Fox Collectors

Name at the bottom of the card may be George A. Simmons, George A. Lummons or George A. Emmons (or a similar E name). Leo may be the first name, yet thinking it is more likely George.

Your thoughts and experienced observations are appreciated.

George Emmons was a noted Trap and Live Bird shooter, and at one time he was owner or maybe co-owner of a Sporting Goods store in Washington DC. Back in the day he was friends and shot with with some of the principals at the post-Ansley AH Fox Gun Company and competed at other clubs in the area, as I've read in many period shoot reports. In later years he was an officer and shot often at the National Capital Skeet and Trap Club. I've owned (two) Foxes that were consigned to Geo Emmons, and featured one in an article in the Double Gun Journal. Back to your gun, there are two possibilities: one that the Gun was shipped to Emmon's store for delivery to a customer there, or second that it was personally owned by Geo Emmons. Who knows?

In sum, Geo Emmon's name often shows up on Fox Records Cards. frank

Excellent reply and most appreciated. Great to know more about the history of each of our A. H. Fox guns when possible. This one dates to 1928 by serial number.

George Emmons was close friends with William Wagner, Washington DC's premier dealer in high-end guns, particularly smallbore Parkers. Wagner became the "Godfather" of promoting the use of the 28 gauge gun for bona fide use in the field and hundreds of smallbore Parkers went through his shop. Wagner ran his shop from the late 1880s through c. 1912-13, at which point Emmons either bought the business or took over management of it; Wagner's name was dropped from the DC telephone directory listing about that time and Emmons name appeared thereafter. The shop was located directly across the street from the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill; many a lunch hour stroll wound up in the sale of some wonderful smallbore guns during this time period. Kevin

Emmons succeeded William Wagner at the same Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast address. I'm sure he was primarily a Parker dealer, as was Wagner. Fox collectors are lucky to have Emmons guns in their collections. George Emmons was an officer in my gun club when I first got involved in the club in 1958. At NSSA skeet shoots, he was listed in shoot programs as "Ammunition" manager, probably because he was a retailer.

From an early September 1904 edition of the Sunday (Washington DC) Star newspaper: Wm. "Capt. Billy" Wagner, location of his shop on PA avenue across from the Library of Congress, and a group portrait of some of his die-hard customers. Factory letters from Parker, LC Smith and later Fox could reveal some of those who ordered guns through him. Kevin

WOW, Kevin. Great research on the greatest of Parker salesmen and dealers, as well as a great competitive shooter, up and to including the Grand American.

DUPLICATE POST; DELETED

eightbore wrote: ↑Sun Sep 27, 2026 2:06 pm WOW, Kevin. Great research on the greatest of Parker salesmen and dealers, as well as a great competitive shooter, up and to including the Grand American.

Right you are, Bill: somewhere in the May 1899 Parker Bros. Order Book is a complimentary 30 " AAHE Grade Whitworth Pigeon Gun sent to Wagner as a tribute for being a premier dealer in sales of the Parker Gun. Chambered fpr 2 7/8" shells with "no heel plate" and patterned with 53 grains of E.C. powder, they knew what "Capt. Billy" wanted. He must have had small hands; the Order Book notation reads, "Get trigger(s) as near guard as can." Shipping notation reads "Bill No Charge, Compliments of Parker Bros." The Bros. knew how to treat their volume dealers right! After the introduction of the 28 gauge in c. 1900 and the advent of fluid steel barrels a year or two later, Wagner's sales of smallbore Parkers went off the charts. Kevin

The "gift gun" was in the hands of a PGCA member, who later sold it. I don't know where it is today.

eightbore wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2026 9:20 am The "gift gun" was in the hands of a PGCA member, who later sold it. I don't know where it is today.

I think the last reported sighting was in the VA Beach area, probably c. 15 yrs. ago now. Kevin