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Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:36 pm
by jolly bill
I got a note from a good friend who has a friend with an early A grade Fox with the gun trying to open when firing it. 12 gauge I assume.

Here it is . . .

"Bill... A Fox chum called this weekend to say his 1st generation Fox A-Grade
had begun opening upon discharge of a mild field load. He's had the gun a
good bit and has taken numerous clay pigeons with same and with similar
loads. When closed the gun appears dead on face with no movement or play
or wiggle and with the lever well to right of center. The rotary bolt looks just
as it should and operates smoothly and the cut in the gun's rib extension has
no apparent damage or look to it different than other Foxes (which he has and
has access to). But the gun has started popping open upon firing."

We would appreciate any thoughts, causes, solutions you may have.

Many thanks in advance.

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:54 pm
by Double O
Best advice is don’t shoot it and sell it to Jolly Bill cheap. He’ll dispose of it properly.

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:00 pm
by jolly bill
Double O wrote:Best advice is don’t shoot it and sell it to Jolly Bill cheap. He’ll dispose of it properly.
Great idea and while we're at it, how about that extremely nice Fox that you have.

Aye Aye Sir.

Jolly

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:51 am
by Fin2Feather
I got the same note. Apparently there was a thread here about something similar; I searched for it but couldn't find it. If anyone could link to it that would be great!

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:20 pm
by jolly bill
Fin2Feather wrote:I got the same note. Apparently there was a thread here about something similar; I searched for it but couldn't find it. If anyone could link to it that would be great!
I have a copy of that web page too and tried to Copy it to this thread but it's a png file so I couldn't do it. Will try that again later. It almost looks like it came from ShotgunWorld.com.

However, I sent the problem situation to Jim DeMunck who is a pretty darn good gun mechanic, and fantastic gun engraver, and this is his take on it:

"The Fox depends a lot on the strength of the coil spring that locks the rotary bolt closed to keep it shut when fired and not have it pop open.

I'd suspect the spring and look over the engagement of the rotary bolt to the bbl extension with some marker to see how much and where the two are engaging.

Owners love to see the 'top lever to the right' and further the better as it shows less wear.

But they have to understand that the farther the lever is to the right, the less the rotary bolt finger is engaged onto the bbl extension cut.

It can be just the tip of the bolt finger engaging the bbl extension and that's just in to the right side of that bbl extension cut which is an angled cut (a cam surface really).
With out a strong spring to hold the rotary bolt in position there, the bbls upon firing tip downward and cam that bolt finger right away from the bbl extension and the bbl's pop open.

The heavy spring behind everything is then what really holds it there when fired.

I've had the problem on Fox and other rotary bolted shotguns."

Any other thoughts from anyone?

And Double O, I hope you're taking good care of 16109.

Jolly

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:43 pm
by MARSHFELLOW
Great answer in my opinion. Thanks Bill.
t

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:00 am
by Double O
And O, I hope you're taking good care of 16109.
I am, Jolly Bill. And growing its family.
Did you ever figure out why you wrote that serial number down YEARS before seeing the gun or reading the article?

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:12 am
by jolly bill
Double O wrote:
And O, I hope you're taking good care of 16109.
I am, Jolly Bill. And growing its family.
Did you ever figure out why you wrote that serial number down YEARS before seeing the gun or reading the article?
I don't remember who but it was about 3 or 4 years ago, maybe 5.

I've been told that as you get older, your memory is the second thing to go. I wish I could remember what the first thing was.

Re: Fox Opens on Firing

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:04 pm
by Brian Dudley
As stated above, this issue can be encountered on Rotory Bolting guns. IE: Fox, Smith, Ithaca NID.

I personally have dealt with it, and fixed the issue, on 3 or 4 NIDS. And have heard of it on Foxes a few times.

It is simply a matter of reworking the bearing points on the rib extension for the bolt.