Size of thread and diameter of Ivory beads?

[vaturkey]

What size thread was common on end and center beads, and what was the outside diameter of the front and center bead?? Also, last question is were there different size beads dependent of either gauge or use? For example would a live bird gun or trap gun have a different bead then a field gun. Thanks guys. Someone will know for sure.

PS. One more. By chance were the mid beads press fit??

[Silvers]

I usually don't fool with the beads on Foxes. If the sight(s) look period I leave it in place. However I've had to replace some that were goofed up, or missing in action while hunting or shooting. Every single original Fox I've worked on has taper-fit "pressed in" beads both at the front and the mid bead if present. That includes the tiny brass alloy front bead that's typically seen, they are not threaded. Neither are the factory fitted Lyman and Marbles ivory beads. Why is that? From a machining standpoint it's easier to drill and taper-ream a hole, than is it to drill and tap for a thread. The taper fit also makes for a neater looking job IMO. Note there is some difference in the tapers used by Lyman and by Marbles for their front ivory sights. The sights originally came with tapered reamers for same. The front sights in particular will not mix and match in a hole made for the other brand.

Of course real ivory replacement beads (front, center) were available with threaded shanks but I do not believe Fox regularly used threaded ones. At least I've never seen one that I believed to be "factory". I say this because a regular 6-48 thread is too small for the tapered hole machined by Fox for front ivory sights. Those that I've seen over the years were glued in the hole in the rib, not into the the original sight collar because a 6-48 is too large for the collar. However if someone pulled an original small brass front bead, the hole could be drilled & tapped for a threaded shank ivory sight with a common 6-48 thread. To complicated things, I have seen threaded ivory front sights with a 6-44 thread.

With all this said I would say that a Fox with a front or rear sight with threaded shank is probably suspect if you value absolute originality. However I will qualify that by saying I like and mainly play around with earlier to mid range Philly made guns. For all I know Fox or Savage used some threaded sight shanks later on. Although I did have a mid 30's Savage SW Deluxe that definitely had taper fit Lyman ivories.

Taper-fit, real ivory beads are virtually unobtainable nowadays. New ones that are sold as "ivory" sights are often made of white plastic that will never age-color like real ivory. However, not to worry, replacement sights are easily made up on the lathe from random pieces of old ivory. They have to be made to match-fit the shank collar which is often still in the rib and is very hard to get out without damaging it. Tedious work making tiny sight inserts, but worth it. Silvers

[Jim Cloninger]

Frank, very informative post. Thanks. Jim

[Jim Cloninger]

Frank, very informative post. Thanks. Jim

[vaturkey]

Yep, thanks indeed. I've got a sheared off mid bead in a 1937 Fox SW I'm trying to figure out how to replace.