1912 SW 32" 3" chambers?

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:16 pm

I have some questions that I hope that the experts can help me out with on a Sterlingworth that I bought a few days ago. I won't receive it until the end of the week. It was made in 1912 and has 32" barrels, 3" chambers, and ejectors. Were these common options at that time? How likely is it that the 3" chambers would have been factory? I talked to someone who knew the gun who thought they were factory, but it is tough to tell. The barrel flats are stamped with 12 GA* on it. Is that a normal stamp? Would a letter show much information on a SW from that time period? From the information I've found the SW 32" trap was catalogued in 1913. Would this likely be an early trap with the chambers lengthened? I have a nice SW pin gun with 30" barrels and extractors, would this have the same frame size? Sorry for all the questions. I don't have much reference material on Foxes. Thank you for all comments.

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:20 pm

Hi Bob welcome to Fox Collectors.
Did that gun come from Epps ?

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:27 pm

Thanks for the welcome, birdawg. Yes, this was the one at Epps. I'm a Canadian so I didn't have to deal with the import paperwork. I didn't realize this was a familiar gun to the Fox site. I pm'd another Fox site member about it and he knew it well. I searched the forums on this site and didn't see it mentioned though.

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:41 pm

I suspected so. I just noticed last night it was listed as sold. I was rather curious when I talked to them last December about the gun and was told that it was factory but they did not have a factory letter and it was not marked. As far as I know the only guns regularly marked 3" were HE's and Wildfowl guns.

Most of the discussion about this gun was on the members only pages.

Others with more info on the subject may give you better info on the subject.

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:03 pm

Thanks birdawg. Is the members only pages only for those that join the Fox Collectors Association? I didn't realize there were hidden forums on the site. I'll have to join and see what was said about her. I hope it wasn't all negative. I've only seen a few poor pictures. After I bought it I spoke to someone who shared a pit with the previous owner and borrowed it to shoot a few geese. He liked it and since that is what I'm planning to use her for I'm hoping for the best.

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:43 pm

It looked like a fine duck gun to me.
Where are you in Alberta? I could use some of your green heads down here in eastern Idaho to give a workout to my Foxes. I was even thinking about a trip north for sharptail and waterfowl but it might be getting a little late to get past North Dakota and northern Montana.

Good luck with you new Fox!!

Silvers · Post by **Silvers** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:46 pm

Hello Bob, welcome. I have two graded pre-1911 guns that have 3" chambers (actually 1/16" and 1/8" short). One letters as 3" and there is no record card for the other one. Neither one is marked 3" and I didn't expect they would be. I believe the only Foxes that might be stamped 3" are the Super Fox types, HE's and Waterfowls. The 32" Sterlingworth ejector at Epps was mentioned several times on the Members Only forum. As I'm sure you know 32" guns are scarce and in high demand. I considered buying it myself but decided against, and continue to look for long-barreled graded guns. I have the same question as Jess, how high north are you in AB? Frank

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:03 pm

Thanks guys. Its good to hear it wasn't one of those "Holy cow! Can you believe the condition of this piece of scrap" threads. I look forward to the letter.
I live near High Level, which is the last town in Alberta when you head north towards Yellowknife. Its about 110 miles from the Northwest Territories border. The field out my back window is the last cultivated land going north. There is a pocket of farmland to the south and east of me, then about 100 miles of bush before you get to the farming area that goes all the way south. I haven't seen a goose around here for a couple of weeks. Most of the northern birds skip over us until they get past that band of bush. We've had unseasonally warm weather and we may get more geese coming through from the north. I'm hoping to go a bit south towards the end of the week to get some goose hunting in. Silvers, I too like the long barrelled fowlers. I doubt the SW will get here before I leave so I'll use either a long barrelled Parker or L.C. Smith this week.

Silvers · Post by **Silvers** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:57 pm

Bob, I re-read your first post and see you didn't get an answer on the frame size of the new purchase as compared with your Pin Gun. Yep both guns have the same frames but there are minor machining differences. I've measured a bunch of 12 gauge frames and there's some variance in actual size across the sides and across the breech balls. The latter measurement should be considered if anyone is thinking about swapping barrels.

It sounds like you're pretty far north in AB. I had a trip planned to the NWT earlier this year but it fell through.

I'll send you a PM on some other stuff. Silvers

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:49 pm

Thanks Silvers. I was reading researcher's reply on another thread that he mentioned the date of production of another SW and realized I mis-read the shotgun world's date of production page. This gun is 66,007 which I think would place it in 1913, not 1912. My other SW 61,846 was also a year later than I thought. I suppose a letter is the only way to tell for sure.

Short range · Post by **Short range** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:07 pm

Bob: Over in LaCrete their is a group of very serious double gun long range shooters, some of these people come up from Edmonton, others come from the lower 48, and some live in LaCrete. These people are a little on the "Old" side, but they have been shooting for a long time and they are good shots, and a fun bunch to be with. The shooters that live their are now pointed south, and following the geese. and getting out of the Alberta winter. Maybe late next summer you can hook up with this bunch.

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:44 am

That surprises me, short range. I've lived up here 15 years and never met anyone that has the slightest interest in double guns, and here they are an hour's drive away. The only guy I know that has a vintage gun inherited a C&H and doesn't shoot. I've shot at the LaCrete trap range and only saw pumps and autos. No one knew anything about vintage guns when I brought it up. They must be the hunting club that I've heard a bit about. They've had permission to hunt some of the same fields that I had permission for. I'd call the owner the night before to make sure we didn't end up in the same field. I'd definately like to hook up with them. I'm 50 so the "old" wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately work doesn't allow me to follow the birds south or escape the winter.

Short range · Post by **Short range** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:11 am

Bob. The people that hunt the LaCrete area do not belong to any club, They are just serious goose hunters, they get along good with the Menonite' population, and the other farmers. They either stay in the motel or with the boat repairman. These folks all shoot ten gauge doubles of one sort or another. A couple of years ago their were two outfitters in the area, one in Fort Vemilion and one in High Level, they are no longer in buisness. As you know the season is short, and hunters are now all gone. The boat repairman was the last to leave, as he is a permanent resident. He will be back in April, in time for the boat season and fishing. Happy wintering

Northern Bob · Post by **Northern Bob** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:55 am

Thanks for the info, short range. You obviously know the area well, have you done much hunting around here? I didn't even know LaCrete had a boat repairman. I haven't hunted geese near LaCrete for a few years. I've either stuck around High Level or gone to the Debolt area. I'm heading to Debolt tomorrow morning to try for some geese. I'll find a number for the boat repairman and invite him to the High Level range for some trap shooting using short 10s in the spring.

Short range · Post by **Short range** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:37 pm

Bob:Check your PM's
Long barrel shotguns can turn some people into addict's. (goose hunters grin).