A Fox Dilemma

[Paramedic86]

Hello all,
I have an early AE grade in 12 gauge with 32 inch number 1 weight barrels. I bought the gun in its current condition which is a refinished stock, thin bluing on the barrels and some pitting on the inside or the bores. I’ve had the gun looked over and pitting is shallow and there is a lot of barrel wall thickness so it’s been deemed safe to shoot. As the gun is no longer original I’m toying with putting some money into making it a really good shooter. Currently it has very tight chokes at full and even more full, I shoot it well but those aren’t the most useable all around chokes. Please tell me if I’m breaking all the rules of Fox ownership but I’m really thinking about having the barrels honed to fix pits, re- rust blued, and having thin wall chokes installed. I want to use this gun for sporting clays and duck hunting over decoys and really love the versatility of removable chokes. If this gun were all original I wouldn’t dare do such a thing but with its refinished stock and other issues is this gun far gone enough to do such a thing?

[DarylC]

It's your gun and you can do what you want with it but if it were mine I would just leave it as it is and enjoy those chokes. 32" barrels should have tight chokes and Fox chokes, in my opinion, are some of the best. If you could post some pictures it would help to see what you are talking about. Personally, I wouldn't shoot at any waterfowl with anything other than a full choke. A decoying duck or goose at 25-30yds with his feet down and his head exposed presents a perfect head/neck shot. Thanks for posting and good luck with your A grade.

[eightbore]

Buy a tired 30" gun to ruin with screw chokes, and keep the 32" gun original and maybe just aggressively clean out the pitted bores. I have had more than one gun with "pitted" bores that turned out to not be pitted after some aggressive cleaning.

[vaturkey]

Might be able to polish out those bores with 0000 steel wool wrapped around a shotgun cleaning rod with a brass 20 gauge brush at the end. Spray the 0000 steel wool wrapped brush with CLP and put the rod in a battery operated drill and give it a go.

Csn clean a lotta stuff out of a barrel doing the above and you won't hurt a thing.


I would not do the choke tubes on that gun. Might consider opening the right barrel to mod, but that would be it.

[Stan Hoover]

Yes please do not alter a SXS with 32" barrels

But then again, the gun is your gun, so you get to decide.

I have yet to alter any chokes in any of my SXS guns, I know some fellows do but they're more serious/competitive than myself.

Some guns just fit right, those are the ones I tend to shoot and the others languish in the gun room or move down the road. 32" barreled guns are more valuable 90% of time and you would be hurting it's value by installing screw in chokes. Changing choke tubes while shooting is a mind game that doesn't often end for the best. I find myelf shooting my guns best when I forget how they're choked, but that's only me.

Stan Hoover

[fox-admin]

I have never opened chokes on any gun. I'm not a fan of this for any reason. If you feel the need for a competition gun buy a Fausti or Perazzi DC 12.

[Researcher]

The gun is an AE-Grade "shooter" it is not a mint condition high-grade "collector's item." Make it useful to you. I had the right barrel of my favorite A-Grade 12-gauge opened to improved cylinder in 1966 and have never regretted it. My favorite 20-gauge, a 1913 A-Grade left North 18th Street full & full, but fortunately for me an old Annapolis, Maryland, quail hunter had them opened to .004" & .016" long before it came my way.

[Foxnut]

Paramedic86,
While no longer a “collector” grade gun I’m in the camp of leaving the chokes alone on that gun. 32” barrels born with F/XF are just meant to be left alone IMHO. However, as others have mentioned it’s your gun do what makes you happy and post pics of that sweet gun!!

[Jeff S]

When buying vintage guns, many times I’ve heard people say “buy the barrel”, which means the barrels are the most important consideration. Having said that, 32” tightly choked barrels are starting to become scarce. Having said that, it’s your gun and you can do what’s best for you.

I’ve owned a cottage in TC for 21 years and yet I’ve never shot clays at Cedar. I should correct that shortcoming someday.