Fox Collectors

Just picked it up this AM for $600, took it out this afternoon and bagged two Pheasants. Missed one other hen. Pics to follow.

Pic of the SW's work:

$600. that's seems like a steal to me. Sterlys are still a great bargain, yours appears to be a very nice clean gun. Congratulations and welcome, nice pheasants.

I agree with Fox Admin, SW's are great guns and $600. is a very fair price for a good one. Prices have risen significantly in the past year or so. I looked at three 12 bore SW's several weeks ago, all had issues with dented barrels, bad bores, cracked and split stocks, rusty, deformed screw slots, etc. I overheard a customer asking and the lowest out the door price was $400. plus tax and the transfer fee. They're not exactly scarce, ~100,000 12 gauge SW's made, but no one hereabouts is giving them away.

Interesting, a lot of gunners I meet think the "Sterlingworth" name denotes a top of the line Fox. I know it's lost in the mists of history but whomever coined that name was a marketing genius.

gsps, just curious, what is the barrel length and chokes on your gun? Silvers

gspspinone,

Good for you!

Can't quite tell from the pic, but it almost appears as though it has a round knob grip? From the pic alone I would have guessed that was a Utica A grade.

Hey Guys, thanks for the comments. The Gun has 28 inch BBLs choked IC/M with two Ivory beads. The knob is not rounded, has the plain cap on it. The checkering is as new, some warn off spots on the finish but was thinking of applying a little Truoil....any ideas on that? No BBL dents, couple of bluing spots worn here and there, BBLs are about 90% and bores clean.

By all means, add a couple thin coats of Tru-oil if it needs it. I'd recommend first a rub down with 4-0 steel wool dipped in mineral spirits. Wipe it dry, check to see that it's a little cloudy evrrywhere, maybe repeat where needed. That will remove traces of old wax, gun oil, skin oil, etc. and give a little "tooth" and primer to the surface for the Tru-oil to bond to. Try to keep the finish out of the checkering. Applying it around the borders of the checkering with a Q-tip first is a good idea, sorta like "cutting in" with a small paint brush along the wall/ceiling before you break out the roller. As long as you don't use sand paper, you can take the recoil pad off first. That doesn't constitute a "refinish," just proper maintenance IMO. I would recommend a properly fitted new pad, but then I'm a stickler for such stuff.

Best to wait till after the season when the humidity is low and the finish cures best, and you can resist the temptation to handle it for a week or so after.

Great gun for the Pheasants. If you got that gun for $600 you did real well in this day and age!! Congrats on the gun and the Pheasants. My favorite gun for them is a Fox 12-gauge with 28-inch barrels bored .015" and .024" that is entering its 43rd season with me. From the picture those appear to be pretty defined stock cheeks for a Sterlingworth stock. Usually the graded gun stocks have the defined stock cheeks and those of the Sterlingworths are not so defined.

here's a close up pic as well....thanks for the feedback guys, appreciate the info as I know little about Fox SW's.

also, the Sn is 1360**, does this make this gun a 1936 gun? Thanks.

I have a gun 1398xx that letters as being shipped May 8, 1936. The old serial number tables, published by Lightner Library back in 1976, show your gun would be early 1935, but you need a letter to know for sure.

You guys are great....but I keep thinking up new questions......my bbls have no marks indicating their weight, is this normal or am I not looking in the proper spot (just afore the bbl flats)

As often as not the weight numbers got struck off during assembly and final finishing.

Here is a Sterlingworth Flyer from I think 1934. It goes nice with this gun!
Enjoy!

Scott--thanks for that post, very cool. My SW must be the "Deluxe Grade" as it has two Ivory beads.

Where did you get that? I'd like a copy too. Thanks again.