Custom Barrel Work

I hear some folks say they don't believe a barrel smith's work can improve performance on a high grade
shotgun. Myself, I have become a believer in using a quality barrel smith for fine tuning the barrel after shooting a gun long enough to know its going to be a keeper. Whats your thoughts?

I always wanted to try a a Herb Ore Super Choke job when I was younger but couldn't afford it and used the old brake cylinder hone on whatever I was shooting and got decent results..........

Fast forward a generation or so since and Tom Wilkinson has tuned 4 different sets of barrel's for me over the recent years. I can say with confidence he definitely improved performance on all of them. In general they shot a bit softer and hit the target harder after his work.

WL

 

I bought a gun that had Wilkinson work done to the top single, do not know how the gun shot before the work but it breaks targets with authority from well beyond the 27 yard line if I do my job ... The Over/under barrels are still factory Perazzi chokes and bores, they break targets also ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Being in the Barrel Gauge business, I get to check a lot of barrels.
What I have found that works best is 'Backboring'--That leaves the choke actually smaller !!! So, then re-sizing the choke leaves a "LONGER PARALLEL SECTION" in the choke. The longer the parallel section is---the better the WAD stabilizes going thru the choke. Makes for a better pattern, because the WAD isn't 'wobbling' as it leaves the barrel !!!---'EVERY BODY' needs a Barrel Gauge to check this 'Stuff" !!----JMHO----GB.

 

My Barrels were .736 from the factory, Wilkinson back bored to .740, with .032 restriction in the single barrel , over /under are both .736 Bore , top is .030 and bottom is .020 restriction measured ... I got two of them that is why I never got one from you ... I picked them up at swap meets years ago for a song ... Forgot the song though ... WPT ... (YAC) ...