C Grade on gunbroker, please comment

Jeff McDowell · Post by **Jeff McDowell** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:25 am

I'm in the market for my first Fox for hunting, and I saw this gun:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=95611577

The low serial number and the long barrels with Skeet/Skeet seem odd. I'm not looking for a collectors gun, but I don't want a a complete abberation either. I am in the early stages of my Fox education, so any comments on this gun wold be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff McDowell

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:56 am

Four grand is a lot of money for a hunting gun. This gun has been discussed here before, I think. Why are the most interesting pictures on gun sale sites always out of focus? What's the deal with those barrel markings that I can't read? Does anyone know what they say? There is about one chance in ten thousand that the chokes are original but the serial number is very cool.

mike campbell · Post by **mike campbell** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:01 am

Looks like there were 2 lines on each barrel, but the left barrel MAY have only one. It says "HEAVYWEIGHT BARRELS"

The right barrel says "HEAVYWEIGHT BARRELS" and above that it says

FLUID STEEL @#%& (possibly KRUPP?) *^@!

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:09 am

Are those markings something we are familiar with? Are they common on early Fox guns?

Post by **fox-admin** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:51 pm

I have never seen the "Heavyweight Barrels" marking on any other fox I have handled, but that doesn't mean it is not correct. This gun showed up un-restored about a year ago on Gunbroker, someone has refinished it in the last few months. The new case color does not look correct to me. The gun has been refinished in my opinion not restored. It has been for sale for a very long time, that should tell you what the market thinks about the gun.

Silvers · Post by **Silvers** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:10 pm

Take a look at the slot in the head of the screw that hold the cocking slide in place, about the 15th pic down. Silvers

ed gagne · Post by **ed gagne** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:03 pm

the line says fluid steel krupp essen which we know was the name of the krupp estate in germany.

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:17 pm

My C grade SN 18x has under barrel markings
FLUID-STEEL-KRUPP-ESSEN
bellow that on the second line of each barrel
HEAVYWEIGHT BARRELS

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:44 am

Now that is interesting. I would be curious how close the barrel weight is to the chart in McIntosh's book. Would it correspond to a 1 or a 0? I wonder if early Fox literature mentions "heavyweight barrels"? I've never noticed such a marking on a Philadelphia Arms Company gun.

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:40 am

Bill FYI,
I was surprised that they are not really heavy, about a 3.5 by the book table.
They are 28" (touching at the muzzle) and weight 3# 6oz. My 2 pair of C 30" 4 marked barrels weight the same on those scales. That is right on the table weight for 30" 4's,
. Book weights for 28" 3's are 3#8oz and 3#4oz for 4 weight barrels so these split the 3 and 4 weight on my scale.

Jess