Instantly Bitten Newbie to A. H. Fox - serial number website

[Clarence Kavanaugh]

Just like to say hi and to be honest never thought to find myself here but here I am. My trek here started actually by my intent to own another American Classic and hopefully still will, the invincible Parker. For several months now I had been on the chase for the illusive Parker in the 0 frame and particularly the 20 gauge, that is if I could find one reasonable. But I haven't been able to find one (Parker) within a hundred miles of my home in the numerous shops which I search. I have search the several gun auction sites as well, but as is the case on most of them, everyone thinks their gun for sale is a one of a kind and worth a minimum of twice whatever the Blue Book has listed.

It was just yesterday when my perchance find, landed me here. While looking in one of my usual haunts, I came across a shotgun at first glance at its belly I thought was my illusive Parker. Upon closer inspection I discovered was in fact an A. H. Fox Sterlingworth in 12 gauge, 30" barrels, serial # 764XX (1915). Later that evening when I returned home I did several hours of searching on the web and found a site (including this one) that gives the year of manufacture by serial number for those who are looking for what year their Fox might have been manufactured. http://doublegunshop.com/dgsnos.htm

The gun has definitely been used as all the case coloring on the receiver is gone except on the water table which is faint but there is a nice patina and no rust or pits any where along the metal. The barrel retain I believe approximately 70% of their bluing but shows no scratches or dings that I can see caused by carelessness, the bores looked as clean and shinny as two new dimes. The wood show handling wear and the forearm has a chip out of it along the front edge running along side one of the barrels maybe an inch long and a 1/8" deep, all the checkering is worn flat from use. I made the mistake of pulling the old gun down from its place on the shelve to take a look at it and was immediately bitten.

For a 12 gauge I expected more weight, finding that the excellent balance was what made it feel lighter. Opening the action I noticed that the action's break lever was near as far off center to the right as most of the new guns which it was placed next too. The action broke cleanly and easily where I believe that I could open it with just one hand, yet when I closed the action it felt and sound if I just closed a well balanced bank vault door. At that point all thoughts of trying to find a Parker left me (for now), I knew that I found a jewel though a little rough in appearance yet still had it where it counted most and I got it for what I thought was a equally great price of $825 + tax. As soon as I bring it home (unfortunately money is tight right now) after getting out of lay away I'll post picture of it.

[MARSHFELLOW]

.........welcome.

[Researcher]

Welcome to the fold.

The only way to know for sure when your gun was made/shipped is to get a letter on it from the Savage historian --

http://www.foxcollectors.com/factory_letters.htm

Fox serial numbers are in blocks by gauge and whether Sterlingworth or graded gun --

12-gauge Graded Guns -- 1 to 35280
12-gauge Sterlingworths -- 50000 to 161556
16-gauge Graded Guns -- 300000 to 303875
16-gauge Sterlingworths -- 350000 to 378481
20-gauge Graded Guns -- 200000 to 203974
20-gauge Sterlingworths -- 250000 to 271304
Single Barrel Trap Guns -- 400000 to 400568

I have some real problems with the published Fox serial number list, which was originally put out in 1976 by Lightner Library.

For 16-gauge Fox-Sterlingworths they are showing 500 (1931), 600 (1932), 600 (1933), 700 (1934), 1100 (1935), 1500 (1936), 700 (1937) and then 1600 for 1938. Then the serial numbers from 374800 to 378481 are given for 1939 up to the last gun made 8/9/1939. I don't believe there is any way they all of a sudden pumped out 3681 16-gauge Fox-Sterlingworths in eight or nine months!!! From my 20 or so years of recording serial numbers of observed Sterlingworths, guns in the 375,xxx, 376,xxx, 377,xxx and 378,xxx range certainly exist.

On the 12-gauge Fox-Sterlingworths they estimate the highest serial number for 1937 as 145000, for 1938 as 150000 and for 1939 as 155000. Again from my years of observing and recording serial numbers, I haven't recorded a gun between 143802 and 160195, leading me to believe there were about 16000 serial numbers skipped. Perhaps the high 143xxx range was the end of regular production and the guns in the 160xxx and 161xxx range were cleanup of parts and barrels on hand?!? All of the guns I've recorded in that range are 26-inch barrels except one two-barrel set that also has a pair of 28-inch barrels.

[ASavageFox]

Welcome!! Glad to hear of another addicted soul. Just as an FYI... your gun was almost certainly produced with flat top checkering so it may not be quite as warn as you think.

Have fun with it!!

[Clarence Kavanaugh]

Welcome!! Glad to hear of another addicted soul. Just as an FYI... your gun was almost certainly produced with flat top checkering so it may not be quite as warn as you think.

Have fun with it!!

You are right that it is a flat top ridge instead of a concaved, with a single silver bead, but you've peak my curiousity by saying that "it may not be quite as worn as you think."

[ASavageFox]

you said "all of the checkering is worn flat from usage" but the checkering was "flat topped" checkered from the factory, not pointed checkering.... so my comment was just that the checkering might not be quite a worn as you stated. I have two very high conditioned Sterlingowrths and the factory flat top checkering is not terribly deep. I suspect that many individuals new to Fox shotguns would immediately assume the checkering was worn down. In my opinion, the best way to judge the amount of where is how sharp the edges of the diamonds are. I'll see if I can find a picture that might shw you what I am talking about.

Cheers and congrats again.

[Clarence Kavanaugh]

you said "all of the checkering is worn flat from usage" but the checkering was "flat topped" checkered from the factory, not pointed checkering.... so my comment was just that the checkering might not be quite a worn as you stated. I have two very high conditioned Sterlingowrths and the factory flat top checkering is not terribly deep. I suspect that many individuals new to Fox shotguns would immediately assume the checkering was worn down. In my opinion, the best way to judge the amount of where is how sharp the edges of the diamonds are. I'll see if I can find a picture that might shw you what I am talking about.

Cheers and congrats again.

Now I understand what your meaning was, sorry for being such a novice but I didn't really expect to ever own a A. H. Fox. At the time that I found this Sterlingworth I was actually looking for a Parker. But I'm a quick study and owning one will just make it that much more important for me to expand my knowledge. Thank you for your explaination of the checkering on the stock/forearm and how it was intentionally kept blunt.