Dear Sirs,
I’m writing for you from Brazil. Sorry for my bad English. Recently I friend of mine give me a Fox shotgun A grade, with the serial number in the 28XXX range. It is in a very good condition (Blue Book of Gun Values 95% plus). In order to clean and remove dry grease, not without some difficulty, I disassembly it completely (without damages), but I’m not sure I can assembly it again without problems. Since that, I ask your help in order to obtain a source of information. The Mike Campbell Tutorial is excellent, but it stops in the stock removal. The books about disassembling I have (The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part V and The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings) don’t bring anything about old models Fox. Please, could you tell me about another book with a “path” to disassembly/assembly an early model Fox? If not, some benevolent soul can help me? I’m searching, mainly, the tricks to assembly the hammers and their very heavy springs and the delicate area of the top lever/bolt. Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Helio Barreiros Júnior
A grade assembly
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Fin2Feather
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Re: A grade assembly
Helio,
I think your English is quite good; better than that of some of us to whom it is a native language! There are many here who can help you better than I, but welcome, and good luck with the Fox gun.
I think your English is quite good; better than that of some of us to whom it is a native language! There are many here who can help you better than I, but welcome, and good luck with the Fox gun.
Utica Fox Appreciation Society - Charter Member
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Silvers
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Re: A grade assembly
Welcome Helio, as said previously your english is very good. I do not know of any book that shows how to put your gun back together. Maybe you can find a local gunsmith who can do that for you. If not I will try to help. Just for information, I have tried to do this by hand before and decided it was easier to do with help from a machine. I am fortunate to be able to use a milling machine and I use a L shaped tool in its spindle to push on the back of each hammer while the machine vice is holding the frame. The screws that control the movement of the table make it easy to push, and move from side to side, at the same time.
If you are trying to do this by hand I recommend you clamp the front end of the frame in a padded vice, with the frame upside down. You will have to push on each hammer individually with a brass drift that fits the back of the hammer, and move it around until the axle hole is aligned with the holes in the frame. Prepare a "slave pin" beforehand with a tapered end to help align the holes. When the holes are close the taper will help assemble each hammer. Three hands are really needed and you may want to get another person to help. BE SURE both of you are wearing good safety glasses and gloves because you are working with a strong spring that you are trying to compress. When both hammers are installed you can use the regular hammer axle pin to drive out the slave pin.
Reassembly of the bolt, yoke and lever spindle is relatively simple but if you removed the yoke screw without grinding off the peening (flattened end), you probably damaged the threads in the yoke or those on the yoke screw. I would install a new yoke screw if you have one, otherwise clean up the threads as best you can with a tiny triangular file and use red loctite to keep it from unscrewing. There usually isn't enough metal there to re-peen the screw. A new yoke screw might be found by putting an ad in the Parts Wanted forum. Shipping to Brazil should be easy. Sorry, I don't have an extra one myself.
I hope this helps. I've tried to use regular words but sometimes you just have to use the proper names of the parts as shown in parts lists. Silvers
If you are trying to do this by hand I recommend you clamp the front end of the frame in a padded vice, with the frame upside down. You will have to push on each hammer individually with a brass drift that fits the back of the hammer, and move it around until the axle hole is aligned with the holes in the frame. Prepare a "slave pin" beforehand with a tapered end to help align the holes. When the holes are close the taper will help assemble each hammer. Three hands are really needed and you may want to get another person to help. BE SURE both of you are wearing good safety glasses and gloves because you are working with a strong spring that you are trying to compress. When both hammers are installed you can use the regular hammer axle pin to drive out the slave pin.
Reassembly of the bolt, yoke and lever spindle is relatively simple but if you removed the yoke screw without grinding off the peening (flattened end), you probably damaged the threads in the yoke or those on the yoke screw. I would install a new yoke screw if you have one, otherwise clean up the threads as best you can with a tiny triangular file and use red loctite to keep it from unscrewing. There usually isn't enough metal there to re-peen the screw. A new yoke screw might be found by putting an ad in the Parts Wanted forum. Shipping to Brazil should be easy. Sorry, I don't have an extra one myself.
I hope this helps. I've tried to use regular words but sometimes you just have to use the proper names of the parts as shown in parts lists. Silvers
Aan
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Helio Barreiros
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Re: A grade assembly
Dear Mr Silver,
thank you very very much! Your advises are very valuable. As you predicted, even removing the peening on the yoke screw, the screw threads were seriously damaged. I have a luck of a excellent gunsmith a few miles of my home, and a new yoke screw was made. My final concern is about the assembly of the top lever ball screw, their spring and follower. I’m thinking to cut a screw driver in a “u” shape in order to previously compress the follower/spring, then threading the screw in their right place and then releasing the spring tension. Will it work?
Best Regards,
Helio
thank you very very much! Your advises are very valuable. As you predicted, even removing the peening on the yoke screw, the screw threads were seriously damaged. I have a luck of a excellent gunsmith a few miles of my home, and a new yoke screw was made. My final concern is about the assembly of the top lever ball screw, their spring and follower. I’m thinking to cut a screw driver in a “u” shape in order to previously compress the follower/spring, then threading the screw in their right place and then releasing the spring tension. Will it work?
Best Regards,
Helio
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Silvers
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Re: A grade assembly
Yes Helio that is about how I do it but you might want to file or grind a negative draft on the screwdriver, so the front end is a little thicker than the back end. Also, file or grind the U shaped notch as you wrote. The negative draft will help keep the plunger from slipping as you hold and compress its spring with the modified screwdriver. Again, be sure to be wearing safety glasses and gloves. Good luck! Silvers