2023 Fox purchases and trades

[fox-admin]

So far 2023 has been a good Fox trade/buy year for me. Purchased a 97158 Sterly ejector 12/30 from a Parker guy to replace the same gun but extractor that I got talk out of by a buddy. Bought a Sterly 20ga 30" that went to member Tom T as part of buy/trade for Super Fox 30522 straight gripper 12/32". Hated to let the 20ga 30" Sterly go but Tom drives a tough bargain LOL!! Bought back SF 31793 from member Don Q and sold it to a fellow duck club member for the family price. Wish I kept the gun but have right of first refusal I he decides to move the gun. Friends are more important than any gun. How about you???

[Maggiemollie]

Just 2 SW. Both 30" one M/F other F/F.

[vaturkey]

Course the 20 Gauge Sterly I got from Craig and then also a 30" 16 gauge Sterly ejector that had a trashed buttstock and forearm. Its currently in the restocking que. Chokes are full/mod and weight is 6 lb 4 oz with 3 weight barrels. Doing nothing to the case colors as they are pretty good and keeping the chokes as is. Its going to be an out west Pheasant/Sharptail gun after stocking.

PS. I sold 5 guns this year in total. Four Foxes and a little SKB model 100 20 gauge.

Double PS. Did buy a little Charles Daly model 500 20 gauge made by Miroku in the 70s in almost mint condition. Love the gun for our local 5 Stand. Double triggers and extractors. Full/Mod which I'm going to leave as is. It may also be headed out for pheasant/Sharptails. Nice to have a gun I can shoot regular off the shelf ammo with. Its no lightweight at 6 lb 12 oz, but that's weights handy shooting clays.

Triple PS. Here is the blank going on the Fox 16 gauge, which is a mid grade piece of Turkish with nice layout with some marbling and fiddle.

[Silvers]

I've been selling off the collection mostly at auction to avoid direct selling hassles. Just one of them was a Fox and I didn't buy any other Foxes during the year and I'm now down to a good number for clays and hunting though I do have one other Fox planned to sell. My few Lefevers are stable and I've added some Parkers, Winchesters and others that I want for shooting and hunting. I've passed through the purist collector phase; more fun for me to be shooting guns than wiping off dust. But of course to each his own. Right now I'm at about 50% of my starting number a year ago with a few more planned to move over coming weeks before my next scheduled auction pickup. frank

[Maggiemollie]

Frank's guns are awesome.

[eightbore]

Frank, my gun acquisitions have been mainly "shooting guns" since 1960 when I bought my first Parker. A few high condition guns have found their way home with me, but that is not my main collecting interest. I think we have more fun with the shooting guns than with collector guns.

[fox-admin]

Frank, my gun acquisitions have been mainly "shooting guns" since 1960 when I bought my first Parker. A few high condition guns have found their way home with me, but that is not my main collecting interest. I think we have more fun with the shooting guns than with collector guns.

I find it so interesting how different people approach our hobby. There is no right way or wrong way in my opinion. We all have a passion for these old guns that we express in many different ways. If you want to lock away mint examples great, if you want to shoot everything you own great, if you want to customize guns great, if you're somewhere in between great, if you like one maker or all makers great. I have met so many great people in this hobby that is a bigger reward than the guns themselves.

[Silvers]

Craig, very well said. frank

[ROMAC]

I sold six guns (no foxes) and bought an early 50's era Browning Superposed that was factory chambered IC/M just because it tickled my fancy.

It looks good next to my Winchester 21. I used to have a very early FN Superposed Pigeon grade with an English stock and double triggers that I stupidly traded away for something that I can't even remember and have always wanted another Superposed once I came to my senses.

Oh, I almost forgot that my custom 16 two barrel set was finally finished, so I have that I guess.

[Maggiemollie]

I get Frank's point. I used to collect guitars and had several dead mint $$$$ condition collector ones. It was great to look at them. And know others wanted and drooled over them. I loved that! But I Didn't want to play them out of fear of adding wear and depreciating the value. But It was fun looking at them every month. Maybe even picking them up and carefully strumming for 30sec before putting them back.

