Value question

[Bob Beach]

Sorry to be late to this party but I've been busy. I can't believe that with over 55,000 serial numbers that I've made available you guys aren't taking advantage of the information that I've been archiving for the past 2 years. Fox 300004 is listed on the Research page of the Griffin & Howe site under the Used Fox shotguns sold by Abercrombie & Fitch. Many of the high grade guns went through A&F at some time or other and this 'C' grade was no exception. Number 300004 came in to A&F as a consigned gun in 1936. Between 1936 and 1940 it was listed in the annual inventories 8 times, indicating that it was probably sold three times and twice was returned. Here is a description from when it was listed in the 1937 A&F gun list. You will note that it says "Selective Single Trigger in the Rear Position". The inventory record also notes the single trigger. The retail price of $100 in 1937 had been reduced to $65 by 1940. Remember, the G&H archives are only a phone call or an email away.



Courtesy of Griffin & Howe, Inc

Bob Beach
Archival Research
Griffin & Howe, Inc

[eightbore]

Mr. Beach, you are some researcher. You have made some nice catches lately. It was nice to have met you at the Vintagers where we spent some time on the computer trying to track down some General Billy Mitchell connection with a Griefelt ten gauge. Bill Murphy, a hop and a skip from the Vintagers.

[Chukarman]

Mike, given my vast knowlege of Foxes, I'd give it a value of about $1,000.00 us....... I'd be happy to wire you the funds from my Nigerian uncles bank account. I will expect a 600 day inspection period. And while your sending me the gun, you might as well crate up the dog with the crooked tail, I think you call him Ted.......



Hope your having a great christmas.


Tim

Tim - I thank you for your very generous offer. However, the Fox gun in question was never for sale by me. I just needed a reasonable estimate of value for insurance purposes. Ted is not a good enough bird dog to sell to a friend - or even to GIVE to a friend. I will keep him a while and see if he improves. Perhaps then...

He did find some covies of valley quail for me on Friday, and I did manage to shoot a double over him with the Fox.

[Chukarman]

Sorry to be late to this party but I've been busy. I can't believe that with over 55,000 serial numbers that I've made available you guys aren't taking advantage of the information that I've been archiving for the past 2 years. Fox 300004 is listed on the Research page of the Griffin & Howe site under the Used Fox shotguns sold by Abercrombie & Fitch. Many of the high grade guns went through A&F at some time or other and this 'C' grade was no exception. Number 300004 came in to A&F as a consigned gun in 1936. Between 1936 and 1940 it was listed in the annual inventories 8 times, indicating that it was probably sold three times and twice was returned. Here is a description from when it was listed in the 1937 A&F gun list. You will note that it says "Selective Single Trigger in the Rear Position". The inventory record also notes the single trigger. The retail price of $100 in 1937 had been reduced to $65 by 1940. Remember, the G&H archives are only a phone call or an email away.



Courtesy of Griffin & Howe, Inc

Bob Beach
Archival Research
Griffin & Howe, Inc

Mr. Beach. I am very grateful to have the information that you provided about my Fox gun. Thank you.

The gun pictured in my earlier post is the gun in the description by G&H. The trigger fitted was an "Infallible Single Trigger' and a nasty piece of work with a painful pull weight, probably the reason that the gun changed hands so many times. I asked Dennis Potter to fit a set of double triggers that I provided, and returned the Fox to factory original configuration. It has also improved the utility of the gun. Whether this was wise may be questioned, but the gun does kill birds now without the problems I had with the SST.

the Infallible Single Trigger...



It is always interesting to know a bit about the history of these guns. Thanks again.

[thuddddddd]

Mike, given my vast knowlege of Foxes, I'd give it a value of about $1,000.00 us....... I'd be happy to wire you the funds from my Nigerian uncles bank account. I will expect a 600 day inspection period. And while your sending me the gun, you might as well crate up the dog with the crooked tail, I think you call him Ted.......



