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I believe that it can, however a full choke is not reccomended. Also certain slugs and loads should not be used. otherwise you could see your cutts tube ripped off the muzzle and sent hurling downrange. Best advice is to contact Lyman with your particular needs for a slug (application such as Deer Hunting / range desired etc.) Lyman still makes Cutts Compensators and choke tubes. They can recommend the brand or slug type and load for shooting in your Browning cutts shotgun.
On a 63 gun, the cutts would reduce the gun 15-20% or more. The good news is that barrels were not serialized to the gun. Purchase another barrel with the correct address on the barrel, and sell as a two barrel set. This could recover some of the loss on the cutts.
NO,NO,NO,NO do not chance it, I blew a 20 gauge barrel up that had a poly-chokeI would Google PolyChoke and ask them. I think it is o.k. with the choke set on IC or Cylinder, but ask them first.
Google RST Manuals. I recently bought one for my Ithaca/SKB XL300 for about $7.00. It is a factory re-print and taught me everything I needed to know. They were very good to deal with.
$400 Very Good to $500 Excellent condition.
A cutts will usually always hurt the value of an A5. There are a few exceptions with the pre-war guns. If the gun is the Skeet Model, (denoted by a **$ on the barrel) the cutts was often a regular "extra" ordered with the skeet gun and won't affect value. These were usually 3 shot autos that were stamped on the end of the forend. A skeet model is always of interest no matter condition. Any prewar gun that is in 97-100% condition will hold good value despite a cutts. The quality of the cutts installation job will make a difference plus or minus on barrels with vented & raised hollow matted ribs (Iv'e seen some shoddy jobs). Pretty much any A5 that is in super nice condition with the cutts is still collectable. I will not collect a pre war with a poly choke, but do make exceptions for the cutts. If the gun also has a pad, then value will really drop off. Other exceptions are Grade II, III, and grade IV guns. Especially extra barrels with cutts, it makes for a nice 2 barrel set, and the Cutts suddenly becomes more interesting. Bottom line is unless your gun is 95% or better, deduct from market price around 15-20% for the Cutts, and another 20-25% or more for a recoil pad.
This gun was made in 1938. The cutts can hurt a guns value regardless of who installed it. The exception is if you have the auto-5 skeet model. Check the choke marking. The skeet model could be ordered with the beavertail forend which stands out. I've seen some nice 38 & 39 guns that have been close to that 98%, but they are not getting bids over $500-700. Unless the gun is the actual skeet model, then because of the cutts, the gun is considered un-original. Unfortuantely most shooters and many collectors shy away from the front trigger safety too. Cabelas currently has a minty skeet model up for sale and they are asking $1800.
The "Thing" is called a poly-choke. It is a manually adjusted choke. I think they are still in business. And yes I have shot many deer with slugs fired from my Model 20. If you could give a more detailed discription, or perhaps a photo it would be helpful. It may possibly be the Power-Pac choke. That "Thing" is probably a Compensator , and a Varible Choke, or just one of either.
This is a tough question because gun values are often predicated more on condition of the firearm, grade, options, etc. The model 12 was produced in a huge array of models and configurations, and in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges. A field grade 12 gauge in rather poor condition might be worth $200-300; whereas a 28 gauge in almost new condition might be worth several thousand. Also, higher grade guns might be worth substantial multiples of that of a standard model. Generally, the value of a Cutts-equipped gun is somewhat less than that without, although the field utility is increased because of the different available chokes. An exception to the decreased value rule is a model 12 with factory Cutts. These can be identified because there is no choke marking on the barrel, as opposed to the typical "full," "mod," etc. The various sites such as Gun Trader are good resources for current value, as is the publication Blue Book of Gun Values.
Yes, it sounds like it will open up to a good pattern that will bode well for quail hunting.
These showed up on some of the JC Higgins pump shotguns (High Standard Flite Kings) in ABOUT the first half of the 1960s. You can check with the Lyman company for more exact information.
A fixed choke is a choke that can not be removed or changed.