Fox chamber alterations

[uncleal]

I have just acquired a Fox A with later style engraving, 28" with 2 1/2 in. chambers, 12 ga.
Can I, or should i have it altered to 2 3/4 " (serial 31877)

[Researcher]

Are you sure the chambers are 2 1/2-inch? The "standard" Fox 12-gauge chamber was 2 5/8-inch intended for 2 3/4-inch shells.

[uncleal]

The gun was advertised as having 2 1/2 chambers, My best attempts indicate 2 1/2"

Now what?

[Researcher]

It seems that up until the late 1930s North American shotgunners were just expected to know what length shells their guns intended to digest.

Chewing on this a bit more, I see the gun in question was a fairly light weight 12-gauge, under 7 pounds. Leads me to wonder if A.H. Fox Gun Co. chambered these lighter weight guns 2 1/2-inch for the 2 5/8-inch 12-gauge shells which were only offered with 1- and 1 1/8-ounce loads. I owned an extremely high condition very similar lightweight A-Grade gun for a number of years, 26280. About four years after I bought the gun, I found the original hang-tag for it at the Allentown, PA, gun show. Unfortunately, there is nothing on A.H. Fox Gun Co. hang-tags about chamber lengths or what shells to use. The only A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogs that mention chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914 "A Fox Gets the Game" catalogs.

It wasn't until a SAAMI meeting in 1937 that it was suggested that manufacturers mark the chamber length on their guns. Savage's 1938 A.H. Fox catalogs begin stating "--2 3/4 INCH CHAMBER--." I have guns that letter to 1938 with and without the chamber length marking.

I see the same thing with my Remington pumps and autoloaders. Remington seems to have begun the "FOR 2 3/4 OR SHORTER SHELLS" marking during 1939.

[Jim Cloninger]

Dave, you collect pumps too!

[Researcher]

This was dragging this post way off the OP's topic, so I started a "Classic Pump Guns" thread in "Other Vintage Guns."

[44whiskey]

good story researcher . i dont own any pump shotguns but i have fell in love with pump 22s.there is something very satisfying about cycling them, especially winchesters

[Jim Cloninger]

Dave, how does the Remington 31 compare to the Winchester model 12? I had a model 12 trap that I liked very much. But, when I got into double barrel shotguns it went down the road.

[Researcher]

This was dragging the OP's post way off topic. So, I started a "Classic Pump Guns" thread in "Other Vintage Guns".

[Jim Cloninger]

Dave, the original model 31 looks almost the same as a model 12! One of the best pumps I have ever owned was an Ithaca model 37. It was my 1st shotgun bought in the 1950's new. It was a 20 gauge, had nice wood and cut checkering,
Jim