Fox Collectors

I'm considering purchasing a SW 12 bore whose chokes (measured with a caliper) come in at .680 and .700. Barrels don't touch by approximately 1/64 of an inch. Barrels are spot on 28". Can I assume (always a bad thing) that these are indeed unaltered barrels? PS. The dealer doesn't have a Skeet's to measure the bore diameter (I asked). Thoughts??

By my primative calculations and assuming a standard bore diameter of .729 the constrictions are .049 (way past extra full) and .029 (on the tight side of modified).

Fox barrels sometimes don't meet nor do they always measure to the exact inch but in this case I think you are reasonably safe in assuming these barrels are as they left the factory. You better check the measurement on that first barrel because it should have a constriction closer to .035 than .049.

The overwhelming majority of my Foxes (more than a few) have barrels that are usually a 32nd and can run up to an 1/8" under whole number length. a 28" gun will measure 27 7/8 to 28" . These are lettered guns with factory verified length. I think that when the guns were finished, they were cleaned and dressed at the muzzles at final finishing.
I always thought that anything over the whole number would indicate a cut barrel. I recently obtained a Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland with ejectors that has barrels that measure 28 3/16" and the letter states 28" . The barrels are serialed correctly to the gun. Go figure.

also, just as many guns have muzzles that don’t touch as those that do. Not a true indicator of cut or not. Choke length is more of a good indicator. of course you need a good inside dial indicator for that. Buy one. worth the cost, you will save it on the first gun you don’t buy because you determined the barrels were cut.