Fox Collectors

So I picked this gem up the other day. Nice early 16 gauge Sterlingworth. I bought a 12g Sterlingworth a few weeks ago from my local gun shop. I immediately fell in love with these guns. After I read that the 16g was built on a smaller frame I knew I had to have one as I mainly shoot 20's and 28's. Gun is in great shape with nice clean bores. It looks like maybe it was restocked with a nicer grade of walnut as my 12g Sterly is a plain straight grain stock. It also has checkering on the fences I believe they are called. The checkering matches the checkering on the stock which is why I believe it was restocked maybe at one time. Maybe someone can tell and shed some light on this as I am knew to the Fox guns.

Congratulations! 16 gauges are sweet guns. You’ll enjoy hunting with it next Fall.

It does look to possibly be a restock, but if so, nicely done. The checkered cheek panels are not a factory option on Sterlingworths. If it fits you, and you like it, a restock is infinitely better than a busted original, IMO. I shoot a restocked BE grade that is one of my favorites.

Enjoy your new gun. Smallbore Foxes of all grades are special!

A Sterlingworth 16-gauge is a great gun for the uplands. Congrats!! A 16-gauge of the Philadelphia era would have had to have started life with 2 7/16-inch chambers intended for the then "standard" 2 9/16-inch shells.

16-Gauge History lesson --

From the late 1890s until after WW-I, the heaviest 16-gauge loads our North American ammunition companies offered were 2 3/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 22 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite, pushing 1 ounce of shot. Those loads could be had in the "standard" 2 9/16-inch case or any of the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 or 3-inch cases. In late 1922 or early 1923, Western Cartridge Co. added the 16-gauge to their progressive burning powder, high velocity loads called Super-X, but unlike the 1 1/4 ounce 12-gauge and 1 ounce 20-gauge Super-X loads which were put up in Western's 2 ¾-inch FIELD shells, the 1 1/8 ounce 16-gauge Super-X load was put up in their 2 9/16-inch FIELD shell. When the Lubaloy shot Super-X loads were introduced in July 1929, they were put up in Western's high brass RECORD shell, but the 16-gauge still in a 2 9/16-inch length case.

The 2 3/4-inch 16-gauge shell really began to get some traction when Remington Arms Co., Inc. introduced their Model 11 and "Sportsman" autoloaders in 16-gauge in 1931, chambered for 2 ¾-inch shells. While Remington's regular Nitro Express 16-gauge progressive burning powder load was put up in a 2 9/16-inch hull with a load of 3 drams equiv. pushing 1 1/8 ounce of shot, for their new 16-gauge autoloaders they introduced the slightly faster Auto-Express with a 3 1/4 drams equiv. charge pushing 1 1/8 ounce of shot --

This gun seems to be choked Mod/Full. I would like to use it for preserve birds and maybe the occasional trip to Michigan for woodcock and grouse. Being a Sterlingworth and not a graded gun, would it be okay to send the barrels away and have them opened up to make it a more of a usable gun? If so, who would everyone recommend in the Ohio area to do the work? Thanks in advance

You cannot beat a 16 gauge Fox for all around upland hunting. Bobby

firemanstevec34 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:21 pm This gun seems to be choked Mod/Full. I would like to use it for preserve birds and maybe the occasional trip to Michigan for woodcock and grouse. Being a Sterlingworth and not a graded gun, would it be okay to send the barrels away and have them opened up to make it a more of a usable gun? If so, who would everyone recommend in the Ohio area to do the work? Thanks in advance

Don't be shy to cut those chokes and make it useable. I would recommend cutting the chambers and lengthening the forcing cones as well. A proper Smith will check if it can be safely done. I've had a handful of mine cut. I use Mike Orlen of Amherst Mass. 413 256 1630. Turnaround is a week. I send in a cardboard tube and bubble wrap well. No issues. Mike is a dry person to speak with on the phone. He will answer your questions but I've found he will not strike up a conversation with you.

Fireman, I can also recommend Mike Orlen highly. He reworked the rib extension, extractor rims, and ejector alignment on an HE Fox for me years ago to correct a horrible amateur welding job someone had done to get the gun to close and open properly again. Kevin

As it relates to opening chokes given it’s going to be a shooting/working gun for you and it’s already restocked it won’t hurt the value at all. As far as competent barrel work Mike is highly regarded.

Thank you to everyone that replied to my post. Maybe someday soon when I retire, I will start looking for a graded Fox but for now it looks like Mike Orlen will be getting a phone call for my Sterly.