Very early Fox

[shotgunner]

I was at an auction recently and attempted to by a very early Fox shotgun. It was a 12ga gun with a "Parker" hinge pin. The serial number was less then 300. The gun was advertised as a 20ga but was in fact a 12ga. Perhaps one of you bought the gun, they had on-line bidding. It showed a lot of wear. What year was it made? Was it, in fact, one of the first Fox shotguns? Shotgunner

[Researcher]

Our man Ansley H. Fox had his first gun company in Baltimore, Maryland, making this gun in 1898 and 1899 --

The A-Grade had Twist barrels and the B-Grade Damascus barrels.

In early 1900 Ansley left his partners in Baltimore and became a professional shooter on the road for Winchester, shooting a Parker Gun and representing their line of shotgun ammunition. By August 1900, the big W had him shucking one of their Model 1897 pump guns. By 1902 he had moved to Philadelphia and in November 1902 he incorporated Philadelphia Arms Co. Ground was broken for their new factory at North 18th Street & Windrim Avenue in August 1903. By the summer of 1904 they were said to be in production of their new A.H. Fox shotgun. However, all the magazine advertisements I've found for Philadelphia Arms Co. were from January to July 1905.

Ansley left Philadelphia Arms Co. in December 1904, and in April 1905, incorporated the A.H. Fox Gun Co. and by October 1905, was advertising their Ansley H. Fox gun --