Fox Collectors

SXS ohio wrote:Its a little early but I am excited about going grouse hunting in P.A. this October. I will snap the 28" barrels in place that are open chokes, drop in a couple 7 1/2# game loads and hope for a good shot over a steady point. This will be the first hunt for the shorter barrels of my XE-spl. two barrel set. Kansas is also looking good for this November....(-: SXS Ohio

Just hope the birds are there for you. Pa can be really good or ARGH. Hard to say which. I actually like the fact that you can also chase roosters there in certain areas. After the stocking days, the surviving birds get crazy wild and its pretty much like the real thing (and I've hunted in Kansas, Montana and ND for wild roosters). Pa does a good job with the birds and the habitat improvement is head and shoulders above what my home state of Va does.

PS. Did you post pictures of your two barrel set anywhere?

Good new from the mountains of P.A.....many reports of moma grouse with nice brood of young-ins.....(-: You are correct about the game commission, they are doing clear cutting in the big woods areas. This is more for the deer but all the critters benefit! Big oil is also funding the game commission and the pheasant program gets a big boost of cash...(-:

Chromox or Krupp barrels and why please?
Thank you.

I think its just the markings and has nothing to do with the steel grade being used...the barrel blanks come from the same hi quality barrel steel used today. SXS Ohio

Why do you suppose CSMC prefers Turkish Walnut on their Foxes?

2lo8s wrote:Why do you suppose CSMC prefers Turkish Walnut on their Foxes?

I think Turkish is just the best consistently high grade walnut out there currently. Also has a sort of "Gold" Standard to it like "Mercedes" Fox on the highest grade guns used Circassian Walnut which was old world walnut available overseas and not California English which seems to be for some reason moved to the side by Turkish Walnut. FWIW, I've handled California English that is super nice, but doesn't seem to have the background color like the old Circassian Walnut from the turn of the century. In the old days high grade french walnut was cherished, but a couple of world wars took care of all the good stuff. I do think most of the really large walnut trees are currently either in Turkey or Russia or the Russian territory's/satellite countries.
"

Hey vaturkey!
I spoke with Lou about an XE and after questions regarding American Walnut
was offered Exhibition American versus ** (two star) Circassian.
Any reason not to stock a Fox with Exhibition American Walnut?
Thanks

2lo8s wrote:Hey vaturkey!
I spoke with Lou about an XE and after questions regarding American Walnut
was offered Exhibition American versus ** (two star) Circassian.
Any reason not to stock a Fox with Exhibition American Walnut?
Thanks

Not at all. I think some of the later higher grade Foxes after they were sold to Savage also came in American Walnut as the supply was drying up and the cost was prohibitive even in the 30's for higher grade Circassian. Also, a fair number of folks who are getting CSMC Foxes made are choosing American as it certainly gives more bling for the dollar expended. Also, if you want feather crotch walnut, American is just about the only way to go as feather crotch is damn rare in Circassian. The key thing IMO for any walnut is that its been air dried and not kiln dried as it can become brittle when kiln dried.

The above pictures look very much like the wood I chose for my XE-spl. at no extra charge...(-: I am very happy with it! SXS ohio

Just a little up-date on my CSMC Fox...I have grown to really like the weight forward feel of the 29" barrels. The gun swings fast and does not stop! We hunted Kansas again this year and got into several quail. These birds are rockets! I did real good picking one bird out and getting the barrels on it. I had no trouble keeping the gun going and hitting my bird. I shot at five birds in separate first time flushes, I only had time for one shot at each covey. I did very good and only missed one bird of the five I shot at!....(-: Oh...the one I missed was a going away shot and I did not realize the bird was dropping down into a low spot and not rising, I shot over that one....)-: It was a 6 1/2 day hunt, weather was warm for the first three 1/2 days and hunting was very difficult for the dogs. We could not get close to the roosters at all. We did manage a few birds though. The Quail held good but really surprised the guy who flushed-em! Even pointed Quail gave you a big rush. My hunting partner hunts a philly Sterlingworth 26" gun 5lbs-12oz, mod/full. He is real good snap shooter and does real good on the close up shots over points. He missed several crossers this year and was intrigued that I did so well on the fast quail presentations. We talked about all of this on the long trip home and I explained the dynamics of barrel length and weight. After being back home I started looking for him a 28" gun that has three weight barrels and weight about 6lbs-4oz. On gun broker I found and bought a Philly Fox SW 30" M/F, 6lbs-4oz gun with twin ivories that will work perfectly for him. Its in about 90% with lots of C/C, perfect screws and mint barrels. I got a real good price on it as well and it will be his new Kansas rooster killin Fox! You really can't beat the Sterlies for a quality old time hunting guns! It does not get any better than that....SXS Ohio

SXS ohio wrote:Just a little up-date on my CSMC Fox...I have grown to really like the weight forward feel of the 29" barrels. The gun swings fast and does not stop! We hunted Kansas again this year and got into several quail. These birds are rockets! I did real good picking one bird out and getting the barrels on it. I had no trouble keeping the gun going and hitting my bird. I shot at five birds in separate first time flushes, I only had time for one shot at each covey. I did very good and only missed one bird of the five I shot at!....(-: Oh...the one I missed was a going away shot and I did not realize the bird was dropping down into a low spot and not rising, I shot over that one....)-: It was a 6 1/2 day hunt, weather was warm for the first three 1/2 days and hunting was very difficult for the dogs. We could not get close to the roosters at all. We did manage a few birds though. The Quail held good but really surprised the guy who flushed-em! Even pointed Quail gave you a big rush. My hunting partner hunts a philly Sterlingworth 26" gun 5lbs-12oz, mod/full. He is real good snap shooter and does real good on the close up shots over points. He missed several crossers this year and was intrigued that I did so well on the fast quail presentations. We talked about all of this on the long trip home and I explained the dynamics of barrel length and weight. After being back home I started looking for him a 28" gun that has three weight barrels and weight about 6lbs-4oz. On gun broker I found and bought a Philly Fox SW 30" M/F, 6lbs-4oz gun with twin ivories that will work perfectly for him. Its in about 90% with lots of C/C, perfect screws and mint barrels. I got a real good price on it as well and it will be his new Kansas rooster killin Fox! You really can't beat the Sterlies for a quality old time hunting guns! It does not get any better than that....SXS Ohio

Saw that gun on Gunbroker. Really nice case color and a very fair price and pretty hard to find with 30" tubes. Should be a killing machine.

Here are some pictures of my EX-Spl. Taken to day it arrived...will add more pictures of hunts with the gun...SXS Ohio

First Kansas hunt with the new Fox....2015 Wild birds...(-: SXS Ohio

2lo8s wrote:

This looks to be a pic from CSMC's files; the exhibition American Black Walnut stock on the subject gun is actually significantly darker in natural light. Apparently something like a filter or digital photo app was used to highlight the grain in the pic. Net, someone ordering a black walnut stock on a New Britain Fox is likely to get it in a darker shade - which in my mind looks better. JMO gents.


And here's that same stock on its 20 bore XE Special while hunting on a rainy day two months ago.

SxS Ohio. Someday I would like to own a gun with a skeleton butt plate. They're beautiful.