Fox at a local store...oh my forget that one

[Silvers]

Maybe it's just the pic but the "dent" to the left side of the last one looks like it was caused by striking against a piece of circular metal, kind of like a punch. If so and without a hands-on insection with a good magnifier and a bore mike, that would bother me particularly if close to the breech. frank

[jolly bill]

Maybe it's just the pic but the "dent" to the left side of the last one looks like it was caused by striking against a piece of circular metal, kind of like a punch. If so and without a hands-on insection with a good magnifier and a bore mike, that would bother me particularly if close to the breech. frank

Hi Frank,

I looked at both of those dents too.

From Weatherby's bottom picture above showing both dents, it looks like they are in the right barrel near the muzzle. Note the ivory bead on the rib.

And the left dent (in the picture) looks like it's about a 1/2 inch from the muzzle. And, if so, may not be a big concern if removed carefully and correctly.

Hopefully, I'm looking at it correctly.

Bill

[Weatherby]

Thanks for the help Frank.

Both dents are near the far end of the barrel.
One almost even with the front bead.
The other a few inches about 3" back from it.
The one by the bead I can feel on the inside by inserting a finger down the barrel.

It leaves me as a newbie pretty leary

[jolly bill]

Thanks for the help Frank.

Both dents are near the far end of the barrel.
One almost even with the front bead.
The other a few inches about 3" back from it.
The one by the bead I can feel on the inside by inserting a finger down the barrel.

It leaves me as a newbie pretty leary

Weatherby,

To me, I don't think either dent is a big deal based on where they are located. Both can be carefully removed/fixed without sacrificing the integrity of the barrels.

Might even act in your favor to get a better price on the gun if everything else is OK and priced right.

What is the barrel length and chokes?

Bill

[Weatherby]

Not sure how it is choked yet but the barrels are 28"
I was hoping to find out more today but with the store owner out it didn't happen.

The dents intimidated me aa well.

[Weatherby]

The barrels are 28"
I had planned to check more but with the store owner out it didn't happen.

[Silvers]

Thanks gents for the clarification on the muzzle end; yes I looked again and saw the ivory bead on the lower part of that pic.

The dent locations bring up another concern because Phila era Fox chokes are full tapered and are typically 3-1/2 - 4"" or so long. A regular expanding mandrel dent raiser (straight-cylindrical) can't be used, and the hydraulic piston type raiser can't get a good purchase against the tube wall taper that's opposite the dent. With all that said IME the most effective means to raise Fox choke dent(s) is for the 'smith to lathe turn a steel plug that matches the choke taper, and gently push on it with a long dowel while tapping on the outside of the dent. Time consuming and expensive to get it done right. frank

[jolly bill]

Not sure how it is choked yet but the barrels are 28"
I was hoping to find out more today but with the store owner out it didn't happen.

The dents intimidated me aa well.

That front ivory bead looks original so if those barrels are 28 inches long, my guess would be Modified choke in the right barrel and Full choke in the left barrel.

It might upset some people and may be frowned upon, but a good old American dime is about 0.705 (+/- 0.001) inches in diameter and still works as a cheap and dirty choke gauge for 12 gauge shotguns. It will not go into a Full choked barrel but it will slide into a Modified barrel with just a little slop. More slop in an IC choked 12 gauge barrel.

What's the guns serial number. Someone here may confirm barrel length.

And as above, if everything else looks OK and priced right, it makes the decision easier in my opinion.

Bill

[jolly bill]

Speaking of removing dents in shotgun barrels and sort of off topic, about 80 years ago living with my grandparents, my grandfather born in 1882, made a dent "raiser" for removing a dent in a muzzle loading double barrel shotgun he owned. Consisted of two 3 - 4 inch pieces of steel that were the curvature of the barrel on one side and flat on the opposite side. As I recall, each piece was about 1/3 of the barrel cross section, or probably more. Kind of like a rising half moon sort of thing. He assembled those two pieces together with a flat but tapered piece between.

Inserted the whole thing down the barrel to where the dent was, and lightly tapped on that middle tapered piece and gradually raised the dent.

I just thought I would add this in respect for my grandfather.

Bill

[Jeff S]

Jolly, sounds like your grandfather was pretty resourceful. Back then people figured out how to do things on their own. Good story!

Maybe I missed it in this thread. Did we ever find out the LOP? At some point in this guns life the stock was probably cut and the recoil pad was attached. I suspect you’ll want a new pad.

[vaturkey]

Jolly, sounds like your grandfather was pretty resourceful. Back then people figured out how to do things on their own. Good story!

Maybe I missed it in this thread. Did we ever find out the LOP? At some point in this guns life the stock was probably cut and the recoil pad was attached. I suspect you’ll want a new pad.

Jeff, I went to an auction on the eastern short of Maryland several years ago. Several Foxes at the auction. I think 5 out of 6 had had their barrels cut with a hacksaw. Story was the fellow who owned them had a pile of great bird dogs and Quail was king back in those days. He wanted opened chokes and Hacksaw blades were cheap and gunsmiths few and far between. PS. I didn't buy a thing.

[Silvers]

"Cut with a hacksaw" reminds me of the Detective Captain in a nearby town who was our Security Consultant at work. We became friends and he'd always stop by my office to report and chat during his biweekly Plant visits. Years earlier during WW2 he'd jumped into Holland as an OSS agent and was with the Dutch Underground during most of the War. Talk about cajones! One story he related was his cell breaking into a Nazi collaborator's hunting lodge and taking a heavily gold inlayed 16 bore double-gun. He went on to hacksaw its barrels to about 12" long and also cut the stock just behind the pistol grip, attaching a screw eye into the wood. Carried it barrels down on a strap over his shoulder and under his overcoat. A close work double-gun. frank

[Jeff S]

a heavily gold inlayed 16 bore double-gun. He went on to hacksaw its barrels to about 12" long and also cut the stock just behind the pistol grip

[Weatherby]

Oh my.....they may be getting this one.
I called dibbs already.
Some cool stuff is coming out lately.

[44whiskey]

beautiful X ,keep us posted ps slight marks on both sides of fence,possibly vice jaws?