I finally got her out

[Silvers]

A bit over two years ago I came across a Skeet & Upland type Sterlingworth, straight grip with a short trigger guard tang. But this one has 32" 2-weight barrels and she's choked Full & Full with 34 and 37 points of constriction. Excellent stock dimensions with only 2-1/4" drop and weight at 7^8. She's been cornered in the back of the safe and I finally had her out today for a round of 100 sporting clays. I was using 7/8 ounce reloads, #8 shot at about 1200 speed. She came in second, only 1 bird behind the top scorer using a Beretta competition semi auto and 1-1/8 ounce factory loads. Not too shabby for a 80-some year old Fox.

frank

[Bruno]

Very Nice Silvers! That is a fine looking Fox.....

[Jeff S]

Nice pictures Frank. That’s good looking, long legged Fox. Nice shooting too.

[quail4jake]

Thanks for the photos, Frank! Nice Fox, love that long legged, straight hand. Good shooting!

[Researcher]

Great to see this very interesting gun out strutting its stuff!!

[vaturkey]

That would be an interesting gun to get a Cody letter on for sure. Long long leggs.

[Rbishop]

Nice Fox Frank!! I love it!!

[Jimmy Goodtime]

Awesome Fox! The guy behind the trigger was well qualified to take her through the paces as well!

[44whiskey]

she is a beauty.very nice

[Silvers]

Thanks all. I do have a Savage letter on this Sterlingworth including both sides of its Record card which curiously is the type used for Graded guns. I've long planned to do an article on her but it's been on the back burner. Made in 1936, she has the Phila style lever and safety button not the later Savage versions. This Fox came out of NY and as the story goes was made for a gent who worked in the Utica factory. As many know the Skeet & Upland Sterlies were only catalogued with 26" and 28" tubes, and apparently he knew what he wanted and had some "pull".

frank

[67galaxie]

Great fox sir!

[Researcher]

From my decades of recording Sterlingworth info, I've recorded a nest of Savage era Fox-Sterlingwworths in the serial number range of Frank's gun, then the next 5000 are all Philadelphia guns. Savage 12-gauge Fox-Sterlingworths generally begin in the 128xxx range. I've recorded five guns in the serial number range of Frank's gun, three Fox-Sterlingworth Traps which all have the slim Philadelphia forearm, and one Fox-Sterlingworth Ejector Brush which also has the slim Philadelphia style forearm.

Before Frank's gun came to light the earliest 12-gauge Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Guns to come to light were a couple in the 1306xx range with long strap trigger guards. I've recorded handful of 28-inch barrel Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Guns in the 1356xx and 1357xx range, but the great bulk of them are 26-inch barrel guns in the 160xxx range (one that also has a set of 28-inch barrels).