Fox Collectors

Hello,
I just purchased an A Grade FOX 12g with 32" barrels. I don't know much about SxS guns but I've been wanting a 32" 12g and this seemed to good to pass up. I just recently joined and shoot with the California side by side society and they're a great group of people. I was wondering where I might find more information in it and can I shoot 1oz loads at 1200 fps? I do reload and I probably will load some 1150 fps for it. Thank you for any input you might have. Billy Vallette

welcome to Fox Billy and congratulations on a beautiful A grade. very nice wood and desirable 32 in pipes,good on you, Fred

Beautiful gun, and welcome to the group. I shoot 1 oz. loads in mine.

That is a nice gun! What are the chokes? Jim

I'm not sure but I think full mod. How can I tell? I won't have the gun in my hands until Tuesday. The gentleman I got it from wasn't sure.

The only way to tell the chokes is to measure with a bore micrometer or shoot patterns and count. If you join the A.H. Fox Collectors Association, Inc. you can get a copy of the production card and see how the gun left Philadelphia.

That's nice, Billy. I'm a sucker for 32" doubles. Yours looks good.

Jeff S wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 6:33 pm Beautiful gun, and welcome to the group. I shoot 1 oz. loads in mine.

Thank you. what speed are the 1oz you shoot? i'm hoping that 1200fps is ok or should i run something a bit slower?

No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may or may not be safe in a given gun.

The year before your gun was made, our North American ammunition companies introduced the progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity, 1 1/4-ounce, 12-gauge loads, Western Cartridge Co.'s Super-X load leading the way.
Quickly followed by Remington's Heavy Duck Load --
which morphed into the Nitro Express in a couple of years --
and Peters High-Velocity --
So, when your gun left North 18th Street & Windrim Avenue it was expected to handle 1 1/4-ounce at 1330 feet-per-second. Whether you want to subject 99-year-old wood and your shoulder to those recoil forces is your decision to make. I have shot tens of thousands of 1200 fps 1-ounce and 7/8-ounce loads through my 12-gauge Ansley H. Fox guns.

Thank you very much for that! after all "it's the finest gun in the world"! i've had different guys tell me their opinions and I'm just going to shoot 1200 or less. i don't shoot much over that except turkey hunting anyway. I'm going to take her out tomorrow for my first time shooting her and it just feels so good in my hands and shoulder. I may get another!

Dave had two good replies on chokes and period shells. Unfortunately many here, perhaps most, don’t own a bore mike. Also seems like many have forgotten (or never learned) about the old-time test for 12 gauge chokes that was standard practice by most everyone when buying a new or used 12-gauge gun. Get a U.S. dime (coin) and hold it on edge with your fingers. Try to insert in each muzzle. Won’t go in = Full choke, close fit = Modified, loose fit = IC or even more open. Yes I know that doesn’t account for bores that have been excessively honed or backbored, and it’s only a check for bore exit diameter, but it’s a quick test for choke assuming unmolested vintage 12 gauge bores of nominal .729” diameter. “Close enough for government work” as the saying went and perhaps it's even more relevant nowadays. frank

Amen to what Frank/Silvers said about us old guys using a good old American dime to get a good idea of what the chokes might be on a 12 gauge gun.

The US American silver dime, 10 cent piece, has a diameter of just about 0.703 inches. The newer dimes seem to be just a little bit larger, around 0.708 +/- or so but still useable.

As Frank said, most guys (and gals) back then did not have the more common tools available today so the dime trick worked fine.

And it still works but be prepared to get some scowls. (Just my opinion.)

Jolly

Thanks for that DIME trick!
I don't have the paperwork on it yet but I'm told it's FULL FULL but i will check with the dime. I picked her up yesterday and took it to the sporting clays range this morning and whatever those chokes are they are staying! this gun just fits me. i took it to the pattern board for a few rounds to see if it's shooting where i'm pointing and both barrels were dead on. I'm not used to the automatic safety so that snagged me a couple times but i'll get used to it. shooting 1oz 1200 RC shells and I broke everything I normally do with my DT 11. I'm tempted to shoot it in the little tournament we have this Saturday. they are registered targets so I'm not sure i will but maybe! I need to order the paperwork from Cody museum for this gun.

Hey, Spearheadbill,

What's a "DT 11"? Curious folks would like to know.

And I'm sure you've had time to do the dime test. And the result is??

Thanks, and enjoy you're new to you Fox. It sounds like a winner.

Jolly

DT 11 is my Beretta (can i even say that in here?) no i haven't done the dime. i'm going to my safe now.