12 gauge Sterlingworth Ser# 50040?

[tyocum22]

I picked up an old Sterlingworth 12 gauge at a family auction recently. It was just a decoration on their mantle I guess. The serial number is 50040 on all the parts, and from what I have gleaned from the internet so far, it seems to be one of the earliest that came off the line starting with the 50000 numbers. I has a bad rib separating that needs repaired. Hoping that a basic gunsmith can handle it. My shotgun experience is limited to a Mossberg 500, so I'm not knowledgeable on these old guns. I haven't had much time to really get into it and research it yet since it needs the repair first. The barrels are very long (32"?) and in good shape. I'll have to get some more pics of the numbers and such on the barrels.

I see that restoring them isn't something anyone recommends. Not that I could afford it anyway. Is it worth anything more than making it pretty and putting it up in my cabin as a showpiece over the mantle? I'll try to post some pics but this is my first post here, so bear with me.

Thanks for any info you might have!

[Researcher]

When Ansley H. Fox, was forced to add a lower priced gun to his line of graded Ansley H. Fox guns, in 1910, he didn't want to detract from the A.H. Fox Gun Co. name, so they dummied up "The Sterlingworth Company." The first year’s guns, beginning with serial number 50,000, were marked as being "Made By The Sterlingworth Company, Philadelphia, U.S.A." Actually the first few hundred were marked "Wayne Junction" instead of Philadelphia. They even produced a separate The Sterlingworth Gun Co. catalogue for 1910.

These guns were built under the same patents as the graded Ansley H. Fox guns. The main moneysaving features were an American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) stock as opposed to the more costly European thin shell walnut (Juglans regia) stocks on the graded guns, and the "Sterlingworth Fluid Steel" barrels instead of Krupp Fluid Steel barrels. Workmanship on these early Sterlingworths was generally excellent, better than graded guns from the 1920's and 30's. The early "The Sterlingworth Company" guns had a rounded front for the side panel of the frames. According to my list of observed specimens that was changed to the same pointed profile as the graded guns by #51,301.

Probably at some point your barrels were improperly reblued with hot salts bluing which has attacked the soft solder leaving the result you see. Resoldering a set of barrels is not a job for Joe Shit the Rag Man, your local 870 parts replacer. To have it properly done by a qualified smith that knows what he is doing is likely a $1000 job.

I've been recording observed Sterlingworths since 1989, and yours is the lowest serial number I've seen. Previous was 50044. Is your gun's barrel address WAYNE JUNC. PA.?

If your barrels are really 32-inch, that would make this a very rare The Sterlingworth Co. gun.

[tyocum22]

Thanks for the info. Very interesting seeing the old catalog clip!
I'll check closer on the address if there is one on the barrel. I'll also remeasure the barrels to see what they actually are.
I'm a little bummed on the repair cost to fix the ribs. I would love to do it right, but that kind of money is not an option at this time (or any time unless I win the lotto! LOL).
It is a pretty gun though. A little scratch here and there on the varnish, but still very impressive. Would love to take it for a test drive some day after I fix it. Seems very well balanced, but BIG!

[eightbore]

Please, do not take this gun to your corner gunsmith. It should be professionally repaired and cleaned up. Get back to us with the markings and barrel length. Interesting gun. Where are you located? We can recommend a competent gunsmith near you.

[tyocum22]

It does indeed say Wayne PA on one side and fluid steel on the other(see pics).
It is only a 30 inch barrel though.
I'm near Youngstown Ohio. A recommendation would be great but really can't afford to get it restored right now. Maybe if another stimulus check..... lol

[gunut]

dont mess with it...looks like a real nice early sterlingworth......wipe it down with an oily rag and put it on the mantle until you are financially able to have it fixed by a good double gunsmith..maybe take it to a good double smith to have it looked over and get an estimate ..looks like original condition to my eyes....with a popped bottom rib.....cant tell about the wood checkering from your pics....

[Researcher]

The wood looks to be badly over sanded from what I can see. Erased most all of the checkering. Also the missing grip cap has not been reproduced to my knowledge. I don't have a good picture of one, but it is like this one but without the blanked out area around the screw hole.

Grip Cap.jpg (28.46 KiB) Viewed 3582 times

[tyocum22]

I'll have to get a pic of the checkering. It is still very nice and not worn at all. Can't see it in the pics I have posted. Yes, It is missing the grip cap and also the sight bead.

[tyocum22]

Here are a couple more pics.

If there are any options for a gunsmith near Cookeville TN we go there several times a year

[gunut]

that through bolt in the head of the stock isnt going to help matters in getting the gun back in presentable condition....but then it is the 40th sterlingworth produced....and the lowest number that Researcher has recorded....lot of decisions for you to make on what way to go

[eightbore]

This will be an easy restoration for a good gunsmith. Resolder rib, reblue barrels, filet the cheeks, refinish and rechecker wood. I said "easy", not cheap, but worth whatever it costs.

[tyocum22]

Might be worth it to a collector, but I'm not a collector. I can't really sink any more money into it, if you are talking nearly a thousand or more. I have a 16 year old who needs a car, a wife who needs her teeth, and now I'll have to start dishing out money to doctors.
Guess it will just be a decoration in the cabin.

I thank you all for the info and help. If I had found this gun a year ago, I would have done it up right and put it under glass!
This is a really nice forum. Congrats to whoever is running it!

[gunut]

If just for display....you could carefully tac [ solder ] the rib back down under where the forarm rests [ dont want to loosen the top rib ]....find a old grip cap with screw that fits...and display it on the mantle....brag to all your gun buddies that its the 40th made and oldest know surviving Sterlingworth....

[SPE33]

If you aren’t too emotionally attached to it I wager there would be at least a couple of folks here interested in it if you would ever consider selling. Hope this is isn’t violating forum guidelines.

[spyder]

I'm down the road from you in Nashville. Agree that it's a leave-alone wall hanger and an interesting one at that. FWIW, on my Fox wall hanger, I removed the trigger sears to make it unshootable. It's an easy operation that's also reversible.