I'm afraid we will continue to loose ground when it comes to the legality of lead shot. I'm very much a fan of good old Lead shot and I also care about our environment very deeply. Those two things are not mutually exclusive!

I hear they shoot clays with steel shot in parts of Europe.

"We-uns gone find out (gout of high velocity tobacco juice nailing unwary fly.).

As for the superiority of "finely machined" fixed choke barrels, it has been long known that patterns can be improved - rendered more even and with fewer flyers -- by roughening overly polished choke surfaces. The creation of turbulence seems to break up clumps of pellets better. Counterintuitive but true. 

To what degree this is still true with the best shot cups and Grex buffer, I don't know. 

Having shot plenty of AA target shells in cylinder bore barrels that seemingly produced nice even 55%  - 60% patterns at 40 yards, with small shot., I'm not sure what to think

" He"s an old hippie and he don't know what to do. Should he hold onto the old or grab on to the new?"

"He's an old hippie, life is such a bust; he ain't tryin' to change nobody, he's just tryin' real hard to adjust!"

Mike

Thete was a time when Winchester, Remington, Marlin, High Standard, and others all competed to build guns for those catalog houses. 

Bert H. said
I am more inclined to buy an older Winchester shotgun with a Cutts Compensator on it... it at least has the possibility of being factory original, and it is nicer looking than the lumpier Poly-Choke.  Given the option today, I would choose the Briley screw-in choke.
I will add this for you Bill... there is “A Butt for Every Saddle”
Bert
  

A law partner of mine had been a Pan American Junior Skeet champion and a pupil of Fred Missildine. He had a pair of Pigeon Grade Model Fifties with factory Cutts. The 20 was fairly skinny but the 12 Cutts was ,,,, noticeable. 

I don't mind anyone insisting on a factory original gun for their collection. But when the attitude verges on contempt combined with ignorance of genuine benefits, I find it irritating. I've used Polychokes and Cutts in the field and they work well when installed carefully. 

Today, we would all opt for internal choke tubes, assuming we were willing to pay the freight. Check Briley Manufacturing's current price list!  But, from experience, a well installed external adjustable choke will deliver the same quality patterns. On used guns, at a fraction of the price. 

The Deluxe Poly is vented like the Cutts amd I'm curious to see if it moderates recoil as well. Plugs and muffs, for sure.

Add edit - I recall I paid quite a bit less for it because of the polychoke.

I will add this for you Bill... there is “A Butt for Every Saddle”

Bert

By that, I don't mean an opportunity to make money on the turn. I don't expect to. What I revel in is having another great classic Winchester shotgun someone used but took loving care of and spent significant extra money on to make it even more useful. For $499 USD. 

This Winchester Model 25 came home with me today. Older Members are familiar with and many fondly remember the "workingman's Model 12" -- a reduced price version that saves significant machining and hand-fitting time by eliminating the takedown feature. 

The Model 25's barrel was not easily removed for cleaning or travel. It was offered only in 12 gauge with a 28" barrel and the steel was modestly polished before bluing. Other than a choice of fixed chokes, there were no options or different grades. 

However, in all other design and mechanical respects, it was identical to the standard field grade all-steel Model 12, including the careful machining and internal hand fitting that model required. The materials were not cheapened. 

At roughly a 20% to 25% discount from the price of the field grade Model 12, it was offered from about 1950 to 1954.  It was a bargain, frankly, at a $70 to $80 price in the early Fifties. About 87,937 were made during its brief production life. 

The supposed fatal flaw in serial # 57,709, originally a full-choked gun, is an owner committed an unpardonable Deadly Sin . Realizing that a single barrel shotgun with a full choke was not ideal for a lot of hunting, he dug fairly deep into his Coverall pockets and in 1960, for example, paid $27.75 USD to have Polychoke cut his barrel to his desired length and install the company's Deluxe vented Polychoke, which included a new front sight. This was a standard fixed price nationwide. (Otherwise, the gun is completely original down to its cheap plastic Winchester logo buttplate and a little bit of old red enamel in the safety button groove.)

If that sounds like a bargain, $27.75 in 1960 Dollars is $314.00 in 2026 Dollars. Which is actually a bargain price for this not-so-simple job at reasonable shop rates for a machinist up to the work. The skill required is in keeping the shot pattern going where the gun looks. Some adjustable chokes are badly installed and shoot almost around corners. 

I intend to pattern this one tomorrow. A final note, the overall barrel length with Poly is between 25" and 26". The 'smith knew what he was doing. The balance is between the hands with just enough weight forwsrd to help the swing. 

I started restoring the gun and I’m looking for a replacement barrel. Bobski from another forum pointed me to this site and said someone could possibly help me out. I know the model 50 barrel could work but I’d love to restore it to original. Does anyone happen to have one or know where I might be able to get my hands on one?

Thanks

Roger Adam