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They show good pictures of everything but the top tang, and I'm wondering if it is a drawbolt model with the wide top tang? Most of the other 143xxx Fox-Sterlingworths I've recorded are drawbolts.
Dave, I'm 90% sure that will be a drawbolt gun.. all of the drawbolt Foxes I've owned in the past had that wide tang with the top threaded third receiver screw.
I'm showing my ignorance in matters of models/history/evolution/collecting of Foxes. My primary interest is in shooting them and I'm discovering the potential weakness of a Philly era Sterlingworth as a dedicated high-volume target gun.
So far, I've found that ~20,000 rounds of moderate-pressure 24gm and 28gm handloads plus 2,000 sundry high performance factory target loads (Remington Nitro27's and Winchester SuperHandicaps in both 28gm and 32gm flavors) have had absolutely undetectable effect on mechanical wear. At this point, I see no reason to expect detectable wear in the next 25,000 rounds; we'll certainly see.
OTOH, I have detected change in the stock. I used a nice, dense blank of CA English carefully inletted for maximum bearing contact when the the triggerplate and hand screws were heavily torqued into perfect alignment. They've since required tightening beyond time to maintain the necessary snugness to keep it from shooting itself to pieces. I recognize a better inletting job may have minmized that, but I don't know that a couple thousandths of compression would be entirely unavoidable.
I also think I may be on untrodden ground here as regards the durability of a "target Fox" and it occurred to me that, just as the different forearm iron was an enhancement to the beavertail, a drawbolt would be an enhancement to stock stability.
Thanks for keeping me from longing for a 32" drawbolt model.
Beware the man with one gun...he likely will bore you to death in others ways, too.
I was doing research on drawbolt Sterlingworths and found this old thread: Just wondering whether you have put a bunch more rounds, especially the higher pressure factory target loads, through your high-volume Sterlingworth since your last post, and how is it holding up? How's the metal? How's the wood? Have you had further need to tighten any screws to maintain a tight stock-to-action fit?
Just curious since I am of the opinion that the Sterlingworths are strong well-made guns, and a good condition example can handle a diet of heavy loads as well as any modern SxS. However, there are not many (or any?) data points of someone actually putting alot of heavy target or hunting loads through a Sterlingworth to confirm . . . ?
For my 1926 Fox 12ga, I've documented 54,400 rounds since Jan, '08. That includes ~3,000 of 1 ounce Win Xtralites (1185 fps) and 2,000 Rem 1 ounce Nitro27's (1290 fps). The Remington load is a favorite of SC & FITASC shooters and recoil in my 8.25 lb Fox is no more noticeable than in the more common O/U comp guns. The pressure, whatever it is, never concerned me in the least. Had I been using the Fox for the first 15 years of my tournament shooting, I would most likely have worn it out and that would have been interesting. I had two trigger malfunctions in the first 8,000 rounds due to Red Dot powder residue in the action. The design allows dirt to enter the action through the watertable. The toplever has migrated about .060" toward center (still right). It still grabs a 0.0015" feeler gauge and won't let go. Showing some wear on the case colors and triggerguard now.
My 1932 Fox 16ga has digested 38,200 rounds in 11 years, including over 16,000 factories. About 12,000 factories were Remington RGL’s ( 1 ounce at 1200 fps nominal; 1230-1240 in my tests). That load is considered by many to have objectionable recoil in SxS’s. Toplever approaching center now, no other issues.
Altogether, >100,000K rounds thru 5 Foxes with one broken hammer toe.
My clay target interests have shifted and that means my annual rounds for these two biggest consumers will hereafter average <5,000 per year with factory loads being zero in the 12 ga. I still plan to shoot up 30 flats of factory 16's but that will take awhile as I'll probably be shooting 3 reloads for every factory shell fired.
Since all of my guns have been restocked not much can be inferred with respect to wood issues and how Foxes will stand up. And , of course, we're talking about only 2 specific guns, but I'm encouraged by what I perceive to be minimal wear and virtually no ill effects from many thousands of rounds. If they broke tomorrow I wouldn't feel they owed me anything.
Beware the man with one gun...he likely will bore you to death in others ways, too.
Very interesting information! I didn't realize anyone had documented that many rounds through a Fox. Most folks who shoot restocked guns would likely never notice any compression issues with the wood because they would never be shooting anywhere near those numbers, nor would they ever put a screwdriver to it once it came back from the stocker. Along those lines...... Two years ago I inletted and headed a very dry piece of English to an A grade 20. The outside was rough shaped and the top and bottom tang screws were tightened as much as I could torque but they were still a quarter turn or so away from perfect time. Just a little scrape here and there would have brought everything in nicely. As things often do with me, my focus on that gun was hijacked by something else and it sat in the corner for almost another year. When I picked it up again, the screws came on in almost enough to be perfect without any additional wood removal. I realize no one wants to wait that long for their gun to come back from a stocker, but it was an interesting discovery for me. I'm interested to see how much further it will go. My guess is not much.....if any.
Mike - Thanks for the reply and that is great info. Your keeping and sharing of careful records is a benefit to everyone. It sounds like your Foxes are holding up well.
DSizemore - Interesting that you were still seeing dimensional changes in the wood. Do you know how long the wood had been aged before you fit it to the gun?
Last edited by shinbone on Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
I wouldn't know the exact moisture content, but it was a blank that had been stick stacked with waxed edges for 6 years, then acclimated to all this wonderful Kentucky humidity for another year or so. I think a certain amount of compression can be expected from any new restocking project. I know many professional stockers use varying amounts of glass inside and perhaps that would eliminate any movement.....I don't know. My observations are based on wood against metal.
I have a question. I have a drawbolt 12 sterly gun with 26 inch barrels and was comparing it with some other 26 inch sterlys i have and noticed that they all are in the 160000 serial range. the question is are all of the 12 guage 26 inch sterlys in the 160,000 serial range.Thanks
