Winchester 91 info

[6speedGTX]

Attachment 97226Hello everyone, I recently acquired a Winchester model 91 O/U 12G. I am wondering if anybody is familiar with these guns? I am trying to figure out whether the barrels are choked or not. It is a great gun for shooting skeets but I wouldn't mind using it for waterfowl. I understand that I would run into issues firing steel through a full choke barrel. The barrels are not marked to indicate any amount of choke. If anybody can tell me how to tell for sure what I have that would be great. Thanks!

[FreeLantz]

I have one, and I found very little info on the shotgun so I only use it for skeet. Mine doesnt have any kind of choke marking anywhere either.

Do yours have ejectors or extractors?

[catnthehat]

They were made by Larouna for Winchester.
There should be some numbers on the undersides of the barrels like 18.5
Anything like that there?
If you PM me the serial numbers I should be able to tell you the year it wa s made
Cat

[6speedGTX]

Well I officially feel like an idiot! I pulled the fore stock off and found both barrels are marked. Mod choke on the bottom barrel and full choke on the top. So no steel for this one! I guess I'll have to stick to the trusty SxS.

Mine has extractors rather than ejectors. This is a really nice gun to shoot. Works really well for shooting clays.

[catnthehat]

There are several smiths that can take your top barrel out for steel and adjust the forcing cones for you as well .
The alternatives are non- tox shot loads and when you look at the extra cost as opposed to when you look at how much you actually shoot they tend to even things out.
Cat

[6speedGTX]

Thanks for the advice, I think I would lean towards a different ammo rather than modify the gun.
Do you have a rough idea of what it would cost to have the top barrel opened up if I chose to go that route?
Thanks again, and sorry for the newby questions.

[catnthehat]

Newby questions are never something to be sorry for - it's how we all learned!
The normal price is about $100 give or take.
Barney Hartman was a C.I.L. pro shooter back in the day- not sure if he is still kicking or not, lost track of him a while back, he was one of the World's finest skeet shooters- anyway, I digress!
Mr. Hartman modified the chokes on his early model 58 and 1100 guns by honing them out with a brake cylinder hone and patterning them , then honing them.
I've seen it done with emery cloth on a dowel as well, but it takes several grades.
These days reamers are mostly used.
Personally I would just use the non tox stuff available or hand load it, in faxt that is what I do .
Cat