Fox Collectors

Long ago I added a Very Pistol to my A.H. Fox Gun Co. collection for about $49 --
America's Munitions 1917-18, report of Benedict Crowell, the Assistant Secretary of War, Director of Munitions, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1919. On page 220 where he discussed the Very Flare Pistol -- "In August 1918, we let contracts for 135,000 of the 25-mm pistols and for approximately 30,000 of the 35-mm pistols. The A.H. Fox Gun Co. completed 4,193 of the smaller pistols and the Scott & Fetzer Machine Co. turned out 7,750 of them.

While cruising GI today I happened into the "Flare Gun" section and found three Very Pistols offered, all three Scott-Fetzer Machine Co., with asking prices from $350 to $625. The best one was still original 25 mm that hadn't gotten the 1" Con and was the cheapest. In reality what are A.H. Fox Very Pistols going for?

Funny you should bring this up - the last 2 local gun shows I went to around here each had a different vendor selling assorted flare guns. The first guy had a half dozen or so of varying (some dubious) lineage, but some nifty Brit and German versions; the second guy had almost twice that number of what looked like eastern European manufacture and proof markings(?). No Foxes among them and the one vendor assured me Fox never made any flare guns, any I would see would be bootleg fakes intended for the "collectors market." I drove home wondering what they would have been "faking"....Kevin

The Remington Arms Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Inc. made the Mark III, which took a 10-gauge flare shell, at their Bridgeport works --
while Scott-Fetzer Machine Co. and A.H. Fox Gun Co. made the Mark IV which took a 25 mm flare shell, many later converted to 1-inch.

Dave,
In my experience the past few years it seems like $300 is the zone for a good example.
tjw

I agree with Tom. That’s what I paid for the one I had and that’s what I sold it for.

Has anyone actually shot one? It looks like it would hurt.

A shirttail cousin who is one of the country's big cartridge collectors gave me a 1" shell for mine it just sits in the cabinet next to the pistol.

Dave, sounds like a smart choice!

I've never fired my Sedgely flare pistol. I'm not sure what ammunition it takes.

Wow!