HELP,,, WHAT DO I HAVE? PICS POSTED

[channelsurfer]

I recently purchased this double barrell 12 ga sterlingworth, trying to find out some details about the gun and what it may be valued at.
THANKS

The serial number is 127799

I cant seem to get any pics to post?

[Researcher]

Sterlingworth -- When Ansley H. Fox, was forced to add a lower priced gun to his line of graded Ansley H. Fox guns, in 1910, he didn't want to detract from the A.H. Fox Gun Co. name, so they dummied up "The Sterlingworth Company." The first year’s guns, beginning with serial number 50,000, were marked as being "Made By The Sterlingworth Company, Philadelphia, U.S.A." Actually the first few hundred were marked "Wayne Junction" instead of Philadelphia. They even produced a separate The Sterlingworth Gun Co. catalogue for 1910. These guns were built under the same patents as the graded Ansley H. Fox guns. The main moneysaving features were an American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) stock as opposed to the more costly European thin shell walnut (Juglans regia) stocks on the graded guns, and the "Sterlingworth Fluid Steel" barrels instead of Krupp Fluid Steel barrels. Workmanship on these early Sterlingworths was generally excellent, better than graded guns from the 1920's and 30's. The early "The Sterlingworth Company" guns had a rounded front for the side panel of the frames. According to my list of observed specimens that was changed to the same pointed profile as the graded guns by #51,301.

In 1911 this field grade gun was added to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue as the Model 1911. "Model 1911" is stamped in the forearm iron. (A very few graded guns made about this time are stamped Model 1910) The lowest Model 1911 serial number I've recorded is #53,140. All of these early Sterlingworths had a recessed hinge-pin head like Parkers, or Ansley's earlier guns made in Baltimore and the Philadelphia Arms Company A.H. Fox gun. The highest "pin gun" Sterlingworth serial number I've recorded is # 62,244. After that Sterlingworth hinge-pins are dressed smooth like the graded guns. When the small-bores (16- and 20-gauge) were added to the Ansley H. Fox line they were briefly referred to in some flyers as the Model 1912, but I've never seen one so stamped. Graded 20-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 200,000 and 20-gauge Sterlingworths 250,000. Graded 16-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 300,000 and 16-gauge Sterlingworths 350,000.

Most of the Philadelphia produced S-worths had the word "Sterlingworth" roll stamped on each side of the frame. After production moved to Utica, Savage started using a "Fox-Sterlingworth" roll stamp.

When the Sterlingworth came out in 1910 it had a price of $25. The price stayed at $25 thru 1916, then climbed quickly to $55 by 1919. A.H. Fox Gun Co. reduced the price to $48 in 1922 and again to $36.50 in 1926. Workmanship of course declined.
Parker Bros. introduced their Trojan Grade at $27.50 in 1912. The Trojan’s price climbed like the Sterlingworth to $55. Parker Bros. kept the price and the quality of the Trojan high and sold about 33000 total. Fox began cutting the price of the Sterlingworth and sold well over 100000.

Savage kept the $36.50 price until June 1932 when they upped it to $39.50. On February 10, 1936, they upped the price again to $42.85 (the digits 2 and 8 are transposed in McIntosh's book). On February 1, 1938, Savage tried a price cut and dropped it to $35. February 1, 1939, they upped the price to $44.75. January 2, 1940, up again to $48.50. January 2, 1941, up to $52.65 and June 16 up again to $56.50. January 2, 1942, up again to $64.95.

For $40 Graded or $30 Sterlingworth (last prices I've seen quoted) you can get a factory letter on most any Ansley H. Fox shotgun (Philadelphia or Utica) from Mr. John T. Callahan, 53 Old Quarry Road, Westfield, MA 01085. The information exists on the factory work-order cards, probably 85+% of which still exist. Send him the complete serial number and a check, and he can do the rest. That would tell you the specifications of the gun when it left the factory.

Your gun is probably from the late 1920s, but the only way to know anything for sure is to get a letter on it from John Callahan. Condition and originality are everything in evaluating market value on these old guns. In order to post pictures here, you need to first have them on a photo hosting service such as Photobucket.com. Then copy the "IMG code" and paste it here --

[channelsurfer]

http://s1124.photobucket.com/albums/l57 ... LINGWORTH/

link to pics of my gun,, comments welcome
thanks!!!

[George Lander]

Your Sterlingworth is badley pinned at the head of the stock. It would be well to have this corrected which would also enhance the value IMHO.

Best Regards, George

[fullchoke16]

What is the barrel length? They look pretty short in the photos.

[billspeer]

I have a 1910 Sterlingworth with a similar stock separation. Is there a way to properly repair it (no corrective repairs yet - still have both pieces), or is it better to restock? I'm assuming that restocking would reduce its value significantly. It shoots trap great otherwise, and I'd like to be able to continue to use it at the range....

Bill Speer

[john8253]

After reviewing your photos several times, I may have a home grown solution to your problem.

Many times in the past, I have dealt w/ worse situations on several firearms, including older doubles.

Remove the stock & Acraglas to receiver....w/ parting agent!!

Use staples in the inletting if req'd.

Drawfile the cheeks [w/ stock in a padded vice & off the receiver] w/ mill cut file....do not sand as it is difficult to maintain a flat surface

Fit @ refit the stock to ensure that the wood surface is @ least 1/16" below the metal

Walnut veneer is available in different thickness, so work w/ what you can get locally

Cut the veneer to shape & Acraglas to the cheeks...one side @ a time

This method is not meant to deceive, only to enhance the appearance of the old repair

regards...........John

[john8253]

BTW, the veneers on the stock cheeks must be given a light sanding& a patinated fill/finish of some sort....Truoil, or whatever to the repaired area.