DS Grade

lbleighton · Post by **lbleighton** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:36 pm

I'm trying to find a ball park value for a DS Grade Ainsley Fox 12g. Serial # 7499, 32" barrel, DT, extractor. This gun has been completely restored to perfection by Turnbull.
Any ideas??

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:01 pm

Is that a D Grade?

lbleighton · Post by **lbleighton** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:22 pm

No- absolutely DS Grade[/b]

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:38 pm

Can you give us more info such as the markings on the action flats? Possible aa D Special?
thanks

mike campbell · Post by **mike campbell** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:11 am

lbleighton wrote:No- absolutely DS Grade[/b]

and absolutely "Ainsley" Fox? ...no chance of a typo anywhere?

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:34 am

We could give you more info about your gun if you could post some photos, While DS is not one of the normal grades we do have guns that are CS, Many of the early guns were graded Special on some records with the normal graded engraving, wood and other embellishments.

It sound like you have a unique piece, I hope we have a chance to see the gun.

lbleighton · Post by **lbleighton** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:00 am

Thank you for your responses. I do not have the gun here at the moment but should be able to retrieve it tomorrow. I will post pictures then, and give more information.

lbleighton · Post by **lbleighton** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:21 pm

Okay- I have the gun. And thanks to some misinformation from my husband who was confusing it with a Lefever DS Grade he just acquired some of the info I supplied was NOT correct.

It is an Ansley H. Fox, A Grade. 32" barrels, DT, 12g. S# 7499.It has been completely restored to perfect condition by Turnbull. Barrels reblued, new stock and forend, case colored, and has not been fired since the work was done. The barrels are stamped underneath "fluid steel- krupp-esson" and have the serial # stamped so I would have to assume they are the original barrels. I don't have a choke gauge here but I think I did mic them at the gun store I work at a while ago and I think they are quite tight.

Any ideas as to value? I would be happy to supply pictures if I can figure out how to post them.

Sorry for the confusion!![/img]

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:48 pm

Even refinished, an early A with 32" barrels is quite interesting to the readers of this forum. With no issues, a Turnbull refinished gun as you describe that was not in too bad a condition before refinishing could be worth around two thousand or a bit less. Any issues and it goes down in a hurry.

Fox-Events · Post by **Fox-Events** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:31 pm

An important watchout - there is a fine line between asking for the value of a gun, and subtly advertising it for sale, which is not permitted except for members in our Member's Forum. We have full faith you are asking for the former and remind all readers that any offers of sale or purchase via our PM function are inappropriate.

lbleighton · Post by **lbleighton** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:58 pm

I am not trying to sell this gun through this forum!! Just trying to get some idea of worth. I know the work by Turnbull was very expensive and not sure how much value it would have added to the gun.

Thanks for any info!

APS · Post by **APS** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:40 pm

Is this the gun on Safari Outfitters site?

al

NJdblgun · Post by **NJdblgun** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:34 pm

Early A grade with 32" barrels? Yes, pictures please; sounds nice with Turnbull restoration. Thx

George Lander · Post by **George Lander** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:04 am

Ibleighton: I don't believe that anyone here thought that were trying to sell the Fox. I read your posts as merely asking for information. BTW the barrels should read"krupp-essen"

Best Regards, George

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:39 am

The Safari Outfitters gun is very nice and probably worth the money but it has a fatal flaw. The chokes have been opened to IC and MOD. Doug Turnbull studies different types and eras of case coloring and tries to duplicate it, usually quite faithfully. Early A Grades with high percentages of case colors are hard to find and not everyone knows what they are supposed to look like. The "early A" is colored with a vivid but quite transparent case hardening with almost a glassy look to it. It is very hard to duplicate, and the Safari Outfitters gun gets the vivid part right, maybe a bit too well, but not the glassy transparent look. Niles and Doug are my friends and I don't mean this as a criticism, but I would like to hear other opinions and maybe a better description of the "look" of the early A case colors.