says... yes it happens all the time stuffs his finger in to the tubes and twists them in a bit then takes his gun off the rack and gets ready to shoot the next round without even bothering about it. He has had this gun for god knows how long and even with loose chokes has never had a barrel damage issue. Is this just because the barrels are of better quality or that they have been  designed by Beretta so  the metal in this area of the barrel is thicker  prior to boring and threading the barrels to take the choke tubes thus making the considerably stronger than would be the case with a fixed choke gun that has been altered as this gun was. I have seen with Perazzi multi choke barrels and you can clearly see the flare on the barrels in the area of the chokes I assumed this was because there was more metal in this area?

 

[ColinD]

He has had this gun for god knows how long and even with loose chokes has never had a barrel damage issue. Is this just because the barrels are of better quality

No he was just lucky

 

[jwpzx9r]

No he was just lucky

He has been lucky for years then he has been shooting that gun for a long time. I am sure though that well made barrels such as those used by Perazzi for their multi choke guns have heavier tube walls around the choke section than say those used for my Browning XTR which have Briley chokes fitted fitted as standard.

 

[ColinD]

Lucky that he always checks that his chokes are at least hand tight before shooting, it doesn't matter what make of Barrel, the forces involved if a choke is loose enough to let the gases and lead past, the barrel will deform

Edit: Or a faulty choke

 

[Luke_(NL)]

stuffs his finger in to the tubes and twists them in a bit

That'll do it. Choke keys exist for a reason.