What do you think A.H. Fox would say?

abner · Post by **abner** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:54 am

Look at the 20 ga. Special and Exhibition Fox shotguns Tony Galazan has for sale on his site. The prices start at $42,500 to $68,000 for the three shotguns that have been completed and now for sale. Would A.H. Fox be impressed? Would he be flattered, that after 100 years his shotgun design is the one Tony picked to continue making? Is A.H. Fox in the class of John Browning and his 1911 .45 auto still being made by many companies today? Tony Galazan's FE Fox prices seem high, but the starting prices of FE's are about the same or less than A.H. Fox and his $600 price is the early 1900's compared to 2009 dollars. Not that many FE's were manufactured by A.H Fox or the other later owners, because of the high price, but the same is true today. You can buy a new car for the price of a Galazan FE and in 1909 you could buy a new car for the price of a Fox FE. What has changed? I think A.H. Fox should rest in peace knowing that his design is in goods hands and doing well. I look at the Galazan Fox shotgun models and dream just like my grandfather did when he bought his first Sterlingworth in the teens. My grandfather borrowed $600 to build his home in Westmont, New Jersey in the early 1900's and I know he could not afford a FE, but he bought two Sterlingworth shotguns when they came out--both are still in my family. One of the Sterlingworth is marked "Second" and I own that gun. Even at the price of a Sterlingworth my grandfather was looking to save money. What do you think?

Researcher · Post by **Researcher** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:57 am

I've said practically from the get go, that Tony is building the guns Ansley wished he could have built and sold.

Post by **fox-admin** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 6:33 am

I agree with Dave, he would be proud and amazed. I have just completed a tally of the graded guns for the period in which Ansley was still involved with the company. Only 15 FE's were completed in the 1906-1911 period. Not many customers for Ansley's best, I bet Tony has made more high grade Fox guns than Ansley.

Silvers · Post by **Silvers** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:47 am

My two cents - to answer Ralph's question I do think Ansley would be proud of how his name is still highly regarded, and gun design is still in production.

With all respect for diverse thinking, I personally don't like some of the cosmetic treatment on the modern high end ones, to include gold figures scattered willy nilly. Plus... I don't buy modern guns to keep them ~unfired in a safe; I can do much better on the stock market if I'm thinking investment.

If I had 40-70k to spend I'd rather get a high end original gun. Or better yet spend the money for multiple original CE and XE guns, maybe a HE or two and second gen BE's to boot. Guns I can shoot, hunt with, and will still turn heads. They're still out there if you can wait and do some searching. These are just my personal thoughts of course. Frank

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:52 am

Tony, the Skeuses, Doug Turnbull, nearly unknown members and non members of the Custom Gunmakers Guild and the Engravers Guild, will all be our heroes in years to come. We can actually go and meet these people today and talk about our projects. What a great time we live in for obtaining the guns of our dreams. However, I must admit that I am more interested in the history of shotgunning in the US and am in Frank's court as far as my own collection is concerned.

ASavageFox · Post by **ASavageFox** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:23 am

Silvers wrote:My two cents - to answer Ralph's question I do think Ansley would be proud of how his name is still highly regarded, and gun design is still in production.

With all respect for diverse thinking, I personally don't like some of the cosmetic treatment on the modern high end ones, to include gold figures scattered willy nilly. Plus... I don't buy modern guns to keep them ~unfired in a safe; I can do much better on the stock market if I'm thinking investment.

If I had 40-70k to spend I'd rather get a high end original gun. Or better yet spend the money for multiple original CE and XE guns, maybe a HE or two and second gen BE's to boot. Guns I can shoot, hunt with, and will still turn heads. They're still out there if you can wait and do some searching. These are just my personal thoughts of course. Frank

I agree 100%...its just a personal choice but I'd rather have a $45,000 1969 Camaro then an $45,000 2009 camaro... maybe I'm a sentimental person... but I'm only 26...

NJdblgun · Post by **NJdblgun** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:23 pm

Silvers wrote:My two cents - to answer Ralph's question I do think Ansley would be proud of how his name is still highly regarded, and gun design is still in production.

With all respect for diverse thinking, I personally don't like some of the cosmetic treatment on the modern high end ones, to include gold figures scattered willy nilly. Plus... I don't buy modern guns to keep them ~unfired in a safe; I can do much better on the stock market if I'm thinking investment.

If I had 40-70k to spend I'd rather get a high end original gun. Or better yet spend the money for multiple original CE and XE guns, maybe a HE or two and second gen BE's to boot. Guns I can shoot, hunt with, and will still turn heads. They're still out there if you can wait and do some searching. These are just my personal thoughts of course. Frank

Couldn't agree with you more Frank. Except maybe on the 2nd Gen BEs. I'm thinking maybe a couple 1905-1906 very early, lower than S/N #100 original guns, maybe some high grades in that S/N series? I know of two or three of any grade lower than S/N #100; two Cs and an A.

budrichard · Post by **budrichard** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:39 am

I can't speak for AH Fox but I can tell you that faced with wanting a light 16 gauge high grade Fox, after much reading and looking, I decided that the opportunity to obtain a Fox made exactly the way I wanted it from an American company made my decision from me. Tony's Foxes are not some off shore product with an old name on them. You can order your Fox today just as you could order one from AH Fox in the early 20th century,
The Camaro analogy just doesn't work as the only similarity between a 1969 and new Camaro is four wheels.
I certainly understand the 'Collector' point of view but with CSMC being able to supply Foxes and M21's as bespoke shotguns, I could not pass up the opportunity.-Dick

birdawg · Post by **birdawg** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:12 am

I think it says a lot about the quality of A. H.'s design that his is the choice to manufacture a high end gun from.

Of course it is personal choice with respect to what you think of the Fox guns being made today but personally while the maybe dimensionally the same as the original guns they are not the original guns. I am with Frank on there appeal to me. I prefer to buy older guns even if the older guns have had some reconditioning. That is a personal choice.
Would I buy a Fox produced by Tony's company? Do I think they are great guns?

you bet