I just picked up a pretty sweet older browning citori trap with fixed chokes. Has anyone gone through the trouble of sending barrels off to be machined to accept chokes? Does anyone have recommendations on where to send something like this to be done? I have done some research and it looks like brileys is my best option but I would like to hear if someone has had experience with something like this.

What is it choked now? What are your plans for it? Have you checked with Briley on cost, plus the cost of around $50 each for several good chokes?

Trap gun? Modified and Full?

Ive never had it done but I would be inclined to leave it alone and enjoy a VERY sweet gun, as is. take the money and buy a separate gun for whatever you want to use it for.

Its choked full and imp mod and barrels are 30" and ported. I want to use it for sporting clays and having this done would increase its usability for all clay sports. The cost going through brileys is $649 not including tax and shipping. This does include 5 extended chokes of my choosing that will handle lead shot only and cost $85 each through brileys. I have no plans to take it goose hunting. I don't have a ton invested in the gun, and adding this additional cost, I'm still under what a new shotgun with similar features would run.

Google Mike Orlen or Steve Rose. I have used both and they are cheaper than the big names and do choke work as good or better than anyone in the business. I prefer Steve, he has put Invector choke threads in barrels for me and they were spot on.

I have a Remington 1100 with a fixed mod choke. I took it to a gunsmith and he was going to charge a fair price to do it. No steel shot of course. I ended up just ordering a new barrel for it and use Rem chokes. Was about $50 more than the gunsmith was going to charge. That was 20 years ago though.

Thats not too bad, You know Briley will get it right, I'm sure Davids recommendations are spot on too as he is really up to date on the local shotgunning world.

post pics of the gun, sounds sweeeeet

Not an expert but wonder what type of performance can be expected by adding choke tubes to a barrel that already has choke to it.

My understanding is that cylinder or "no choke" barrels are used with guns made to be used with choke tubes.

The ability to change chokes for specific purposes.

Spot on David. Dan, the chokes in it may be fine for trap, but not necessarily for skeet or sporting clays. They may need to be changed going from one station to the next depending on that stations shot presentations, distances etc. Being able to change chokes makes the shotgun more versatile. Now that I've got an over under I'll be 2x as versatile.

I'd understand the impact on the gun's value in modifying it. Lots of older Browning A9's had Poly-Chokes added that really impacted their longer term value.

You can really spend alot of energy on the choke selection game in clays, good shooting skills will do the same.

Understood.

My question is would a fixed choke barrel (modified for example) that has been altered to accept choke tubes perform the same as a cylinder barrel (no choke) using the same choke tubes? Or, in other words, wouldn't it be best to modify a cylinder barrel to take choke tubes?

My gut tells me adding choke to choke creates unknown performance with every choke tube and choked barrel combination.

As long as the barrel is thick enough it doesn't matter what it started as.

Steps
A piloted reamer cuts inside of barrel to fit choke leaving material for threads.
Threads cut.
Polish .

Many gunsmiths who take in guns for chokes send them out to be done.
Here is one place, https://www.briley.com/c-1082-choke-installation.aspx

Yea, it's expensive.
With many guns the just barrel can sent in.

Briley is good. I've had them do some choke work for me on one of my over unders and it turned out perfect. They are in easy driving distance for me.

Mike Orlen put screw in chokes in a fixed choke over under for one of my hunting buddies and it also turned out perfect. I think Mr. Orlen installed trulock chokes. Orlen had a faster turn around.

With both shotguns the barrels were all they needed.

Well, i have contacted Brileys, Steve Rose and Mike Orlen. I have heard back from Brileys and Steve Rose. From the info Steve gave me my barrels needed to be at least .810 od to add thin wall chokes. He charges $75/bore, $15 shipping and 20$/choke, great price. BUT my barrels measured .795 using my calipers. Brileys was very confident in their ability to do the job.

I will try to post some pics of the shotgun shortly.

Personally I’d just open it up IC/LM and call it good. .033” approximate wall thickness plus what they have to remove for choke tube clearance is pretty darn thin for choke support. I’m sure they are using a setup where the threads are closer to the breach vs one with the threads at the muzzle. Be very cautious of your muzzles when you have the tubes removed for cleaning.

If Steve is not confident in the barrel wall thickness, this is your answer. Aaron knows what he is talking about. I'd trust Steve and Mike long before Briley, in fact, I don't and won't ever use a Briley product or service.

Steve did also say that brileys would be able to do it. In part because the chokes are made specifically for the barrels and their dimensions. I've heard nothing but good things about brileys and am willing to give them a shot on Steve's recomendation.