Anyone know why most .410’s are full choke?

It seems to me a full choked .410 is a niche gun. I have a Marlin single shot and a Stevens .410 and they both seem to pattern real tight. I took a couple (still) rabbits at 12-15 yards and with a headshot, no pellets landed anywhere in the body.

My dad and grandpa used .410’s for varmints around the farm and for squirrel hunting – but with a full choke, are there other useful purposes? It seems to me such a small load would be better with a modified or even improved choke.

Also, anyone have anyone have any experience with the Marlin or Winchester .410 lever actions? The Marlin looks neat, but with a Cylinder bore, isn’t that TOO open? Are the Winchesters made in America?

For a lot of what I do – small game and “yard†varmint control, the .410 is a great choice, but it seems like it could be better.

Thoughts?

I don't know why American makers are so stuck on full choke for the 410. My little Huglu side by side is imp cyl and modified and it does just fine. Regardless, I would think that both the Marlin and Winchester would have enough wall thickness at the muzzle to thread for tubes if you wanted them.

I have a "9410" Short model. LNIB Hate it!

Does not feed ammo worth a damn!

Great looking little gun, but needs some serious work!

Does have screw-in chokew tubes and is made in the USA.

My recommendation, buy one used and ask to shoot it before you hand over the $$.

Jeff

Jeff
Where are you located? If close, maybe you'd like to sell?

I'm in Texas.

Glad to sell...(432)-943-4888

JW

As to the "choke" of .410's, there's very little difference in a "full" and a skeet choke in this bore. The theory is that you need a "tight" choke to make the small shot charge effective. Even so, many .410's, like other gauges, may be overchoked. An unchoked (cylinder) barrel would be pretty miserable in a .410 beyond about 40 feet.

In regard to the Model 9410, someone on this forum once asked if it would be good for Cowboy Shooting. In my experience, if shot with less than a 20 gauge, cowboys may go down, but tend to get back up and have to be shot again.

The full choke in a .410 is 0.18 and skeet is .005 and Briley's lite skeet is .003. A 12 gauge is .035 for full and still 0..5 for skeet. I have never shot a lite skeet but it is tough enough shooting skeet with the skeet choke.

As to why they are full choked, I don't know. They are certainly not beginner guns but how many of us were started off on them. I think that almost any choke in a .410 is better than full.

I've got a 9410 Ranger. Winchester calls it an improved cylinder choke. If nicely fills out a 23" circle at 25 yards-good and dense with #8 shot. I've had no problems of any kind with the gun, it feeds & ejects well, and has no excessive sideways "play" in the lever. I've more than happy with it.