Philadelphia Arms Fox A grade advice needed

[eightbore]

I would bet that one of our researchers has a picture of a B Grade in his files. There may be a picture of a B in McIntosh' book.

[ASavageFox]

Eightbore... great thought... I forgot that MM's book had the advertising illustrations... interestingly, the illustrations in the book show a slightly more elaborate breech engraving on the A then on the B. The owner of gun 51 called me recently and said he found the receiver as well but is still missing the lever, trigger guard assembly, extractor and forearm. The receiver has A H Fox on the side not just Fox (which transitioned somewhere between guns 127 and 152... oddly the pic in MM's book shows the A with just Fox on the receiver. I would have thought the more elaborate breech engraving on the A would have been an early thing as I own gun 294 and it has a simple line at the breech. Maybe it was just hit or miss depending on who was doing the engraving... it probably only represents something like 10 minutes difference in time as we are not talking a bout any major difference.

[capt orourke]

oK folks it's been almost a year & a half since I posted about the fox I received in a shoebox from my neigbbor. I think this thread still has pictures of that. The gun went to Donnie Gemms who restocked it beautifully. Then it was off to Buck Hamlin to get all the metalwork done. Got it back yesterday & I think it looks great! Here are some pictures take a look & let me know what you think. Thanks Capt. O'Rourke

[capt orourke]

sorry I am not having luck posting pics. I will keep trying. Capt. O'Rourke

[capt orourke]

Fox picture

[capt orourke]

Fox pic 2

[capt orourke]

fox pic 3

[capt orourke]

Fox pic 4

[capt orourke]

Fox pic 5

[Researcher]

Good job of bringing back an old classic from oblivion. Shoot it in goo health!!

[SmithShady]

What a transformation! I'm always on the lookout for the older PAC and Baltimore Arms guns. Great to see this one restored to it's former glory.

[MARSHFELLOW]

Good work Cap't, I think you're up for a promotion.

tjw

[Researcher]

SmithShady,

Remember that dispite the "old wives tales" Baltimore Arms Co. had nothing to do with Ansley H. Fox. The Baltimore Arms Co. gun was a Frank A. Hollenbeck design --



and Ansley H. Fox was neither an officer nor director of Baltimore Arms Co. During the years Baltimore Arms Co. was in operation (January 10, 1900 to early 1904), Ansley was a professional shooter for Winchester, moved to Philadelphia, and by late 1902 was busy founding Philadelphia Arms Co. In December 1904, Ansley did buy much of the machinery and fixtures of Baltimore Arms Co. at the receiver's sale, which I believe he then used to found the A.H. Fox Gun Co. when he left Philadelphia Arms Co. Ansley's gun made in Baltimore was made from July 1898 throught the end of 1899, by Fox Gun Co., Balto., MD., U.S.A. Serial number 714 here would need a lot more work than Capt. Orourke's gun --



Dave

[Scott]

Very Nice!

[SmithShady]

Thanks Researcher, I don't think I read the timeline on the homepage carefully enough, or it's been a while and I'm just remembering incorrectly. Either way, I was under the impression that he had something to do with the Baltimore Arms Co, but I guess it was just the National Arms Company of Baltimore that he helped incorporate. I've never seen a Baltimore Arms gun up close. I've seen (and almost traded for) a PAC gun, but it was in poor condition. With regards to the Fox Gun Company, what was the difference between the Twist Barrels on the A Grade and the Damascus Barrels on the B Grade? I thought Damascus were twisted steel barrels?