I also swear by Kroil. A Gallon jug in the garage, and a small bottle in the cabinet with my reloading stuff/gun stuff. I just took a stroll on Ebay and found most any brand of wrench needed for about $10-15. It's a lot cheaper than iffen you goober up the choke notches and the rifle threads! I don't imagine you have a thread chaser for those proprietary ones, but correct me if I'm wrong.
Okay so this morning I went ahead and tried to remove my barrel and it was stuck for some reason and I mean stuck pretty good even though I barely tightened the barrel nut last night. So I had to get the brother to help and after a good solid half hour, finally got it loose. On this Maverick 88, once the barrel is off your not supposed to really rack the pump back and fourth, mechanically long term it’s essentially not good if you sit there and rack the pump back and fourth over and over with no barrel installed. But I forgot to open the action since I was so focused on getting that choke off. So once I got the barrel nut loose, I just left the action closed and the barrel came out, which is fine. But when you go to put the barrel back in, if the action is closed, it won’t slide in. So I had the rack the pump to the rear to get the barrel to slide in and then screw the barrel nut all the way and then you can play with the action. Anyways, at that point I opened the action and then took the barrel off again to resume removing that choke. I used brake fluid for it, left it for about half a day, still needed the brother’s help to get it loosened and ended up bending a second quarter but I finally got it out! So I went ahead and cleaned it up nice, I still need to buy some anti-seize from my local auto store and then I wanna clean those barrel choke threads some more and the choke just to be sure it’s all good to go and then I can apply the anti- seize and then it’s ready to be reassembled.
Actually, for Mossberg 500 and Maverick 88 the best position for the action for removing and reinstalling the barrel is about half way open (or half way closed depending on how you look at it). With the action all the way back, it can be done but it always seem to bind up a little. If it is only halfway back, the barrel drops in with no binding and no issues. YMMV. As for the stuck choke, glad you got it out. I had one stick on me and ended up buying a tool from Brownell's that essentially was a tapered tool that slid down in the choke tube until it was snug and had serrated edges to bite into the choke so that you could twist it out. I got it out but messed up the tube enough that I bought a replacement choke tube in that constriction. Hope I never have another stuck one but if I do, I have the tool to get it out if all else fails!
Pandemic. Look into one of these, as they offer better leverage than the factory wrench. Only shotguns I don't use them on are the ones with external choke tubes. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/carlsons-choke-tube-speed-wrenches Mosberg seems to be out of stock on the factory ones, but numrich usually has them. I'll check the parts bins here, and see if I have an extra lying in there. If I do, I'll let you know, and mail it to you.
Pan I would suggest you make some good lube yourself with out Mobile One Synthetic Motor Oil and Mobile One Synthetic Transmission Fluid. It will make one of the best lubricants you would ever buy! And the great news it will NOT BAKE OFF! No matter how hot the gun and gun parts get. It would be great to put some on your Finger and rug some on the threads of the Choke Tubes before reassembling! It doesn't smell that great but who cares. We use it at the Academy for the AR-15 Instructor Certification Schools and have for years. Great stuff! Formula: 1 Quart Mobile One Synthetic Motor Oil 15W50 1/2 Quart Mobile One Synthetic ATF Transmission Fluid Put all of it in a small container and mix up the Quart and a Half of great Lubricant. They get some of those small spray bottle like they use in a Beauty Shop and use them to dispurse the lubricant.
If he will just apply some anti-seize on the threads, he wont ever have the problem again. I put it on all of the end cap threads on my suppressor's, and never have a problem with a carbon locked end cap. Suppressor's get 2-3 times as hot as any shotgun choke, so I now for a fact that it works.
I did put some on and now it give’s me piece of mind that I should not have a problem the next time I remove it. It still may be a little tight the next time I remove it but not as bad as it was before (not even close) because of the anti seize that’s now on there. When I finally got my choke out, the threads on it and on the inside of the barrel were bone dry. That’s why I’m never using gun oil for that purpose ever again, that stuff will dry out the moment you fire. So anti seize it is.
Had another question, will Vaseline work for shotgun chokes? That's what I used instead because it works the same as anti-sieze. Did some research and other people seem to use it as well on shotgun threads and chokes and it works fine.
Stop being so damned tight! Buy the right stuff and be done with it forever! It's not like you can buy ammo with the money you save!
I'm sorry... I forgot my way of soaking things at either end of a barreled action. In most garages you have an old cheapie plastic flashlight that took the big rectangular 6vt battery. most of them were not pierced in any way on the rear. I cut the wires off the switch and put about 3 inches of Kroil in it, and soaked a trigger in it without having to remove it from the action. Set it down in a more or less inaccessible corner and you can lean the long gun quite nicely there. Any solvent of choice that won't eat the plastic would work.
I know and I understand, I'm not being tight at all lol, I'm just wondering what your guys opinion is if Vaseline is okay to use is all.
Well stop wondering and listen to those who have already been there, Sniper, TXHB, C3, etc. you're getting years of experience for free! Pan, having a bit of sport at your expense don't stop wondering great discoveries are found by the curious.
+1 on Kroil. Put a couple of drops on the muzzle end and let it sit overnight. And get a proper choke wrench, not a quarter. Afterwards use anti seize.