HW/Weihrauch Is having a barrel chopped, choked and recrowned still a “thing” these days?

Greenarrow said:

Yes! I think I’ve read that one looong ago now that you mentioned it. I talked to Steve at Pomona this AM. I discussed my plans with him. He said that he would chop an inch off whatever I did to be able to do what he needs to. I may just chop one myself, recrown it and see how it shoots and go from there.

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Before you do that push a pellet through and feel how much choke it has for reference. I use a 1/8" wooden dowel from Hobby Lobby to push pellets through from breech to bore. Check things like how snug the barrel is, free fall no resistance, choke tightness, and rifling engraved on the pellet.

Greenarrow said:

Yes! I think I’ve read that one looong ago now that you mentioned it. I talked to Steve at Pomona this AM. I discussed my plans with him. He said that he would chop an inch off whatever I did to be able to do what he needs to. I may just chop one myself, recrown it and see how it shoots and go from there.

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I would also get some good groups with the preferred pellet before the "chop", so I would have a accuracy reference afterwards.

Greenarrow said:

Steve did mine also. I’m pleased. I looked Pomona up last night. I am calling him today

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Steve is no longer living at Baldy Mesa near Victorville. He lives at Pahrump, Nv.now.

I'd be interested in your results.

I have a nearly new long 20 cal barrel I'd like to cut to standard K length for my R1, but I'm too scared to. If your barrel comes out well I might give it whirl with an extra inch in case its a dog.
I've always wondered how they choke a barrel without marring the outside.

Yoda (Mark611) on the GTA had many Weihrauch rifles chopped and then added a LDC.
It's my understand, he never re-choked them ..... he has said accuracy is unchanged.

Brett, talk to him ..... he should be helpful.

Greenarrow said:

Yes, thank you. I plan on that. I’ll test the barrel before I have anything chopped so I will have something to compare with there too.

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Here's cut and paste of Ed's choke tool, this is the main part of the post. Ed if you're watching I hope you don't mind that I shared your old post..lol.



This looks like a good "home choke" remedy to me.

bustachip said:

Ed Canoles did one his self, he used a giant hex nut and bored it out .001 or .002 under the barrel diameter I think, don't quote me on that. Then split, cut the hex nut in two. Then he sandwiched the barrel in between the halves and squeezed them together in a big vise. It worked from what I saw. I'm sure you can find the post at GTA.

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You mean like this?

This is my setup for 16mm barrels. I have used a hose crimper, same as the one described as Theoben used, but I have a little better control over it this way believe it or not.

Put it in the press, and use pin gauges to check your progress until it's right.

The biggest thing I've learned from playing with this, is a lot of factory chokes are too tight. All the chokes I do are lighter and seem to shoot more pellet types well.

YMMV

SpiralGroove said:

Yoda (Mark611) on the GTA had many Weihrauch rifles chopped and then added a LDC.
It's my understand, he never re-choked them ..... he has said accuracy is unchanged.

Brett, talk to him ..... he should be helpful.

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Almost all Weihrauchs whether break barrel or underlever, have a tight spot at the breech. Cut the choke off and the pellet will damn near free fall right out the muzzle.

Been there and done that, and got wildly different results.

thumper said:

You mean like this?

This is my setup for 16mm barrels. I have used a hose crimper, same as the one described as Theoben used, but I have a little better control over it this way believe it or not.

Put it in the press, and use pin gauges to check your progress until it's right.

The biggest thing I've learned from playing with this, is a lot of factory chokes are too tight. All the chokes I do are lighter and seem to shoot more pellet types well.

YMMV

View attachment 490593

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Yes very similar, but with that press you'll have better control, as you say. Seems to me it would work perfect.

Greenarrow said:

Thanks Kirk!

I know that he has had some done. The late O.C. Bolding did a lot if not all for him? I’ve read his posts about some of his guns. I’ll PM him soon.

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I have marks HW35 .22, chopped by the late OC with a Wolf moderator installed. Gun will stack pellets at 25 yds, no choke.

Here's the one I have.

It lives in a 35E stock now.

Greenarrow said:

Do you have pictures of the rifle that you could share? OC did some work on one of my LW barrels that I have on a repeater QB78 on HPA.
View attachment 490651

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Nice QB stock! And excellent seeing a young person having some good clean fun.


John

I removed 4 inches from the end of an R9 barrel, then squared it up, and chamfered the OD and ID. All in attempt to get better accuracy by reducing shot time. Accuracy was not what I hoped for until I removed the tight areas in the bore where the barrel had been pressed into the breach block by lapping with the finest grit Clover lapping compound. Now it is capable of very fine accuracy with its preferred pellets.

My conclusion is that the choke can probably make a gun more forgiving of barrel irregularities and differences in pellets.

Michigander said:

I removed 4 inches from the end of an R9 barrel, then squared it up, and chamfered the OD and ID. All in attempt to get better accuracy by reducing shot time. Accuracy was not what I hoped for until I removed the tight areas in the bore where the barrel had been pressed into the breach block by lapping with the finest grit Clover lapping compound. Now it is capable of very fine accuracy with its preferred pellets.

My conclusion is that the choke can probably make a gun more forgiving of barrel irregularities and differences in pellets.

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Weihrauch splining and press fitting the barrel into the breech creates a noticeable restiction. I call this the Weihrauch breech choke. It squishes pellets smaller than the rest of the bore so they almost rattle down the barrel. The muzzle choke is created in the last inch or so by crimping the front sight dovetail. That straightens out the pellet before it leaves the barrel. I don't believe any of this is by accident. Being familiar with German engineering philosophy I'm sure this is all by design. Overall it works very well. Weihrauchs typically have good accuracy so it's hard to argue against their concepts.


Now if you remove the muzzle choke I'd think you're almost obliged to open the breech choke so the pellet keeps enough bore engagement all the way out the muzzle. I had a 20 cal barrel that had decent accuracy but was low on power. The breech choke was so tight it shrunk the pellet so much it had no contact with a good portion of the barrel. Then the muzzle choke was very tight which was another energy sap. I wasn't sure how to fix that one. Luckily it was a fairly new barrel and I was able to get Weihrauch to warranty it. They replaced it with a full length barrel because the Ks weren't available at the time. This is the barrel is like to cut but afraid to lose the muzzle choke.

I have considered having John Thomas cut and choke my T05 34D and make it more handy lighter and shorter, but it shoots so good, I just am afraid to risk the accuracy I have now with it. But we have talked, and if I were going to do it, John would get the call. I though of finding another this vintage and giving it a go with that barrel, but this one I want to keep just in case it doesn't shoot as well as what I already have. With me, accuracy is trump over all else.