Cant remove Choke

hunter23

Hi All
I sure this topic has arisen before on the issue of chokes, and the hassle to get them removed. I would normally take them out evey now and again, but
I hadent used the gun in about 6 months and only the other day i went to remove the choke with no joy. I let wd40 soak in, but still no movement.
My choke key is small enough so leverage is an issue. Would heating the barrell loosen it, or just cause more damage!!!!
Thanks in advance

Tackleberrywho

hunter23 wrote: »

Hi All
I sure this topic has arisen before on the issue of chokes, and the hassle to get them removed. I would normally take them out evey now and again, but
I hadent used the gun in about 6 months and only the other day i went to remove the choke with no joy. I let wd40 soak in, but still no movement.
My choke key is small enough so leverage is an issue. Would heating the barrell loosen it, or just cause more damage!!!!
Thanks in advance

Heating the barrel should be your last resort.

Can you extend the wrench by putting a bar over it?
If double the Leverage and she still won't budge then you need to re-examine your options

charlie10

fire a few shots out of the barrell to get it warmed up and see will it come out then

kemen

i've heard of lads soaking the barrels in deisel, i havent heard about the results tho, becareful! i have have the same problem with my trap but i left it, to much hassel thinking about chokes so its half an full forever!

1 thing about wd40!! make sure and use gun oil after as wd40 is water based and leads to rust on the blue!!

Grizzly 45

Could try something very odd,but its supposed to shift anything rusted[within reason] in machinery.A 50/50 mix of Automatic transmission fluid[ultra fine oil] and Acetone[your missuses nail polish remover].You only need a very small amount of this stuff ,like 4oz bottle.Pour both ingrediants together and shake until it is a strawberry milkshake colour.
put it on around the choke and barrel join with a little syringe or eyedropper and let sit for an hour or so. The trans fluid apprently carries the acetone[good grease and oil cleaner] into the threads and with a continous"gentle persuasion" with the choke key working back and forward should loosen up pretty quick.
The US Jet propulsion labs apprently tested a rake of these break free products and apprently this stuff urinates all over WD40..[Which isnt a lubricating product in the first place]
Might be worth a go.:)

Cass

kemen wrote: »

............ as wd40 is water based and leads to rust on the blue!!

That cannot be right. How can a water displacment spray be WATER based. That would defeat the purpose.

It is infact a petroleum based solution made up of different chemicals, oils, etc. As such i would be cautious of allowing it to sit on any blued parts of a gun for fear it MIGHT damage the finish.

patsat

charlie10 wrote: »

fire a few shots out of the barrell to get it warmed up and see will it come out then

I think this is good advice....whatever about the choke coming loose after it at least you will get to fire a few shots after 6 months!

kemen

my reaction was the same, but thats exactly what a respectable shooter told me

hunter23

Thanks Guys
I have tried to extend the leverage on the key, by using really strong cable ties with a bar of about 10 inches. It dosen't budge at all. You can see the cable ties begining to move. The problem with the key it only fits 2 groves on top of the choke, and i am afraid to damage them but the key slipping out. I might try a put 20 or so rounds through it quickly and then try it.!!
I keep you posted.

Woodcock man

Had the same problem with a trap gun i used to own
Soloution : Heat up the deep fat fryer and dip the choke end of the barrels in the oil for about 5 min
Remove and try the choke key again ....... should do the trick with no harm to the barrels

FISMA

I always remove chokes after the day's shooting. I have known too many lads that did not clean their shotguns properly and would up with frozen chokes.

This is why I pay a bit more for the knurled extended and ported chokes, a simple hand tightening is enough.

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Heating the barrel should be your last resort.

+1 - agreed

Patience, patience, and more patience. If I were you, I would treat the area from fore and aft every day for a fortnight. Trying to get it out. Do not get excessive.

I used to be a mechanic and worked on a lot of cars. On occasion, I could break a frozen bolt/nut free with attempted further tightening. However, be careful. Do not apply much torque when doing this. Also, I would keep this as a last resort.

charlie10 wrote: »

fire a few shots out of the barrell to get it warmed up and see will it come out then

+1 - it can't hurt can it any more. I always notice that my chokes loosen up after a day of shooting. Can you wait and put a 100, 200, or more rounds through?

