My new to me 16g Sterlingworth

[firemanstevec34]

So I picked this gem up the other day. Nice early 16 gauge Sterlingworth. I bought a 12g Sterlingworth a few weeks ago from my local gun shop. I immediately fell in love with these guns. After I read that the 16g was built on a smaller frame I knew I had to have one as I mainly shoot 20's and 28's. Gun is in great shape with nice clean bores. It looks like maybe it was restocked with a nicer grade of walnut as my 12g Sterly is a plain straight grain stock. It also has checkering on the fences I believe they are called. The checkering matches the checkering on the stock which is why I believe it was restocked maybe at one time. Maybe someone can tell and shed some light on this as I am knew to the Fox guns.

[Jeff S]

Congratulations! 16 gauges are sweet guns. You’ll enjoy hunting with it next Fall.

[Stan Hillis]

It does look to possibly be a restock, but if so, nicely done. The checkered cheek panels are not a factory option on Sterlingworths. If it fits you, and you like it, a restock is infinitely better than a busted original, IMO. I shoot a restocked BE grade that is one of my favorites.

Enjoy your new gun. Smallbore Foxes of all grades are special!

[Researcher]

A Sterlingworth 16-gauge is a great gun for the uplands. Congrats!! A 16-gauge of the Philadelphia era would have had to have started life with 2 7/16-inch chambers intended for the then "standard" 2 9/16-inch shells.

16-Gauge History lesson --

From the late 1890s until after WW-I, the heaviest 16-gauge loads our North American ammunition companies offered were 2 3/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 22 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite, pushing 1 ounce of shot. Those loads could be had in the "standard" 2 9/16-inch case or any of the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 or 3-inch cases. In late 1922 or early 1923, Western Cartridge Co. added the 16-gauge to their progressive burning powder, high velocity loads called Super-X, but unlike the 1 1/4 ounce 12-gauge and 1 ounce 20-gauge Super-X loads which were put up in Western's 2 ¾-inch FIELD shells, the 1 1/8 ounce 16-gauge Super-X load was put up in their 2 9/16-inch FIELD shell. When the Lubaloy shot Super-X loads were introduced in July 1929, they were put up in Western's high brass RECORD shell, but the 16-gauge still in a 2 9/16-inch length case.

The 2 3/4-inch 16-gauge shell really began to get some traction when Remington Arms Co., Inc. introduced their Model 11 and "Sportsman" autoloaders in 16-gauge in 1931, chambered for 2 ¾-inch shells. While Remington's regular Nitro Express 16-gauge progressive burning powder load was put up in a 2 9/16-inch hull with a load of 3 drams equiv. pushing 1 1/8 ounce of shot, for their new 16-gauge autoloaders they introduced the slightly faster Auto-Express with a 3 1/4 drams equiv. charge pushing 1 1/8 ounce of shot --

16-gauge Auto Express.jpg (22.22 KiB) Viewed 2208 times

[firemanstevec34]

This gun seems to be choked Mod/Full. I would like to use it for preserve birds and maybe the occasional trip to Michigan for woodcock and grouse. Being a Sterlingworth and not a graded gun, would it be okay to send the barrels away and have them opened up to make it a more of a usable gun? If so, who would everyone recommend in the Ohio area to do the work? Thanks in advance

[bbman3]

You cannot beat a 16 gauge Fox for all around upland hunting. Bobby

[zacharysmith]

This gun seems to be choked Mod/Full. I would like to use it for preserve birds and maybe the occasional trip to Michigan for woodcock and grouse. Being a Sterlingworth and not a graded gun, would it be okay to send the barrels away and have them opened up to make it a more of a usable gun? If so, who would everyone recommend in the Ohio area to do the work? Thanks in advance

Don't be shy to cut those chokes and make it useable. I would recommend cutting the chambers and lengthening the forcing cones as well. A proper Smith will check if it can be safely done. I've had a handful of mine cut. I use Mike Orlen of Amherst Mass. 413 256 1630. Turnaround is a week. I send in a cardboard tube and bubble wrap well. No issues. Mike is a dry person to speak with on the phone. He will answer your questions but I've found he will not strike up a conversation with you.

[Sporrns]

Fireman, I can also recommend Mike Orlen highly. He reworked the rib extension, extractor rims, and ejector alignment on an HE Fox for me years ago to correct a horrible amateur welding job someone had done to get the gun to close and open properly again. Kevin

[Foxnut]

As it relates to opening chokes given it’s going to be a shooting/working gun for you and it’s already restocked it won’t hurt the value at all. As far as competent barrel work Mike is highly regarded.

[firemanstevec34]

Thank you to everyone that replied to my post. Maybe someday soon when I retire, I will start looking for a graded Fox but for now it looks like Mike Orlen will be getting a phone call for my Sterly.