New Fox Owner....

[callaojoe]

I happened to run across what appears to be a pretty nice Fox Sterlingworth in 16ga on Armslist last week, and jumped on it.

Serial# is 361000.... Not sure if that means anything as far as value, I originally thought from the pics the guy sent, that it was 351000, which according to what I saw, would have been the last gun made in 1913, first year of the 16bore guns.

Anyway.... The gun is currently being shipped to me, and I don't have my hands on it yet. The guy selling it was a tacticool arms dealer, selling it on consignment, and really was not familiar with old shotguns. From the pics I got, looks like the trigger guard still has a lot, if not more of the blue. Where the serial # is, it's worn off though. The receiver still has a lot of case color, and he said that someone had actually commented on how much of it it still had. He said bores are still bright and shiny, and no surface pitting, etc. Only issue I know for sure, is that the butt plate is chipped. It's the hard black plastic one. The wood appears to be in good shape, it's nothing fancy, but I don't see any chips or deep dings. And, he said only thing on the wood, was some worn finish...

My only questions is, depending on it's overall condition.... Is, do I try to keep it as close to original, or do I do some mods on it. Considering a restock with nicer wood, and beavertail fore arm... (I'd keep the original wood). As for a re-blue of the barrel.... I hear horror stories about having this done, and hope that I am happy with it the way it is... My plan is to use this gun for pheasant, sporting clays, etc. 28" barrels, I assume m/f. I am also assuming 2 9/16" chambers as it's a 1927 gun. I have ordered some 2.5" shells from RST for it. Since it's just a sterlingworth, and not a graded gun... I am leaning towards turning it into my goto shotgun for shooting pheasant, and sporting clays when I am in the mood to shoot a SxS.... But, if it's in nicer than I think original condition... I will have a hard time doing anything but replacing the butt plate...

I also just picked up an Ithaca NID from a friend, and it's in perfect Mechanical condition as well. 16ga 26" barrels m/f chokes, made in 1926.

These old american doubles can be addicting, and I am just getting started...

[DumblikeaFox]

Sounds like a nice gun. I'm new both here and to Fox as well and have gained a lot of knowledge and insight in my few days here. So congrats and good luck.

Warning; These guns seem to all come with a certain incurable virus which I believe I've contracted. The only thing you can do evidently is search for more of them.....it won't cure you but it does help. I expect a need for more therapy soon.

[callaojoe]

No kidding, this to go along with all my other "sicknesses" when it comes to blued steel and nice walnut.

I hadn't even shot the Ithaca yet, when I ran across the Fox, and had to have it......

Now, I need a Parker and an Elsie in 16bore, heck may as well add in a lefever...

[callaojoe]

Here's a couple pics of the NID I just picked up. The case color is gone, but other than that, it's in very nice condition. Mechanically, just about perfect. Now, if I have this picture posting thing right....

[callaojoe]

I will post pics of the Sterlingworth, once I get my hands on it..... Gonna be a long week....

[DumblikeaFox]

Very nice indeed......lmao, just noticed your sig. Years ago my wife and I were waiting at customs to drive in to Canada. She looked at me and asked "what should I do with my gun?" I nearly sh*t myself. Well, we must be pretty good smugglers, got in and out with no problems, but that was kinda scary.

[callaojoe]

Very nice indeed......lmao, just noticed your sig. Years ago my wife and I were waiting at customs to drive in to Canada. She looked at me and asked "what should I do with my gun?" I nearly sh*t myself. Well, we must be pretty good smugglers, got in and out with no problems, but that was kinda scary.

Hahaha, today, you would not be so lucky... That would be my guess. We just watched the first ever show of SNL the other night, George Carlin was hosting... He was making jokes about how they would search you on the way onto the plane, then hand you a sharp knife and fork with your meal..... Times have sure changed. He then made a comment about watching old movies, and wondering how many people in the background were now dead, Ironic given not only is he, but half the people from the original cast are now gone already...

[Mike of the Mountain]

That addiction to the "Finest Gun in the World" is not necessarily a bad thing! It definitely triggers the learning impulse. Sort of like never having enough "COWBELL"!!!

[Mike of the Mountain]

[callaojoe]

As a fan of the Ole Miss Rebels.... I can't say I am a big fan of cowbells.....

[Mike of the Mountain]

BWAHAHAHA!!! I hear ya!! I "Roll With The Tide"! It's all good. Just had to run with the SNL references.

[mc15426378]

ARE YOU READY???
Hell yes, damn right!!!
hoddy toddy gosh almighty
who in the hell are we...HEY!!!
flim flam, bim bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!!!

Sorry I couldn't resist posting the above. Graduated from Ole Miss in 1975. I was privileged to yell/scream the above cheer Sept 17, 1977, in Jackson, MS, as the Ole Miss Rebels beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on a "cool" 103 degree afternoon. No cowbells heard that day!

[Stan Hillis]

I've always been a Ga. Tech fan over UGA, mostly because my Dad graduated Tech. Once, I was at a UGA/Ol' Miss game in Athens, as a guest of a UGA Alumni. When the Ol' Miss mascot came riding that big horse through the goalposts, dressed in Confederate grey, and carrying the Confederate battle flag whipping in the wind, it was all I could do to keep from standing up and cheering. I, however, considered that discretion was the better part of valor, and held it in, for it's a long walk home from Athens to my house. Sorry to see that mascot go away.

All my best, SRH

[callaojoe]

I was at the Ole Miss/Alabama game this year, and it was a ball.

Both of my Son's attended Ole Miss, the older boy graduates in May, the younger, after two years pursued his dream of joining the Navy, and is currently in boot camp.
After PIR, he'll be headed to Charleston SC for A school, and will be doing the Nuke training for the next 2 years.

We already have plans to attend the Ole Miss Gators game in Gainesville come October 3rd.

SEC football rocks.

Attended University of Missouri/St Louis, and was a life long Mizzou fan, until my boys headed off to Ole Miss, they treated us like family, and there is nothing like a day in the grove before a football game.

[callaojoe]

I've always been a Ga. Tech fan over UGA, mostly because my Dad graduated Tech. Once, I was at a UGA/Ol' Miss game in Athens, as a guest of a UGA Alumni. When the Ol' Miss mascot came riding that big horse through the goalposts, dressed in Confederate grey, and carrying the Confederate battle flag whipping in the wind, it was all I could do to keep from standing up and cheering. I, however, considered that discretion was the better part of valor, and held it in, for it's a long walk home from Athens to my house. Sorry to see that mascot go away.

All my best, SRH

The Mississippi Black bear sucks...