Best of luck.

Cass

Respectable shooter the person may be (not being smart), but he/she is wrong. WD40 is NOT water based. It would not work if it were.

As mentioned it is guessed that it is a mixture of oils, lubricating oils, hydrocarbons, petroleum based chemicals, inert ingredients, etc. I say guessed as the exact ingredients are known only to a handful of people within the company. There is no patent on WD40, as such they do not have to disclose their exact ingredients and so ut remains a closely guarded secret.


Apologies for bringing the thread slightly off topic, but the point being discussed is relevant. WD40 will not add to the rust problem, but as Grizzly said it is not a lubricant as such so may not be 100% effective.

Acetone is also something i would be careful not to get on my barrels. May cause damage to the bluing. Remember it is a solvent.

In relation to extra leverage. Which shotgun is it?

It would be best to have hollow bars that can slide over the handles of the key. One for each side of the key. Have a second person keeping downward pressure on the key as you turn the key via the bars/piping extensions.

If all that fails i would get to a gusmith. Better to damage the choke having it removed properly than damage the gun with "homemade" remedies.

Tackleberrywho

Oil is a solvent, depending how potent is what it is used for.
Solvents are for making solids liquid.

WD40 "may" be a bit aggressive on some mildly Blued Steel as Bluing is an acidic process.
Some Solvents react with some acids/bases

In regards to the choke.

Try a small bit more leverage, don't hang out of it.

And never eat chips in the house of a gunowner

I had to remove a choke for my younger cousin.
It took a good twist, but it came out.
He held the gun and therefore I had more power to twist.

I'd always check the chokes on a duck gun as most duck shooters shoot in wet weather and if not well maintained can rust quickly

Hunter21

Had the same problem myself, was told by an experienced shooter to fire a box of cartridges and then try release the choke with you key. It worked.
Sounds rough I know, but it worked and gave me a reason to clean the gun again

sfakiaman

I'd be wary of using excessive torque on a shotgun barrel but would try a bit of heat from a heat gun or even the wifes hair drier. I've often loosened frozen machine parts with a heat gun and gun barrels are designed to take a bit of heat. Don't use the propane torch :eek:

Half-cocked

A few posters have awarned about WD40 above, they are right, don't let it anywhere near a gun. I have seen it destroy surface finishes. I think the propellant is the problem. It eats O rings too, so something in it is corrosive to some materials.

Lots of good advice above about the stuck choke. If and when you do get it out, you should get the threads in the barrel cleaned out properly as well as those on the choke. Any decent gunsmith should have the right tap/thread chaser to do the job.

Always put a drop of gun oil on the threads before putting chokes in and then remove and clean regularly. I never put grease on the threads, it mixes with powder residue, gases etc and turns into cement!

Tackleberrywho

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/polish-wax-protection-lube-birchwoodcasey-c-100_114.html

Never let any Oil/solvents near O-rings or rubber grommets etc

Hunter21

Sorry for going off topic but is 3 in 1 oil ok on guns? Thats what I use to rub down the gun after use

Tackleberrywho

Hunter21 wrote: »

Sorry for going off topic but is 3 in 1 oil ok on guns? Thats what I use to rub down the gun after use

3 in 1 oil is fine as it is a thick oil.
Thin oils have specific purposes, penetration etc

3 in 1 oil has corrosion inhibitor in it, petrol for example will remove all oil off a metal surface as it is a thin low viscosity oil.

As a result petrol is great for cleaning off grease and oil down to bare metal

lb1981

If it is a last resort and you want the choke out use a easy out for that size hole, it will take the choke out but it will be going straight in the bin when it does come out.
Have you put the barrels in a vice with soft jaws and tried hitting the handle of your extracting tool will with a nylon mallet. Shock can be the best way of loosening up a sized thread.

Zenner

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

3 in 1 oil is fine as it is a thick oil.
Thin oils have specific purposes, penetration etc

3 in 1 oil has corrosion inhibitor in it, petrol for example will remove all oil off a metal surface as it is a thin low viscosity oil.

