Fox Collectors

While at OGCA this weekend I had the good fortune to handle an Emil Flues Bay City Michigan marked cape gun in 16 gauge/45-60 cal. Several interesting features on the gun. It was a side lock design gun with light border engraving. The rib was inscribed “Emil Flues Bay City MI for F. B. Chesbrough. (Chesbrough was a wealthy lumberman/land holder during the late 1800’s). While the gun has seen use and not pristine one can certainly appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of Flues. The barrels just ahead of the barrel flats were also engraved E. Flue and the side plates were engraved E. Flues. Posting some pics and apologies as some may not orient correctly unless you click on them.

Another pic.

Interesting… I would assume it’s heavy? Also assume it would feel weird as the balance would be off?

One of our long time members, George Lander - now deceased - brought a Sterlingworth "Cape Gun" conversion to the 2012 Southern for show and tell. !2 gauge X 45/70 Gov't. It was well done but IMO its weight was excessive and balance way off. More of a curiosity but I suppose it would be OK for off hand game shooting from a stand or after alighting from a Land Rover cruising the Plains.

George's Sterly is an interesting gun as is the Flues gun posted here but methinks both have limited practical usefulness. frank
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Frank, Thanks for your comments. Nice photo of Paul!

Agree with Frank on the balance/weight issues of a gun like this. What most intrigued me was the fact that it was an Emil Flues gun who as many know was a prolific gun designer and gun smith with a number of patents including the Ithaca Flues SxS and Flues SBT (patents attributed to Ithaca). He was a Michigan born gunsmith/designer of German descent that went back and forth between MI and New York over the course of his career. I appreciated the Michigan connection given I live in the State as a Buckeye transplant!

Yes, that's George and Paul in the one pic. The Flues SxS and SBT are well known for problems with breakage of the cocking lug or whatever its proper name is. To paraphrase a Packard automobile advert: “ask the man who owns one and tries to shoot it a lot”. Hopefully Emil corrected that in this sidelock design? frank

Is that a picture of the famous George Lander?

eightbore wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 9:30 am Is that a picture of the famous George Lander?

Yes. Many years ago when I was staying in Sanford for the Southern George stopped by the Fox booth and we started a conversation which ended up about the death of his daughterI believe. He came down on a whim and had no place to stay so I offered him the other bed in my room. It was an interesting 3 nights chatting with him before bed.

That is the man that first brought to the Internet the existence of Bo Whoop. He saw it at Jim Kelly's gun shop in Darlington, SC when it was there for restocking, about two years before the owner decided to send it to Julia's for auction.

Poor man was nearly crucified for claiming he had seen it. I saw it and examined it some two years later in Savannah.