Barrel Number Markings

Post your questions or seek advise regarding gunsmithing, restoration, repairs, ballistics, etc, etc.
Commercial operations or businesses may not advertise nor appear to advertise their products or services, either directly, or indirectly by a second party, except for simple reference as a source for such products or services
Post Reply
Sneem
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:28 am

Barrel Number Markings

Post by Sneem »

HI,
New to the forum and just got a 16 ga Sterlingworth. 1919 gun. It has #3 barrels. Can someone give me a quick rundown of the barrel numbering system? If the info is somewhere and I can't find it, just point me in the right direction.

Thanks, Sneem
User avatar
Fin2Feather
Posts: 1027
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:15 am
Location: Kansas High Plains
Has thanked: 185 times
Been thanked: 181 times

Re: Barrel Number Markings

Post by Fin2Feather »

It's in the MacIntosh book if you have that; I'd shoot you a run down but I'm at work and don't have the book here. Mods: given the number of inquiries about this that info might make a good sticky?
Utica Fox Appreciation Society - Charter Member
ASavageFox
Posts: 552
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:23 pm

Re: Barrel Number Markings

Post by ASavageFox »

how detailed are you looking for

Basically 0 is the heaviest and only used on HE grade and a handful of SWs near the end.

4 weight is the lightest.

McIntosh's book does give weight for length and bore for each marking but they do not seem to necessarily correlate to correct finished production barrels.
Cheers!
bamboozler
Posts: 379
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: Barrel Number Markings

Post by bamboozler »

ASavageFox is close, but not quite right.

12-ga. and 16-ga. guns had a numbering system sequence that is 1-2-3-4, with 4 being the lightest. In about 1922, the factory added a fifth 12-ga. class, No. 0, for the Super-Fox. For some reason, 20-ga. barrels were given a slightly different numbering sequence 0-2-3-4, again with 4 being the lightest.

As others mentioned, the chart is in the book by Michael McIntosh entitled A.H. FOX "The Finest Gun in the World". Accoding to factory standards, barrels could not vary more than one ounce per pair from the weights specified. As I understand it, the weights published were unstruck barrel weights. I thought someone went through the effort to replicate and post the entire chart on this website, but I couldn't find it when doing a search, perhaps I'm mistaken and it was posted elsewhere or maybe I wasn't using the right search words.
Sneem
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:28 am

Re: Barrel Number Markings

Post by Sneem »

OK, Thamks. That's basically what I was looking for. I didn't know which way the numbers went from heaviest to lightest or if there was more to it. #3 barrels would be on the light end but not the very lighest. The gun goes slightly over 6 pounds and feels very handy.
birdawg
Posts: 1024
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:50 am
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Barrel Number Markings

Post by birdawg »

What is the weight markings on HE 20 gauge?
"I have more than I need, but not as many as I want"
"The search continues on many fronts"
Life Member, A.H. Fox Collectors Association.
Post Reply