As a result petrol is great for cleaning off grease and oil down to bare metal

Hi, I don’t wish to go to a different discussion but seen this in past posts about 3 in 1 oil for use on guns. I can confirm over a period of many years working in a gun room do not use this product for your guns. I have shocking stories this product left on guns. We interviewed many people when their gun ceased up and found large amounts of rust in the internals of the guns. When we asked what oil they were using they all said 3 in 1 so guys and girls its up to you if you wish to use this product but I would not on a gun…. You can’t get better than a good Gun Oil.

As far as WD40 its great for just getting crap out of your gun and its good for loosening up actions and it does give a small protection overall but it evaporates very quick when the gun heats up and it advised to once again a good gun oil that has some body. Also be warned any person who buys a bottle of WD 40 in back-street stall etc does not mean you are getting this product.. Don’t forget there are many products counterfeited so if you have had a bad experience with this product its very possible it was not the real deal likewise most products that you get on the cheep. This maybe could explain in a pervious post as to blue coming off a barrel.

Half-cocked

I left an old air rifle coated in 3in1 oil years ago and it rusted up something terrible.

Half-cocked

lb1981 wrote: »

If it is a last resort and you want the choke out use a easy out for that size hole, it will take the choke out but it will be going straight in the bin when it does come out.
Have you put the barrels in a vice with soft jaws and tried hitting the handle of your extracting tool will with a nylon mallet. Shock can be the best way of loosening up a sized thread.

+1

A short sharp shock might do the trick. If you can get hold of an impact driver that will take the appropriate easy-out, all the better. But do it carefully....

Tackleberrywho

I use Remington Spray Rust preventer

It is great stuff, I use Silicone on the bolt for smooth cycling

In regards to chokes I have swabs that I use to remove crud from thread.
I have bronze grease on some components.

OP

Any more on your choke problem?

lb1981

Bronze grease should be applied to anything that is threaded , the best anti seizing compound you can get , Rocol is the best brand .A light application can save you an hour of heart ache .

Tackleberrywho

lb1981 wrote: »

Bronze grease should be applied to anything that is threaded , the best anti seizing compound you can get , Rocol is the best brand .A light application can save you an hour of heart ache .

I use swabs to apply and then only a thin film goes on.
I put it on my .308 thread as it is a steel barrel.
I clean off the old grease periodically with alcohol and re-apply fresh grease

lb1981

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I use swabs to apply and then only a thin film goes on.
I put it on my .308 thread as it is a steel barrel.
I clean off the old grease periodically with alcohol and re-apply fresh grease

Thats a good system you have ,best to keep every thing nice and fresh.Wish some of the bastards in work were like you.Take off a machine guard to do a job and you have to clean off half a tin of manky grease before you can start.

hunter23

Well Lads
I have tried a few more useful tricks you mentioned, more leverage and the hair dryer trick, but there not a budge on it. Looks like the gunsmith.
It wouldnt bother me as there is a 1/2 in it, but i sold it to a friend and he want to put a 1/4 in it.
I dont fancy heating it anymore, with gas etc, as it got seriously hot with the hair dryer. I will keep trying!!!!

Half-cocked

Just be careful its a reputable gunsmith and he knows what you want. I know someone who dropped a 28" barrel Medallist with a stuck choke into a certain 'gunsmith' and got back a 26" barrel fixed choke gun:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Pkiernan

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/polish-wax-protection-lube-birchwoodcasey-c-100_114.html

Never let any Oil/solvents near O-rings or rubber grommets etc

+1 !!

I have had the same tube of this stuff for 10 years now.
I apply a coating at the beginning and end of each season, and back off the tubes a quarter turn before storing the gun at the end of season.

Never had a stuck tube.

To op: one thing that worked for me was plugging the choke, adding a bit of water and freezing it.
Then applied heat gun to the outside of the barrel.

Tackleberrywho

I final tip!!

Gunsmith told me this today

Get Chewing gum remover spray (it freezes) or even a CO2 Fire extinguisher.

Spray the affected area, then pour warm water on the outside of the barrel warming the outside before the inside (cooled and contracted) before it warms up.

The outside will expand and the inside contracted will loosen the thread grip.
Much safer than a Deep Fat fryer!

Patent Pending