Cocking a A Grade Philidelphia Fox Help

[mhatton]

Hello, brand new to the AH Fox world. Just picked up a super clean A grade 12 ga from the 1920’s. Could not get it reassembled when I unwrapped it. Perhaps the auction folks squeezed both triggers? Any secrets or steps to getting the hammers cocked so that the fore end will go on and latch? First one for me, and too good of shape to experiment! Tks

[spyder]

The cocking extensions of the hammers can be seen in the slot of the action flats. Take an appropriate size flat screwdriver, slip it under the extensions, and lever them up. It doesn’t take much force at all.

[Silvers]

Firing hammer(s) being cocked or de-cocked has nothing to do with it. A H Fox shotguns can be assembled either way. Sometimes the "cocking slide" that's under the barrels at their back end will get stuck/rusted/jammed to the rear and prevent the cocking slide from entering the rectangular slot in the bottom of the frame. If stuck backwards and not free moving, use some penetrating oil and work the slide back and forth in its grooves by tapping to and fro with a piece of hardwood. The cocking slide is lightly spring loaded and should be forward when the barrels are off the gun and ready to reassemble. frank

[Brian Dudley]

is your top lever moved over to the right when trying to put the barrels on the gun? That is the first step. If it will not move over, then it could be jammed up. This can happen sometimes when the lever is tripped over hard under spring pressure without the barrel on the gun.