Its a soft aluminum tube just like the mullers. Any of the issues you run into on the mullers you'll run into on the plasmas since there really isn't room in a choke to make them thicker.

Stick with steel or titanium honestly.

 

Both Muller and Briley aluminum chokes break. Muller appears to have the most failures.
If you want a light weight choke choose titanium.

CT

 

I have not heard of any problems with Briley's aluminum chokes. Briley's website say's, they use a special high strength Aluminum alloy to strengthen their aluminum chokes. I don't really know if I would still trust a aluminum choke though? I'll second the motion to stay with Titanium chokes, if their spectrum chokes are too heavy for Ya? break em all Jeff

 

It's just odd there isn't a ton of info first hand with these chokes. I've read all about Muller but I like brileys stuff. To me they appear to be a tad longer than regular extended chokes, but i can't even find an overall dimension. I have no complaints with my current chokes just bored and wanted todo some research. Wish someone had done a muller vs briley plasma choke comparison. Thanks for the input thus far everyone!

 

Thanks for the input thus far everyone!

They have that "Cool Look" in Briley's website though!!! LOL. break em all Jeff

 

Aluminum, give me a break

 

Heck I been using Kolar Aluminum chokes for years in my Kolar AAA tubes and carrier barrel that came with my Kolar Max Sporter never had an issue but they have only had about 30,000 rounds thru them.

 

That they do Jeff! Caught my eye. That's for sure!

 

If Briley Plasma chokes are good enough for Anthony Matarese to use I guess they might be ok.But then the Ant ain’t normal !!!!!

 

Jeff I appreciate that. That's all I needed to hear to take the the plunge myself on these cool looking choke tubes. This no shooting is getting to me and I'm over thinking everything. Hopefully we all will be back at it soon!!

 

Extreme makes excellent chokes. They use to make all the extended chokes for Krieghoff, until Krieghoff decided to produce there own chokes.
I can see why, you use the chokes that came with your Kolar sub-gauge tubes. Its just that I had no idea Kolar used Aluminum chokes in there sub-gauge tube-sets. I have only used Briley's sub-gauge tube sets. Good Luck on your Journey. break em all Jeff

 

Extreme makes excellent chokes. They use to make all the extended chokes for Krieghoff, until Krieghoff decided to produce there own chokes.
I can see why, you use the chokes that came with your Kolar sub-gauge tubes. Its just that I had no idea Kolar used Aluminum chokes in there sub-gauge tube-sets. I have only used Briley's sub-gauge tube sets. Good Luck on your Journey. break em all Jeff

Jeff here is one for thought Winchester offered the first Aluminum choke years ago in their 59 Win-lite steel -fiberglass composition barrel auto loader mine is still going and never have I had an issue with a choke failure or any other problem the gun is supper light and a pleasure to hunt with and has broken many clay targets and harvested many species of game birds.
The ( New Aluminum Choke ) is not so new it is a re introductory to an old obsolete invention.

 

I have to stop and ask WHY are these aluminum chokes failing. If we only shot trap loads out of them lead not steel shot of course what makes them fail. Aluminum can't be all bad if ford is building there new trucks out of the stuff. Is some sense aluminum is stronger. It likes to retain its shape more than steel. I get if the choke is loose the fine threads would be an issue. As far as melting or softening of the aluminum while shooting I just can't fathom that. The heat just isn't there. Especially for trap. Yes barrels get hot but you can burn your finger before aluminum will melt. Beer drinkers know this by throwing a can in the fire. It takes a serious hot fire for those things "to go away" if you will. Here i am talking myself into them again.

 

Individual grain size of the metals are different. Grain size determines strength and brittleness of the metals. Grain size determines maleability.

https://www.olympus-ims.com/en/applications/grain-size-analysis/

 

I had a set split in a Blaser F3. I know people who have shot a ton of them in K80’s and Beretta’s and had no issues. I don’t think Briley offers the Plasma choke in Blasers any longer.

 

Extreme and Rhino G2 make great chokes out of Titanium.

 

Thanks flasmax. Thats what im looking for!!

 

Stainless steel is an extremely durable material. Titanium is even stronger .
Plasma is found in blood.

