Two barrel sets in different guage (16/20)

vaturkey · Post by **vaturkey** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:24 am

Did Fox make such a thing at the factory since the frames are/were identical? Also, has anyone made a two barrel custom set? Seems to me a gun with say 2 weight 20 gauge barrels and 3 weight 16 gauge barrels (both 28") would weigh pretty much the same.

Seems like this would be a great deal for a gun meant to do double duty such as a guail/woodcock (20 gauge) and pheasant/grouse. Was thinking I used to own a Merkel 16/20 and that was indeed the same concept. Anyway, if such a thing is out there, I'm sure folks would like to hear about it.

Researcher · Post by **Researcher** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:00 pm

I don't know if AHFGCo. ever made such a set but I have seen custom versions and such sets made by Galazan.

There is such a set kicking around with serial number 200224 and it is marked as a special and marked on the barrels "Made Expressly for Mr. A. Walker." When I saw it it had a set of 26-inch 20-gauge barrels and a set of 28-inch 16-gauge barrels. However, there is also a straight-gripped DE-Grade with a Miller SST around that is also serial numbered 200224. The production card for 200224 is reportedly missing, and IMHO both these guns started life as Savage-era Fox-Sterlingworth Ejectors.

THE FOX · Post by **THE FOX** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:34 pm

That's just another project that I've been gathering up to do. I have the 20 ga frame, a nice set of 16 ga barrels, and a set of 20 ga. barrels that were never completed and were not fitted to a frame. Matter of fact, thay have not even been bored, chambered, or choked. I could go with a 16/20, or a 16/28. I thought it would be a unique conversation piece. It may be long in the future. I'm prone to start more jobs than I can afford or finish.

Cheers, Bryan Clary

bamboozler · Post by **bamboozler** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:52 pm

I recently sold a 20/16 bi-gauge Sterlingworth. This original 1926 gun is a single 20-ga. w/28" #3 wt. bbls. that Ed Landers fitted a set of new old stock Fox 16-ga. 28" #3 wt. bbls. This set of 16-ga. bbls. had a smooth rib, which of course did not match the 20-ga's rib, so I sent it to Andy Woytavich and he matted it with his supposedly original Fox matting machine. The gun weighed 6lbs. 1 oz with the 20-ga. bbls. and 6 lbs. 3 oz. with the 16-ga. bbls. The gun's new owner is having the gun restocked to his dimensions with a nice piece of quarter-sawn English walnut.

vaturkey · Post by **vaturkey** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:01 pm

bamboozler wrote:I recently sold a 20/16 bi-gauge Sterlingworth. This original 1926 gun is a single 20-ga. w/28" #3 wt. bbls. that Ed Landers fitted a set of new old stock Fox 16-ga. 28" #3 wt. bbls. This set of 16-ga. bbls. had a smooth rib, which of course did not match the 20-ga's rib, so I sent it to Andy Woytavich and he matted it with his supposedly original Fox matting machine. The gun weighed 6lbs. 1 oz with the 20-ga. bbls. and 6 lbs. 3 oz. with the 16-ga. bbls. The gun's new owner is having the gun restocked to his dimensions with a nice piece of quarter-sawn English walnut.

Now that does sound like the neatest things ever. Might you have a few pictures of that combo still on your server somewhere. I'm sure folks would love to see it. At least I would.

bamboozler · Post by **bamboozler** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:12 pm

Sorry, no pics. I might mention I also had bought a Galazan canvas & leather 2-bbl. set RBL-style case for it with an A.H. Fox leather trade label--made the whole set a really neat little package.

bbman3 · Post by **bbman3** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:55 pm

I have a 20/16 30 inch barrels X special that i assembled with all new old stock parts. The frame required a lot of fileing and i made the extra fancy english walnut straight grip stock from scratch.Bill Schwarz had a lady engraver do engraving and then he blued and colored metal.Twenty gauge barrels weigh a couple ounces heavier than the 16. I sold two gauge sterlingworth that i put toghter several years ago and have another one also. Bobby

R.R. · Post by **R.R.** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:08 pm

I've never seen a factory built set. I got to 'playing' around with some of my Fox's one day and one of the 16's barrels will snap right onto another 20 that I have. It's snug enough that I would not be bothered to shoot it that way. The barrels would just need a few thousandths removed on the outside to be perfect. I just don't have the heart to take a perfectly functioning gun down to a 'parts' gun. That's the problem... finding a nice set of barrels that need a new home. The NOS barrels in the white floating around cost more than what I have in the Sterlingworth 16.