Stories & How To's

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Shotgun Choke Tubes

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Shotgun Choke Tubes

As you may well know by now, here at Sage & Braker we are obsessed with protecting and maintaining your firearms. There are few things in life that can carry memories that can be passed down to the next generation like a well used firearm. Your first hunt with your son, shooting groundhogs on the farm with grandpa, the memories are endless and if properly taken care of your firearms can tell your stories for many years to come. In this article we go into depth on how to maintain and protect your choke tubes so they will last beyond you and into the future generations.

 

Tools and Supplies for Cleaning Choke Tubes



Step By Step Process of Cleaning Choke Tubes


  1. Sorry, we have to say it, but please make sure your firearm is unloaded – ensure firearm is unloaded and the action is open. Remove the choke tube with the correct wrench.
  2. Inspect – check threads for any damage (dents, stripped threads, etc). If damaged, replace.
  3. Soak in CLP or Firearm Solvent – if it’s been a while since cleaning or your choke tube is heavily fouled, place tube in a container with solvent or CLP and let it soak 10–30 minutes to loosen carbon, plastic (from the wadding) and environmental gunk.
  4. Clean bore of tube – Pull a bore cleaning kit or use firearm brushes to clean the inside of the tube.
  5. Clean threads– use a firearm brush to clean the threading and then wipe clean with a microsuede cloth.
  6. If choke tube is ported, clean them – use firearm pipe cleaners or firearm swabs to clean out the ports.
  7. Wipe clean – wipe the outside and inside of the choke tube clean.
  8. Light lubrication – apply a light coating of firearm grease to the threading and evenly distribute with finger. This part is very important in order to prevent the choke tube from becoming stuck in the future.
  9. Reinstall – screw the choke tube in by hand so it’s snug, then use the choke wrench to seat it to the manufacturer’s specification. Do not over‑tighten. If your shotgun manual lists torque, follow it. If not, snug until seated and use only the small additional force recommended by your gun maker (avoid forcing it).
  10. Store properly – store any spare tubes in a clean, dry choke tube case.

How Often to Clean Your Choke Tubes


  • After each shooting session if you’ve shot a lot, used steel shot, or it looks like there is heavy fouling.
  • After hunting in wet/salty environments — clean and lightly oil immediately to prevent corrosion. Water is the enemy or your firearms and their various parts.
  • End of season — before the firearm is put away in the safe at the end of the season make sure it is cleaned and lightly oiled to prevent corrosion.

Proper Storage - The Choke Tube Case


When you’re dropping $100 plus on choke tubes, you sure as heck want to protect them from the elements and the general banging around when transporting them. Like anything to do with firearms they’re an investment. With proper care they can last a lifetime and beyond. With this in mind, Sage & Braker tackled the problem with our choke tube case by providing a bombproof way of protecting your investment while also creating a showpiece that will have everyone at the trap range drooling.


Lubricating Choke Tube Threads


We really want to reiterate the importance of lubricating the threads of your choke tubes. Anyone who has had a stuck choke tube knows the frustration and fear of potentially turning your shotgun into a fixed choke firearm. Not ideal to say the least. As with most things in life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Time, crud and heat can end up welding your choke tube to the bore of your shotgun. Properly cleaning and greasing the threads of your choke tubes can prevent that headache and has the added bonus of dampening harmonics. Take the small amount of time now to make sure your tubes stay in top working order.

Share this
← Older Post
.template-article .article-image{ display: none}