JB Weld a Poly-Choke?

[Ji in Hawaii]

I have an old NEF single shot 12 gauge shotgun that I want to make more compact and lighter weight for backpacking. I was thinking of cutting the barrel down from the current 28" to 18.25" but I'd loose the bead, and the choke. What I considered as an affordable solution to both problems is to attach a adjustable Poly-Choke onto the muzzle. The Poly-Choke has a bead already on it. Now can I use a high heat resistant epoxy like JB Weld to attach the Poly-Choke to the muzzle? Or do I have to silver solder it on? I have no experience silver soldering firearms and don't want to hurt the barrel steel. I am open to suggestions. Thanks!

[20cows]

You could try it and if didn't stay on, you could go the solder rout later.

Nothing ventured?

[LeverBob]

A friend of mine did that back in the 80's on an 1100. He was a very fine skeeter & shot on my team for several years. He bragged how he'd save all this money not sending it to Polychoke.

It was funny as heck seeing it fly off of the barrel chasing a high 4. Heh, heh... We suggested he try jaming a tater on it instead. Oh, I forgot...he never lived it down. He sent it out & paid the $. Turned out to be a killer combo.

Maybe the new epoxies of today will work....no harm in trying. If it doesn't work you'll just have to hunt it up...and then learn how to silver solder.

Fare Thee well Ji...

LB

[20cows]

I guess my suggestion needs editing in that case-

You could try it and if didn't stay on, you could go the solder rout later.

...if you can find it.

[adirondakjack]

I've seen silver soldered chokes take flight. FWIW for a backpack gun, I wouldn't sweat the choke. Beads can be done easily, especially since the cut down barrel will be quite thick. I turned an NEF 20 ga into a pistol grip 18" barreled camp gun, and after filing the threads off a bead, leaving just a straight, round shank, drilled through the barrel, wrung the drill in a wobble motion to flare both the top and bottom of the hole, and used a bit of heavy iron (a ratchet handle made into a drift) and a ball peen to rivet the bead in place. Stuffed the drift into the barrel against the hole, shimmed it with a wooden wedge opposite the hole to make the bar tight, heated the SHANK end (only) of the bead until orange, shoved it in the hole and tapped it down to the shoulder. After it cooled, a 1/2 round file removed the excess brass sticking through inside. That one is on FOREVER. I coulda threaded the hole IF I spent the money for the right tap....

[M. M. Wright]

The Poly-Chokes I've removed had very fine threads in them and on the barrel.

[Gobblerforge]

Can't the shorter barrel have threads cut to accept screw in chokes?
Gobbler

[buckeyeshooter]

great suggestion!

[Blaine]

Maybe some duct tape?

[bdhold]

I'm a licensed materials engineer.
Epoxies such as JB Weld begin to decompose at 140oF - a temperature that's easy to achieve with a few quick shots through a barrel.

[KCSO]

No it won't hold, I know because I've charged extra to clean off the epoxy and do it right. Now days Poolly choke is pretty much a dead horse as screw in chokes are so common. Now as to suitability for screw in chokes you need to check BEFORE you cut. Is the barrel thick enough? Is the barrel concentric? I check here in the shop for my customers and you would be surprised at what we find. Remington 870's especially are not concentric. They are on center at the breech and at the muzzle and that's about it. The old Single shots are thick enough that even if off center a little they will stilll take a choke.

[TMair]

You might try jug choking it, I have a 10 ga. double that I managed to blow 8 or 10 inches off of the barrel, I jug choked it, and it was a better gun then it was before it got shortened, and it is free you can do it your self, the only problem with it is that you cannot adjust the choke once it is done, but then if the gun had a fixed choke to begin with you wouldn't notice anyway.
Just a thought.
Terry

[Ji in Hawaii]

Thank you for the replies gentlemen, I shall nix the JB Weld idea. I already have an old poly-choke and I'm trying to do this on the cheap since my income is fixed and budget extremely tight. No money for a gunsmith to cut and thread barrel nor to purchase choke tubes. I'll have to teach myself how to silver solder. I've done a ton of copper pipe sweating so I image not too much difference and learning curve shorter.
Thanks again friends.

[milton]

Take a look at Loctite 638.I used some to fit the flash suppressor unit on a No. 5 Enfield and it has held for several years.No promises but it is worth a try.

[rogn]

Silver soldering is usually easier than sweating pipes, although the principles are the same. Good SS melts at a fairly low temperature and easy to work with. The 3 major principles of silver soldering are to first make sure everything is clean, then reclean it, and finally make doubly sure its clean. One fingerprint can ruin your job, and its so easy to put a print where you don't want one. Welding shops usually have a small kit w/ flux and low temp solder, and the last time I got one it was fairly cheap(this is before the great China/India explosion in competition for resources. The flux may be hydrofluoric acid- follow the directions carefully.