Sterlingworth with 30" barrels

[Gretagrouse]

Hi all,
I just got back from a gun show over the weekend, and after being totally disgusted with the number of crooks out there, can anyone tell me how rare a Sterlingworth with 30" barrels reallly is? From what I've been able to dig up 30" were standard for a while, but i don't know how long before 28" became standard or if they even did. Also kicking myself for not buying a Ster. pin gun for 650. I'll be dreading that for a long time. Gun was still tight with a few dings and dents as can be expected.
THanks,
Tim

[bamboozler]

I don't think anybody really knows... but, you'll find a lot of 12-gauges with 30" bbls. and not a lot sub-gauges with 30" tubes. Finding a 20-ga. Ejector with 30" bbls. is tough---I've encountered only two in about 10 years of looking for them.

[Researcher]

I've been recording the Sterlingworths I've observed since the late 1980s when we were gathering information for McIntosh's book. From my observations 12-gauge 30-inch Sterlingworths are far and away the most common Fox shotgun, with 28-inch 12-gauge Sterlingworths running a distant second. In the smallbores 28-inch seems to be the most common length, followed by 26-inch. The 30-inch barrels aren't too uncommon in 16-gauges, while 32-inchers in either gauge seem scarce. It seems from my observations that a higher percentage of graded smallbores have long barrels then smallbore Sterlingworths.

[Gretagrouse]

Thanks for the replies. The guy tried telling me it was scarce because of 30" tubes, but something didn't sit right with me when he told me that. Plus his price of $2300. made me laugh. When he told me it was scarce I said why, because it has 30" tubes? And he said yes. Oh well, I 'll find someone who isn't a crook sooner or later. Thanks again.

Tim

[bamboozler]

Gretagrouse,

What gauge Sterlingworth are you talking about? Is the gun an ejector or an extractor? A 20-ga. Ejector w/30" bbls. may be a good buy at $2300.

[vaturkey]

Ditto for 16 Gauge SW with Ejectors with 30" barrels. I know where one is right now and the asking price is $3.450. Condition is excellent, but that's a lot of green IMO.

[Gretagrouse]

Mornning all,
She was just a 12 ga. in good condition. I use the Blue Book when I'm trying to figure a price. Would that be a good source for figuring a price?

[mike campbell]

The blue book exists because someone researched the marketplace and massaged some data. The price is set by the marketplce and the market changes, which means the blue book may not be current or otherwise applicable in your region. In this day and age the best way I've found to figure a price is to spend a couple of hours online visiting 3 or 4 auction sites, for sale forums on the bulletin boards and a dozen or so dealer's sites. It's a pleasurable passtime and if you take notes you'd wind up with something like "28 & 30" barreled, 12ga Fox SW's in very good (advertised) condition abound in the $600-1200 price range." Some with issues (usually rust, pitted bores or barrel dings/bulges) are offered at <$600.....seldom a bargain unless you can do some work yourself or get it done free. Some are offered at >$1200. If you're tempted to spend that much, then you should be aware and knowledgeable of features (such as ejectors, single triggers, or very high original condition) that might justify the premium.

I realize it's your money, not mine, but a mere $200 on a Sterlingworth can be the difference between a gem and a clunker. How far does $200 go on beer, cigarettes and movie tickets? At the end of the day, don't be afraid to stretch your budget as much as you can possibly justify to yourself. They aren't making them anymore and if you buy one with zero faults you'll recover your money in 5 years, or sell it for a profit in 10.

[DGKaas]

I bought a very nice, relatively unmolested, original blue, silver action with case colors in hidden areas, lever way to the right, buggered floorplate screw, Phila. Sterlingworth yesterday in the RARE 12 gauge 28" double trigger, extractor, pistol grip configuration choked .018/.035 on .726 bores, #1067??, at my local shop for the princely sum of $500 out the door. It does have the (I wish it was) rare 3" of drop and needed the proper grip cap (I had one in the parts box). It went to Mike Orlen this morning for a stock bend up (I had to try...)and upon return will head to Beaver Dam, MS to join the Boyd Boys' small arsenal of American doubles made up of two other Fox SWs in 30" and 32" and a 32" Smith Wildfowl magnum, that I had previously found for them. Mike and I had spoken at 2;00 p.m. and he asked me to find him another Sterlingworth. I bought his new Fox around 5:00 p.m and called him on the way home and apologized that it had taken so long to find him a decent gun...Like the truth, they are out there...and you don't have to pay a lot of money for them. I bought a set of 20g barrels for my 1912 0 frame Parker DHE from Galazan yesterday too for more than the 3 Sterlingworths cost in toto...go figure....

[Gretagrouse]

Well I'll just keep looking. Heading to 3 gun shows in October. Wish now that I would have bought the pin gun I found for $650. Was in good shape for her age and priced to sell. Oh well, such is life. Thanks for all the replys.