stuck choke tube
 

Need help. Was out hunting one day and something went terribly wrong. I accidentally loaded and fired my 12ga with two rounds of steel shot using a primos tightwad choke tube (which is for lead shot only). It somehow scratched the surface of the choke and cannot removed it anymore.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Better take it to a gunsmith and have him look at it.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

i second ksfowler's response

RE: stuck choke tube
 

I bought a used shotgun from gander mountain, and took it out to the field only to find that the choke tube could not be removed. I brought it back to their gun smith, and he said he had to take a torch to it, and heat the $%@& out of it before he could take it out. Could be worth a try and save you a little green.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Heating the $%@& out of a firearm barrel can change the strength of the metal. You are performing a heat treating process on the barrel. If done improperly -- and almost certainly any such heat administered outside of an engineer-designed heat treating facility would be improper -- I would think the barrel would be weakened. Comments by others on this subject?

If you want to GENTLY heat the barrel to a modest temperature -- such as a temperature you can touch for a second with your hand without burning it -- that might be OK. But you are literally playing with fire, in more ways than one. Suppose this heat treatment makes the metal of your gun brittle and shooting causes the barrel to shatter under a load from a fired shot shell? Believe me, you won't get the manufacturer to stand behind that product when it has been reverse heat treated in that way.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Thanks for your reply ksfowler,bowman4040,alsatian, and dkhunter8383. I haven't done anything yet to to the barrel but a trip to the gunsmith would be my last resort. About the heating process? Maybe what i would do is shoot a couple of rounds into it to get it heated a little bit and then try removing it.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Do not shoot any rounds through it to heat the barrel. You will likely just damage the choke or the barrel more.
The easiest way I have found to remove a stuck choke tube (other than taking it to a gunsmith) is to place the barrel in a vise (pad the vice to protect the barrel finish). Soak the end of the barrel and choke in a creeping oil (I prefer Kroil) for an hour or longer. Then use a heat gun to warm the barrel. Then get a set of large channel locks and twist out the choke tube (pad the channel locks to protect the finish of the choke if you still care about it).
It really does not matter if you get the barrel pretty warm as long as it is not glowing red. Think about how many trap/clay/skeet shooters take their guns out and run hundreds sometimes a thousand shots through them in a couple of hours. Sometimes the barrels are so hot you cannot touch them without being burned, yet they continue to function week in and week out.
Good luck.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Alsatian, you are exactly right and I should have put that in my post, any heating of the metal should be done very slowly and carefully because too much too quick will ruin your metal. Also use a good lubricant when you are trying to get it out.

RE: stuck choke tube
 

2 things to do that might help if shooting the barrel hot dosn't work

This may hurt
But I would drill a hole through the exposed part of the choke tube , a good drill press and a colbolt(sp)drill bit
So a rod can he inserted through and used to turn the tube out

I like to soak the end of the barrel/choke in Kroil or hot ATF ( heated on a hot plate to about 120 or so degrees with the barrel hanging in it )
I soak the choke tube for a day or 2 and try turning the tube out
If no luck , let it soak for a few more days

I made up a pair of vice blocks out of hard wood , lined with leather , with rosin added
To hold the barrel
As if you try and just hold the gun , no real way to do it safely
And never try and use the barrel ring to stop the barrel from turning in a vice , as I have seen several barrel rings bent or broken off

John

RE: stuck choke tube
 

Thanks for the reply hurricanespq and john...really appreciate it. I'd probably wait a little while before i do anything to my barrel and choke. I think hurricanespq has a point in torching the barrel after soaking it with lubricant. I don't think it would alter in any way the characteristic of the barrel because it was precisely made it to be that way. Thanks so much for your help guys.