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Lyman Cutts compensator from Browning A-5

8K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  JP1897 
#1 ·
Hello. I have a Remington model 11. with a Cutts choke. it seams like the choke wont screw down on the barrel enough to line up the sights. Can any one help me out with this problem?
 
#3 ·
So when I Thread the Cutts choke on. The front site doesn't line up with the top of the barrel. Im thinking that I will just sand the bottom of the choke a little. So that it will continue to thread down so that the front site will lineup and I can screw the little secure screw in on the backside.
 

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#4 ·
I hate to do this, but..... assuming that this is the same choke that was originally on the gun I would not sand/file anything until I was sure all threads were clean and not damaged. Again, I assume the choke is hand tight, if my memory is correct there was a hook type spanner/wrench that was used to tighten the cage and tube to the barrel colett , was that used or is everything hand tight?
I can not remember, but are the threads the same on each end of the "cage" of the choke? Have you tried reversing the cage?
 
#6 ·
I bought the gun last weekend. It has the original barrel. And the one with the choke on it. I have cleaned the threads and tried starting it on a new set of threads. That doesn't really make sense. But what I mean is that when I start threading it on I would try to start it with the front sight turned a little more or less. The cage has the front sight on it. So I can't turn it around. That was a good idea. There are lots of threads left on the cage so I font know if it's a different cage or what.
 
#7 ·
It was on that way when I got it. It's not the original barrel for it. I have the original barrel. I would like to Be able to change the barrels. The front sight is about 1/8 of a turn off. There are lots of threads left on the cage. That's why I was going to file the cage down to be able to turn it so it would line up. I don't know if it was the cage for that barrel or what's going on with it.
 
#8 ·
Hey Mike, help me out with this one, if memory is good, the early cutts were silver soldered to the barrel by company approved smiths or at company shops. Later cutts (this is where memory is failing) had a compression fitting and were more installation friendly to smaller shops......is this correct Mike?

Could the collet have turned on the barrel or been installed off center? Eric, was the choke "true" when you got the gun?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yes I do believe you are right.
But he is trying to put a old choke on a new barrel and I can not remember what I had to do in this case.
My brain is slower then normal lately so I will have to think about it and go over my notes. It's been a few years sense I did one so this is not going to be quick.
The problem is the new barrel was threaded but we do not know what for..
Does the old barrel and the new barrel have the same amount of threads?.(count them)
Mike
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
That's what I thought that the pice that was soldered to the barrel was not turned Correctly. But than I thought about it and even if I took that part off and put it back on so the sight was right the set screw on the back side would still be off. So that the screw wouldn't go in its slot.

Yes I do believe you are right.
But he is trying to put a old choke on a new barrel and I can not remember what I had to do in this case.
My brain is slower then normal lately so I will have to think about it and go over my notes. It's been a few years sense I did one so this is not going to be quick.
The problem is the new barrel was threaded but we do not know what for..
Does the old barrel and the new barrel have the same amount of threads?.(count them)
Mike
the sight was off when I got it. It's an old Remington barrel with a pice that looks to be soldered onto the barrel. No the pice that is attached to the end of the barrel has less threads than the cage of the choke. I'm thinking that the cage is not meant for that pice. The cage needs to turn about 1/8 of a turn more but when the cage is tightened tell it bottoms out. The sight and key hole is off just a bit.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Count the number of threads on the choke and on the barrel.
If you got this gun like this it almost sounds like the barrel was not threaded right.
Or are you saying (I get confused sometimes) that the barrel already has the base for the
comp on it?.
And the comp is not turning on the base completely so the bead is off?.
Mike
 
#15 · (Edited)
I would like to see the barrel with out the comp on it.'
Take a picture of it disassembled.
I haven't had one of these apart for a long time and can not remember if the comp screws down so there is a smooth transition between the base(colit)(the part that is soldered on the barrel) and the comp so even if you try to file of the end of the comp it will not go any farther on. I think I had to melt the silver solder with the comp on and twist it so all lines up.
But I could be dreaming.
Mike
 
#19 ·
Those Cutts compensators and Poly-Chokes were a major PITA that never worked as claimed anyway. They made the gun look like a flamethrower and were ugly as sin. People actually had those installed on perfectly good shotguns. Having one on the end of a barrel lowers the price of the gun when trying to sell it.
 
