Transition Guns and their Serial Numbers

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:33 pm

I just looked at a very nice AE Savage gun on Gunbroker, #77234391. It is a high condition 30" 12 gauge, serial number 33,074. I find it interesting that my Philadelphia AE, just about a duplicate of the Gunbroker gun, even down to condition, is serial number 33,801. That is a rather long overlap period for Fox-Savage transition. What do we know about high number Philadelphia guns and low number Savage guns? I'm sure Researcher has some highs and lows in his files. #33,801 was shipped to R.L.Miller and Son on December 7, 1929.

Post by **fox-admin** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:00 pm

Bill, I own 33804 it is a Philadelphia AE grade gun, I was surprised that the A grade on Gunbroker had such a low serial number.

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:21 pm

Maybe Researcher will appear and give us some info. Is your 33,804 an original high condition gun? What was your shipping date and destination?

Post by **fox-admin** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:31 pm

Pictures are posted here http://www.foxcollectors.com/My%20Forum ... .php?t=155
It is very high condition except the butt stock was refinished due to someone marring the finish when the pad was installed. Since it is not 100% original I never bothered to get a letter.

Researcher · Post by **Researcher** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:18 pm

I'm up in Kodiak for a month, away from my records, but in the Sterlingworths I've found a huge overlap. The only thing I recall is that 33,050 and 33,051 were shipped right during the transition.

Dr. Brown did an article in The Double Gun Journal some years back on a gun that was serial numbered in five about 1925 XE-Grades but was finished up as an AE-Grade circa 1940. I seem to recall someone posted some pics of a similar gun more recently.

Jim Cloninger · Post by **Jim Cloninger** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:16 pm

I thought the "transition" guns were marked 'A H FOX GUN - MADE FOR SAVAGE ARMS CORP UTICA, NY USA' on the barrels?

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:08 pm

I don't know. The 33,074 AE says "Made BY Savage", not FOR Savage, no mention of A.H.Fox. 33,074 is most definitely a transition gun though. Maybe some readers can post what the wording is on their Savage guns, transition or not. I only have one Savage gun and it is buried deep. OOPS, found it. My A Grade 16 says Savage Arms, not BY or FOR, just Savage Arms.

Researcher · Post by **Researcher** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:51 pm

There appears to be quite a variety of barrel markings during the transition period, and what, if anything, each variation means, is lost to the sands of time. I have never actually owned and lettered a gun shipped between July 1929 and late 1933.

Jim Cloninger · Post by **Jim Cloninger** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:33 pm

I don't own a gun with 'A H FOX GUN - MADE FOR SAVAGE ARMS CORP UTICA, NY USA' on the barrels but have seen it, I believe on a Sterlingworth.

Researcher · Post by **Researcher** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:11 pm

We show one version of transition era barrel stamping on the web site next to the bottom --

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