I sold most. Strange part is I basically broke even in the long run. Some increased huge, some dropped huge, some i over paid and lost $$$ and some i stole and made some $$$. To me I realized the fun really wasn't fun of enjoying them - it was status cymbal - I have THIS and you don't.

I ended up with a few "players" - ones that are original honest vintage, a bit beat up but where another 10 dings or scratches won't detract from value. And I play them (poorly). And don't worry. And really enjoy. Except for my playing. (It sucks).

To each their own. But I do think their is a point where collecting splits into 2 groups - closet queen collectors and I'm using it collectors.

[Sporrns]

I sold six guns (no foxes) and bought an early 50's era Browning Superposed that was factory chambered IC/M just because it tickled my fancy.

It looks good next to my Winchester 21. I used to have a very early FN Superposed Pigeon grade with an English stock and double triggers that I stupidly traded away for something that I can't even remember and have always wanted another Superposed once I came to my senses.

Oh, I almost forgot that my custom 16 two barrel set was finally finished, so I have that I guess.

Didn't know that the early Supers had put the hook in you too, Roger! I have coveted them since I first special ordered my first one in 1968 and have loved and shot them since then. Like your FN Pigeon straight grip that "got away", I sold my very best one back to Steve Barnett a few years ago so I could afford my first Fox XE. It was an outrageous pre-war FN Super 12 gauge Grade V with straight stock, stepped vent rib, 30" barrels, engraved and double-signed by Felix Funken. It was the best one I ever owned and reportedly custom built for pigeons. "Eightbore" Bill Murphy and I displayed it at the MD Arms Collectors Show (the "Old Baltimore Show" some years ago as part of our "Pigeon Gun" display. In our 25 years of displaying at that show, only one other gun garnered more attention or requests to, "could I just pick it up and swing it?" That other gun was a 20 gauge 32" SuperFox. What wonderful memories of these fabulous guns!! Kevin

[fox-admin]

If you collect guns as a status symbol to impress others you will be extremally disappointed in my opinion. If you collect gun to satisfy your desires you will be much more satisfied. Collect what you like.

[eightbore]

Although I have guns with extreme condition and guns with extreme provenance, my "favorites" are from another realm. They are guns that are orphans needing attention, project guns. As I age, more of these guns are approaching completion, but some will still be in process when I pass. Watch the obituaries.

[Jeff S]

I added two guns this year. The first one was a dandy 2nd gen. AE that I purchased from a member. Light weight, single trigger, and crisp engraving make “Sally” a delight to shoot.

My 2nd purchase, also from a member, was my 1881 Parker 8 ga. It’s a beast, but it’ll be fun at the 5 stand events.

Regarding previous comments about “pristine” guns. I once dreamed of owning a Belgium made Browning A-5 Sweet Sixteen. I found an ad for one claiming to have never been fired. It was a short drive from my house and I paid a premium price for it. Since it had never been fired, it sat in my basement for several years. Finally, I decided that it was made to shoot. I fired 2 shots at a woodcock, but missed. The gun went back in the basement for a few years, but in my heart I knew that it was too pristine for me. Eventually something would happen to devalue it. So, I sold it to a co-worker that “collected” Brownings. My learning was this: there is no point in owning a really sexy gun unless you’re going to have the fun of shooting it.

[Silvers]

I added two guns this year. The first one was a dandy 2nd gen. AE that I purchased from a member. Light weight, single trigger, and crisp engraving make “Sally” a delight to shoot.

My 2nd purchase, also from a member, was my 1881 Parker 8 ga. It’s a beast, but it’ll be fun at the 5 stand

[snip] …….. My learning was this: there is no point in owning a really sexy gun unless you’re going to have the fun of shooting it.

Well said Jeff. I’ll add a corollary (for me) ….. realistically I can only shoot and hunt with X number of vintage guns and the more I own the less likely I’ll be to shoot many of them regularly if at all. Hence the dust catcher terminology. For me, shooting and hunting is about breaking clays and being a good shot and humane hunter. Not mix and match just to hear the gun go bang.

frank