Fox Collectors

Here are some pics of a 1st generation A grade #17607. 2 5/8"chambers,
28" #4 WT. KRUPP bbls choked .005/.015,Cyl / Lt Mod , R.724 L.725 bores
Half pistol grip to HRBP. WT. 7 lbs. even
14 1/8" LOP, 1 1/2"DC 2 5/8"DH
This gun remains in Very nice condition and appears to be original with the exception of the chokes. They do have the proper taper
but they may have been opened up. I will have to send for a letter to be sure. Paul

Paul, I already told you but I'll say it again. VERY NICE! Frank

Definitely very nice Paul. The case colors are fantastic on this gun. Here's a question for all. What factors effect whether the colors fade or stay sharp on a gun? Sunlight, ozone, handling, global warming, etc?

Paul, it sure is a pleasure to see them in that kind of condition!

How 'bout its twin, SN 1982X, that has spent the last 38 years of its life in my gun safe. Darkness, I'm thinking prevents case color fade?

Jolly

Jolly Bill, ironic that you chimed in just then....I was actually thinking of you as I "penned" my previous post. Bravo! Gotta love dark spots, a perfect haven for beautiful Foxes and mushrooms.

Lovely cheeks on both those guns.

Bill,

Is your fore iron blued or CCH?

Mike,

Fore end iron is blued.

And Tom, aka: Marshfellow, you got any mushroom seeds?

Jolly

mc15426378 I agree with jolly bill I think keeping them out of the direct sunlight helps protect color. Abrasive handling and cleaning also seems to remove the surface colors quickly.

jolly bill that is one fine early A. What are the specs on that gun? I hope we can get them together some day and get some pictures of them reunited.

Mike Mine also has the blued forend iron even though it does not appear that way in the pics. I agree with you those early guns have very nice stock shaping details at the cheeks and particularly at the nose of the comb.

I think Ole Eightbore is on to something with these early A grades where else can you get a Krupp barrel, well put together and finished gun, with imported walnut stock for just over the price of a nice Sterlingworth. Paul

Paul,

My A grade pictured above has the following specs:
30" Krupp, M and F, 1/2 pistol grip, hard rubber butt plate and some additional info from the original factory tag as I posted on one of the other threads.

And despite what the tag says: "EJECTOR" in red, it is a plain extractor gun.

Jolly

Paul, yes, the early A is an underappreciated gun in the Fox line. This weekend, I let myself be outbid on a nice one in order to be ready for agressive bidding on a great Parker. I may yet end up with the A. My in progress Becker project gun is a woodless early A in great mechanical condition. It should be finished in less than five years. It would be nice if all potential owners of high condition early A Foxes could see a nice, high condition original so they would know what the colors are supposed to look like. My description of the colors would be that they are like looking at the gun through "glass". Very few recolored guns have that glasslike look of an original early A. Most redone guns have a bit of a muddy look to the colors. Does anyone have a better description for the colors on a high condition original? Mr. Turnbull occasionally reaches that transparent look of an early Fox, but even he doesn't hit a home run every time. Most people won't pay Turnbull prices for the restoration of an early A. Tony Galazan actually built at least one CSMC Fox in the early A pattern with wood that looks exactly like the wood on a real early A. I assume one of us owns Tony's A Grade (or A Grades). The one I saw and did not purchase was a 28" 20 gauge and it was priced at less than ten grand. It was one beautiful gun. If I were to order a CSMC Fox from Tony, it would be in the early A pattern.