sterlingworth on youtube

[Magwa45]

This kid does some things with a Sterlingworth that I would never try. Look for the Remington slugs about five minutes into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lPuMVI_8oQ

Don

[sjh333]

To me , that seems a little dangerous shooting those modern shells , especially the slugs...The pressures have to be significantly higher than what those barrels are designed for??!!....I can only pray the young man never shoots those and there is a barrel failure.

As he seems to know a little about the Fox guns...His judgement on "shell pressures" is questionable , at best!??

Sam

[eightbore]

That kid is a heck of a shot. I say we invite him to Ernie's next year to shoot for Fox. I wouldn't worry much about the welfare of that Sterlingworth. The lever is a bit to the left, but I don't think it's going to blow up. The purple shells are target loads, according to the young man. I think several thousand PA Foxes have fired a few slugs with no ill effects.

[Researcher]

While all of the misinformation he is putting out irritates the hell out of me, if the gun is really of 1927 vintage, that is after modern SAAMI specs came into effect. Rifled slugs were introduced in the late 1930s and were said to useable through all chokes, while the old pumpkin balls were not.

I'd bet that the great bulk of Ansley H. Fox shotguns, if they were used after 1922, have digested plenty of Western Super-X, Remington Nitro Express, Peters High Velocity, Winchester Super-Speed, and Federal Hi-Power shells in the last 89 years. I know my old 1914 A-Grade has.

[sjh333]

While all of the misinformation he is putting out irritates the hell out of me, if the gun is really of 1927 vintage, that is after modern SAAMI specs came into effect. Rifled slugs were introduced in the late 1930s and were said to useable through all chokes, while the old pumpkin balls were not.

I'd bet that the great bulk of Ansley H. Fox shotguns, if they were used after 1922, have digested plenty of Western Super-X, Remington Nitro Express, Peters High Velocity, Winchester Super-Speed, and Federal Hi-Power shells in the last 89 years. I know my old 1914 A-Grade has.

I understand that A.H.Fox guns are built like tanks and can stand the rigors of most modern day shells...But being fairly new to shooting old Fox guns and still learning all I can...I thought it was just being smart not to push the pressures in these older guns with a steady diet of modern loads....for the barrels and the stocks?...maybe I was misinformed or misunderstood...apparentley I need to get better educated?

Sam

[Researcher]

I'm sure everyone has their own opinions on this, and mine is that certainly for high-volume shooting at clay targets (and Dove shooting can be included here), I've been shooting 7/8 ounce reloads for years in my old 12-gauge doubles. But for the box of shells or two a year I shoot hunting Pheasant, Grouse, Quail, Chuckers and Huns, I don't sweat it at all. In the light weight smallbores that were originally chambered for 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge or 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge shells, I am a bit more cautious. I load 7/8 ounce 16-gauge and 3/4 ounce 20-gauge shells for the high volume clay target shooting in my smallbores. Likewise with my 6 pound 5 ounce very early C-grade 12-gauge, I don't feed it anything but my 7/8 ounce, 6300 psi, handloads. The light loads, in my mind, are to be easy on the 70 to 110 year old wood, not that I'm worried about blowing a Fox up.

Dave

[sjh333]

Researcher...Thanks for the very "common sense explanation".....As I currently only own subgauges of 16ga and 20ga Sterlys...circa 1913 , 1922 respectfully....I have always tried to er on the side of caution by only shooting RST shells , because I do not reload.I basically use these guns for bird hunting , only shooting occasional clays to keep my shooting skills to ,at least , a respectable level....I had wondered about factory loads because of the pressures but didn't want to take the chance...I was curious about factory loads , for the occasional Pheasant hunt(once a year..a box or two) as long as I didn't shoot them on a high volume basis....I currently have my eye on a Fox A grade 12ga(circa1926) , that I should probably use this same reasoning with.
I have recently aquired MM book on AH Fox and am reading it with great intrest , like a kid with a new toy(I'm 58)....My first sxs was a Stevens 311 when I was 12yrs old...Fox guns have always been my love and just in the last few years have I decided to actually become more "educated" about them , so I could feel comfortable actually hunting them , as they were made for.....Like a good bird dog!

Thanks again
Sam

[Magwa45]

My Sterlingworth is 1918 vintage, so I am sticking with RST. Strictly bird shot in my gun.

Don