History of Barrel "Choking"

[The Baron]

Can anyone tell me... at what point in history did "choking" of shotgun barrels become relatively common? I have a gun which, I think, was made c.1830's and at least one of the two barrels appears to be choked.

 

[benvenuto]

The portugese book "espingarda perfeyta" from the 1720's discusses choke at great length...
when it became popular i'm not sure

 

I think it became popular during the exhibition shooting era (late 1800s?).

 

[Mike Brooks]

The chokeing system we're familiar with today was invented by a guy in Illinois for the market hunters along the Illinois river. Seems it was during the mid to late 1870's...I've got a book somewhere.... Anyway, It IMMEDIATLY became very popular and was spread world wide.
Early cartrige guns of the 1860's had no choke. There was some reference to choke boring in earlier time periods by both the french and english (early 1800's) gunmakers, but they kept their chokes so secret we have no idea what they are actually refering to.