Fox Sterlingworth serial question

[bdr1340]

I have a fox sterlingworth and looked up the serial numbers online. From what I’ve found mine appears to be the very first serial for a 1931 12ga shotgun. Is it possible this is number 1 fir that year or is this number assigned to all the models of that year?

[Researcher]

That old serial number chronology, available various places on-line, originally produced by Lightner Library back in 1976, is totally worthless when it comes to Savage-era Fox-Sterlingworths. Savage built their Fox-Sterlingworths in blocks one can find guns in the 132xxx range built way after guns in the 141xxx range, etc. The only way to know anything for sure is to get a letter from Cody --

https://www.foxcollectors.com/mechanism ... ry-letters

[bdr1340]

Thanks much for your prompt response. My number is 130000 if that helps. I’ll reach out to see if I can get some more information on this shotgun. I also have an old Abercrombie and Fitch side by side in what I believe to be a 20ga. I’m going to be busy trying to find out more information about these two.Thanks again.

[Researcher]

The Fox-Sterlingworth was a "made for stock" gun pretty generally made to "standard" specifications. Here is the Fox-Sterlingworth page from the 1931 Savage produced Fox catalog.

Most Fox-Sterlingworth production cards are just a standard printed card with very little information. The barrel length is given by the name -- BRUSH (26"), FIELD (28"), STANDARD (30") and TRAP (32"). Usually there is an invoice number written on the card (the invoices are long gone) that will give the year the gun was shipped and if one is lucky where it was shipped is on the card, but not on this example.

What I'm getting at is that unless very special, the information you would get from Cody may well not be worth the cost of the letter. A decision you will have to make.

[bdr1340]

I appreciate everyone’s quick responses and I’m just fascinated with learning about these and a few other guns I have. Thanks for taking the time to help educate me on this breed. I just joined up yesterday and I see there is plenty of reading to catch up on. Thanks again.

[Jeff S]

Have fun digging into the history of your guns. To Dave’s (Researcher’s) point regarding ship dates, I’ve found discrepancies of up to 3 years from the serial # list and the actual “letter”.