Fox Collectors

Hello everyone. My good friend has decided to join me on the A. H. Fox journey and today he purchased a 12 ga. Sterlingworth. The serial number says it was made in 1919. Tonight he took the gun apart to clean it and he's having trouble putting it back together. The lug on the bottom of the barrel and the latch on the foreshock are completely different than mine. Does anyone know if there's a trick to putting these back together?

Wild Wings

Based on the busted out wood over the ejector sears and crude inletting of the forend iron it looks like like some creative work was done on it and maybe the ejector mechanism inside. From the 2nd pic, both ejector hammers are de-cocked which will prevent reassembly of the Fox. Also in the dark spaces ahead of the hammers (pic #2) I don't see the ejector springs. Possibly there but hidden in that pic??

If the springs are intact have your friend push both ejector hammers forward against their springs while using a piece of wood, something like a large diameter dowel with a square cut end and hopefully both hammers will cock and remain forward. Be careful because the hammers are under spring compression and if the dowel slips his fingers may hit the back end of the forend iron. Best to have the dowel held in a bench vise and carefully push the f/e forward onto it using both hands. If one or both hammers don't stay cocked the next step is to get the SW to a good Fox ejector man.

On the other hand if the ejector springs are missing, someone converted the forend iron to extractor operation. Not the way I'd do it. But in that case the ejector hammers will have to be manually moved forward to clear the ejector stems and then to reattach the forend to the gun.

Hopefully one or both of you will see fit to join up to the AHFCA as paying members and be able to access the member forums and all the tech and other info there.

frank

Thank you Frank. I'll pass this on to him.

Wild Wings

A very clear and concise explanation, Frank. Well done.

It also looks to me as if the ejector mechanism has been removed from the forend iron.

Thanks again guys. My friend has already been in contact with the very reputable shop it was consigned through and he will be returning it for a full refund.

Wild Wings

WW, good move

That forend is a mess. It is best to let that gun be someone else's problem.