#16 ·
When it's fully screwed on the key hole that has a little screw that would lock it in place. Is off line as you ca see the choke has a lot more threads than the barrel end. In one of the pictures you can see that I unscrewed the choke out enough so you could see the key hole. If I scewed the choke on until it bottomed out you can't see the hole for the screw to secure it and get it in line. Sorry it took so long to respond I had some problems I had to deal with.
 

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#17 ·
I don't know if you can see the key hole that is just barley showing. I really think that the choke needs to be cut down maybe 1/16 so that it will continue to threaten down just enough to get the site straight and the keyhole straight. I don't know any other way to accomplish this any other way.
 

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#18 ·
I hope all is well and your trouble turned out ok.
Thank you for posting the pictures and I have your answer but you will not be happy with it.
The coset (the part on the barrel) was not put on right.
You have to set it so that the set screw lines up and heat the barrel to melt the solder and turn the whole thing intill it lines up.
This is a PIA you have to mark top dead center on the barrel and the comp. first then heat the coset intill the silver solder melts and turn it intill the marks line up. Then add a little silver solder to make sure it is full and let it cool down.
Silver solder melts at a low temp allot lower then you would have to get it to hurt the steel.
That is the right way to fix it
Sanding or filling anything could cause more problems then you know.
The cuts was designed to fit together with a proper fit by sanding it will take off the angle that needs to be there so you do not hinder the round leaving the barrel and go thru the comp.
This is why the gun became yours because the old owner did not want to pay to get it done right.
Mike
 
#20 ·
Back "in the day" they (cutts chokes) were the only option other than changing the barrel to switch the choke constriction; they also reduced recoil, there were no gas operated shotguns at the time so recoil reduction was a big deal to skeet/trap shooters.

Mike, would a "easier" solution be to drill/tap new holes for the sight bead and set screw? I know the ports on the comp will be off slightly, but is it enough of an issue to take the hard way?
 
#21 ·
[QUOTE="CHW2021,
Mike, would a "easier" solution be to drill/tap new holes for the sight bead and set screw? I know the ports on the comp will be off slightly, but is it enough of an issue to take the hard way?[/QUOTE]

This is where I have a thought problem that could only be helped by having it in my hands.
When it is screwed all the way so the holes line up it is screwed so the end of it that attached to the barrel is flush with the inside of the choke cage ring. If it is not screwed all the way there is a gap between the end and the start of the cage. which is not a good thing if they are not flush.
But again I can not remember how it is. It has been a long time sense I had one apart.
So when I looked in my notes I had to do what I said to get it right and that leads me to believe that is the way it is.
Mike
 
#22 ·
The "cage" portion is obviously from another gun. When the Cutts is installed, the cage is fitted to the adapter ( the part soldered to the barrel) and then the hole is drilled for the set screw. The tube needs to be shortened accurately, and square, so that it threads on by hand, to within about 1/16'' of the front sight lining up. The barrel is then held (clamped) at the adapter( so as not to stress the solder joint) while the compensator is tightened, using a flat bar stock through the slots, until the sight lines up. A center point is then drilled through the threaded hole, to accept the locking screw. The compensator is then permanently LEFT ON the barrel. Only the choke tubes themselves, are meant to be removed and reinstalled from that point on. It may be possible that you DO have all of the correct parts, but the compensator just needs to be tightened onto the adapter properly, particularly if the sight bead and lock screw are currently misaligned by the same number of degrees. If tightening by the proper method, seems to require too much force, you will need to either 1) Turn and resolder the adaptor ( difficult, risky, etc.) and it still would require a new locking screw "divot" to be drilled, OR 2) have a machinist or gunsmith face off the back of the compensator a couple thousandths at a time, until it tightens on the barrel with the bead at 12 o'clock, and hopefully, the locking screw hole aligned with the drill point.
 
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