You can't sell chokes made of aluminum unless they have a fancy name.

Henry

 

All I know about metals is this. Different metals heat up and expand at different temperature's!!! So when the barrel heats up at one point and the choke heats up at a "Vastly" different point. The two metals move against each other every time the heat up and cool down. This causes the chokes to move apart and become loose. If chokes become too loose the wad and shot can get under the end of the choke. Over time powder residue builds up under the choke and pushes the end of the choke inward in a soft spot. This allows the shot stream to either rip up choke, or blow out the barrel end. Maybe both at the same time? Do check your chokes often to see if they come loose while your shooting. Remove them and clean & oil them often, and you will avoid most of this risk? Possibly??? If you find you have a choke that comes loose all the time while shooting replace it with another choke, or tighten it after every station you shoot until you do change out the choke. Similar metals will heat up and expand at the same time. Thus if the chokes and metal are close to the same metal, or have similar expansion rates the chokes should stay tight. If the chokes stay tight, you should not have any problems. I expect this is the biggest factor. Of course Aluminum is a softer metal as well, But it also has a "Much" Different Heat Index than Steel. But not every Aluminum choke fails. Perhaps these shooters are keeping there chokes tight. Do use the proper wrench to tighten your chokes. Don't just finger tighten them. Use the proper wrench and snug the choke down using two fingers. This should keep you from over-tightening the chokes. If you use your whole hand, a strong person can over-tighten the chokes and start striping the threads out over time. The shooter who is not aware of his loose chokes might be at a higher risk??? Maybe. Either way I will not be using Aluminum chokes in my shotgun. Not now!!! not in the future!!! You may do as you like. break em all Jeff

 

You may very well be correct. But, the fact remains that Kolar's website only States----extended chokes in Stainless Steel for one price. Extended Titanium chokes for another price. Last buy not least ext. sub-gauge chokes in Stainless for another price. So its possible their flush chokes are aluminum. I'm pretty sure the whole full length sub-gauge tube is made from Aluminum, so why not the choke as well. The Chamber should be made from Titanium though? But as you noted, the whole sub-gauge tube is surrounded by a steel barrel. Even if its not strong enough for a 12 ga. load (carrier barrel). The added strength of the aluminum full length tube,and the steel carrier barrel is more than strong enough for the 20,28 and 410 bore to be fired safely!!! Since the ext. sub-gauge tubes extend beyond the steel barrel. This would explain why they are made of Stainless instead of aluminium!!!

Since I'm bored, even though I did go out and pull the trigger today. I got my Briley sub-gauge chokes out of the case and they are magnetic. I then checked the chamber and barrel area of my sub-gauge tubes and neither of them are magnetic. But my chokes are. I then checked my Briley ext. chokes out of my browning and they are magnetic as well. I looked them up on Briley's website and they are made from 17-4 Stainless Steel. So I figure my Briley flush sub-gauge chokes are made from 17-4 Stainless Steel as well. I know that real Stainless Steel is NON--Magnetic, but I was not aware that 17-4 Stainless Steel IS--magnetic!!! I learned something today. ra ra ra. So, I thought I would share this info with the rest of TS.com. break em all Jeff

Jeff,

Yes, as you have found the Kolar extended chokes for their sub gauge tubes are made of stainless and the barrel chokes can be ordered with stainless or titanium.
The flush chokes for the tubes are aluminum and they are $5 cheaper than the extended stainless. If you go to their web site and the AAA tube category there is a photo of the tubes with an aluminum choke threaded on. The extended need to be stainless because they are not reinforced by the barrel.
Regarding your Briley tubes there has been for years the choice of the customer for stainless or titanium chambers. The Ti's cost more but are lighter.
There are different stainless alloys and some are magnetic and some are not.

CT

 

There are different stainless alloys and some are magnetic and some are not.

Yes as I found out yesterday with the 17-4 Stainless Steel!!! I have used Stainless Steel screws in the building industry for decades. These screws and the Stainless used for them are "Non-Magnetic"!!! The 17-4 Stainless used in the production of shotgun chokes IS Magnetic!!!

