While wet, nasty weather can be great for waterfowl hunting, it can be hell on our gear, including choke tubes, which can rust and become stuck. (Shutterstock photo)
November 21, 2025
By Tom Keer
No one in duck camp complained about the sleet and pouring rain that filled the boats that morning. The cold, wet weather drove every duck into our blocks, and man, oh man, was the gunning hot. The only problem came later in the afternoon when a couple of choke tubes didn’t want to turn in their threads. Stuck choke tubes can give even a choir boy a reason to cuss.
The funny thing about using a choke wrench on a belligerent tube is it puts twisting pressure on the unstuck part of the choke. Focusing on the threads is the key, but historically it’s been difficult to do so. Some of my buddies heat their muzzles with a torch, but I’ve never done that out of concern for melting the rib soldering. I’ve never used a rubber hammer either. Instead, here are three proven methods to unstick the stuck.
METHOD #1 Soak and Scrub Before you can remove a stuck choke tube, you’ve got to get it loose. Start by soaking it in a penetrating solution like Kroil Penetrating Oil or Break Free CLP (the CLP stands for Cleans, Lubricates, Protects). Penetrating solutions bust up metal corrosion and they’re especially good on rusted threads. Invert the barrel of a safe shotgun and place the muzzle into a clean jar or old coffee can. Then, pour enough of the solution into the jar so that it covers the choke. Let it sit for a while, wipe off the excess solution and twist free with your choke tube wrench. Bad corrosion will require a longer soak.
When the choke tube is removed, clean the loosened rust from the tube’s threads with a wire wheel. When you’re finished, inspect each thread for breakage. If any are damaged, you’ll have to replace the choke tube.
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While you’re at it, why not give the barrel threads a good cleaning? Chuck a bore brush that is one size larger than your barrel gauge in a drill. That is, if you’re shooting a 16-gauge, use a 12-gauge bore brush. Insert the brush into the muzzle and spin lightly until the threads are clean.
Grease the threads of the choke tube as well as the threads inside the muzzle before reinstalling the tube. Wipe off any excess grease and finish with a thorough cleaning to remove any solvent, grease or metal shavings.
Once you remove a stuck choke, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean both the tube’s threads and those within your shotgun’s muzzle. (Tom Keer photo) METHOD #2 Get a Grip you’re in a remote camp and there’s no penetrating solvent handy, you could still be in luck if there’s a bench vise. Sometimes, a better grip produces enough torque to spin a stuck choke. Insert your choke wrench in the vise with the teeth facing up. Then, slide your safe barrel over the wrench’s teeth. Using two hands to twist should double the torque and might free the choke tube.
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METHOD #3 Use a Choke Demon A Scottish shooter and innovator named Richard Pinch came up with an outstanding solution for stuck choke tubes and founded a company called Choke Demon . While choke wrenches twist the tube from the top edge, Pinch created his products so that they grip the top but also turn from the center.
“Most choke tube wrenches add torque to the teeth that are in the top of the tube,” he says. “That’s somewhat of an antiquated approach. I designed the Removal Tool to apply torque in two places. The first is through the teeth at the top of the tube. The second comes through teeth that grab the inside of the tube, which can be rotated from within. Most stuck choke tubes can be removed since torque is applied in not just one but two different places.”
Not only is it effective, it’s easy to use. Insert the Removal Tool in the choke tube and place an Allen wrench in the fitting at the top. When you turn the Allen wrench, the center pins flare and expand. Machined teeth on the outside of each pin firmly grip the inside of the stuck tube. The final step is to remove the Allen wrench, attach a 17-millimeter socket and turn. The Removal Tool is wonderfully simple and so compact that it can be added to any gear bag for quick and easy choke tube swapping.
Two other Choke Demon products use a similar “from within” process that makes for easy choke tube removal.
“The Finger Key has a machined and tapered stem that fits into any brand of choke tube and grips at several different internal points,” Pinch says. “The knurled grip offers shooters great traction in any kind of weather and makes for fast changing.
“The Speed Key is similar to the Finger Key in that it has a machined and tapered stem, but the crank handle adds additional torque to quickly removed stubborn tubes.”
Whereas traditional choke tube wrenches grip the tube at the muzzle end, Choke Demon’s tools engage the tube in multiple places. (Tom Keer photo) Choke Demon products are suitable for Teague, Perazzi, Briley, Beretta and Browning chokes in 12 and 20 gauges.
While stuck choke tubes are mainly associated with waterfowl hunting, they can plague upland and turkey hunters who head out on rainy days, too. Removing the choke at the end of an already long day is an extra step, but it’s worth it in the long run. And if you’re shooting a shotgun that previously had a stuck tube or rusted threads, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter the situation again. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be back in the hunt in no time.
This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.