Hope your having a great christmas.


Tim

Tim - I thank you for your very generous offer. However, the Fox gun in question was never for sale by me. I just needed a reasonable estimate of value for insurance purposes. Ted is not a good enough bird dog to sell to a friend - or even to GIVE to a friend. I will keep him a while and see if he improves. Perhaps then...

He did find some covies of valley quail for me on Friday, and I did manage to shoot a double over him with the Fox.

I appreciate your concern Mike. Please keep me apprised of young Teds progress. After he's done his undergrad work on plains birds, I'd be happy to host him , while he does his PHD on the king of the uplands, the eastern ruffled groouse

[Chukarman]

Tim -

The first bird I shot over his point was a ruffed grouse. He has pointed and handled them many times. I also ran him on woodcock in MI cover this Fall and he adapted and did just fine.

His education is pretty much complete - a lot of drive time from Washington state to Oklahoma and Texas to Montana and Saskatchewan. He is coming along pretty well. The is no F'ing chance that I will ever let him go. But I appreciate the offer...

I am now working on finishing his nephew, Tommy.

[Chukarman]

After a bit of a wait I recieved two letters from Mr. J. T. Callahan regarding my two Fox 16 gauge guns.

The C grade (no. 300004) that I posted about is shown in the Fox records as:

Grade - C Grade
Gauge - 16 gauge
Barrels - 28" choked Imp Cylinder (R) and Imp. Modified (L)
Stock - 13-1/4" length of pull, 2-3/4" drop at heel
Weight - 5-1/2 lbs., not over
Notes - 28" bbl or 27" to balance, half pistol grip, Lyman front sight, Silvers recoil pad, grip can be small for man with small hands and short arms

Shipped from the factory on December 5th, 1912 to Mr. George C. Walker.

So the information - compared to the current gun configuration - indicates that the gun was restocked and fitted with an Infallible Single Trigger mechanism at some point prior to being listed by Griffin and Howe in the mid 1930s. There was no mention of the single trigger being fitted at the factory. So removing the Infallible single trigger and fitting a small bore Fox double trigger set has returned the gun to factory configuration. I am considering a restock with a nice piece of European walnut that i have held for the past 30 years or so, waiting for the right gun. It's a nice old gun...

[slc]

I'm new to the site and looking to purchase my first Fox. I recently saw a A Grade with ejectors with a serial number b/w 22000 and 23000, which I believe means that the gun was produced around 1916. The gun has a half pistol grip, 30" barrels and the stock shows some wear. The owner wants about $2,000 and I'm trying to get a sense as to whether that's a fair price. Here are some pictures.

[thuddddddd]

If it's a 16 or 20, I'd drive as fast as I could with the money and pick it up, and hide with it, so the police don's arrest your for stealing. I haven't followed the 12ga but I'd guess it's very fair at that price. do a search on gunsamerica for asking prices.

[fox-admin]

Valuing guns from two pictures is impossible to do accurately. I would suggest you look at completed sales of Fox A's on Gunbroker for a sense of selling prices. I would say the range for 12ga A's is $1000 for a well worn shooter to $3500. for 95% original gun. Craig

[slc]

Thanks for the advice. It's a 12 gauge. Here are a few more pics.

[slc]

And the final 3 pics.

[Silvers]

From what I can tell the AE looks decent. Of course you'll want to do (or have done) the normal checks on the barrels, etc. I noticed the top tang screw (underlever screw) isn't indexed 12/6 as it should be. Often that's an indication someone has been inside; normally the screw can't be overtightened by that much on a gun that hasn't been apart. If someone has been inside you'll want to verify the safety button and all the firing functions. Since this is an ejector Fox I'd also confirm the function and timing of the ejectors. Silvers

[Fin2Feather]

...I'd be happy to host him , while he does his PHD on the king of the uplands, the eastern ruffled grouse

Thuddy,

Is that a grouse in a clown costume ?