I have seen a few of the shooters in my area using the briley extended sub-gauge tubes in Titanium. I don't know if its just for bling? Or if these shooters believe it helps there patterns? The shooters I speak of are hard core and excellent shots. All shoot K-guns with lots of bling on there shotguns already as well. So It would be impossible to say if the chokes help there shooting or not? All of these same shooters have dropped there Kolar sub-gauge tubes (even if they are still shooting Kolars) and gone with Briley's sub-gauge tube-sets as well. break em all Jeff

 

I have to stop and ask WHY are these aluminum chokes failing. If we only shot trap loads out of them lead not steel shot of course what makes them fail. Aluminum can't be all bad if ford is building there new trucks out of the stuff. Is some sense aluminum is stronger. It likes to retain its shape more than steel. I get if the choke is loose the fine threads would be an issue. As far as melting or softening of the aluminum while shooting I just can't fathom that. The heat just isn't there. Especially for trap. Yes barrels get hot but you can burn your finger before aluminum will melt. Beer drinkers know this by throwing a can in the fire. It takes a serious hot fire for those things "to go away" if you will. Here i am talking myself into them again.

KB,

Aluminum chokes are failing not from heat but because both stainless and titanium have much higher tensile strength.
There is not enough of a margin of strength with the aluminum and any minor machining error or over loading can and does result in fracture failure. Both Muller and Briley are experiencing failures and are discontinuing aluminum or changing to stainless. If chokes were required to be proof tested like barrels there would be no extended aluminum chokes.
Ford is making aluminum bodies not for strength but for weight reduction. The steel bodies are stronger and don't dent as easy as the aluminum.

CT

 

The steel bodies are stronger and don't dent as easy as the aluminum.

This is honestly the exact opposite in car bodies. As a bodyman the aluminum likes to retain its shape alot more than steel. Hail damage on the aluminum body panels are no where near as bad as steel. Steel used on cars today is super thin. Just sayin.

 

This one was in my Beretta semi auto. All I shot were 1oz 1250fps that year, never dropped or hit the ground...just went to change it out one day and couldn't get it out....and it was this way.

 

My take on the failures is that the barrels themselves are not threaded to a consistent tolerance (I believe this is why Muller stopped offering the aluminum chokes for Optima bore barrels). If you get a barrel who's thread section was bored a little oversize, now you don't have the steel barrel backing up the aluminum choke, and there's a gap between the choke that eventually the aluminum choke will expand to fill. If there is not enough "give" to expand, it cracks and fails.

 

Ian,

I agree with your conclusion but the size problem also occurs with the chokes at times.
I have measured Muller chokes that were .010" undersize on the threads of what they should be.

CT

 

Lol i seen it!!

 

Extreme and Rhino G2 make great chokes out of Titanium.

58,

Also Briley and Pure Gold and Teague.

CT

 

Use a grinder on aluminum and it wont even make sparks.
Would you make a knife out of aluminum?
Would you trust a aluminum chain on a craine while standing underneath?
Henry

 

Would you fly in an aluminum airplane?

 

I had one of the very first sets of Briley Plasma chokes for my Blaser. No issues, no failures, gun got the daylights shot out of it.

When I traded for a K-80 with release triggers, I parted out the Plasma chokes.

I still have a LM, and use it in my 870 12 ga. Blaser chokes have the same external dimensions as the Rem Choke, but the skirt is .005" larger to accommodate the Blaser's larger bore. Works out to be I/C in the Remmy. DO NOT use the Remchoke in a Blaser.

I prefer Briley chokes, but the K-80 has the extended Titanium chokes, and they pattern well enough to not warrant replacement. The IMOD is ultra deadly on 16 yard targets. The Full is a death ray on Caps.

 

My friends have had and used the Aluminum tubes with no problems but personally I'd stick with the titanium tubes and never have worries. I've shot them in my K gun for a number of years now and love them.

 

Ok so i didnt mean for this to turn into a what it did. I was mainly looking for experience. Not if one would fly in A plane or if a ford truck box could handle 9000 pounds of rocks being dropped in it. But I do appreciate the Info that has been provided!!