Need recommendations on how to proceed

[hestersu]

Hello all -

My father-in-law gave his father's gun to my husband yesterday. It is a A H Fox 12 ga. hammerless side by side with a 30" barrel. The serial number is 55750. The stamp on the top of the barrel on one side says Made by A. H. FOX GUN CO, PHILA, PA., U.S.A. and on the other side says STERLINGWORTH FLUID COMPRESSED STEEL. The barrel has the same serial stamp on it on the underside.

Now for the good: All the wood parts are in good condition for a gun made in 1911. The triggers, breach, trigger guard, pin, etc are in good shape.

Now for the bad: My father-in-law allowed a friend of his to use the gun back in the 70's for a bird hunt. The man put a magnum shell in the right side and a non-magnum shell in the left side. The right side blew out the barrel about 8 inches from the end of the barrel (business end, not breach end). The left barrel is still sound. My father-in-law was heart broken and put the gun away.

I'm looking for suggestions on where I can find a replacement barrel - hopefully a barrel from another gun from the same year. My husband is considering having the current (original) barrel cut down to 20". It couldn't be used for bird hunting but it could be used as a backup for feral hog hunting. He isn't committed to this idea. If someone has a better suggestion, I would be interested in your thoughts.

If someone knows where to look for a barrel, please let me know. I did find one on guns america, but the piece that fits into the wood under piece (name escapes me right now), doesn't match the original barrel. I don't think it would work but I could be wrong.

You can look at pictures of the split and other parts of the gun here: http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/hestersu/AHFox/

If I have placed this post in the wrong location, please move accordingly.

Thank you for your time and I appreciate any help you can give me to make this gun whole again. My father-in-law is 84 and this is the only thing he got from his father who died when my FIL was 9. It would be a wonderful surprise for him to have the gun whole again.

Susan H
Canyon, TX

[Silvers]

Welcome Susan, your husband's new Fox is known to us here as an early "Pin Gun". Locating and fitting an early Sterlingworth barrel set, also renumbering it to the gun, will probably get involved. Possibly the best option is to get the blown barrel "sleeved". That involves cutting it off near the breech and fitting a new tube on that side. The existing top and bottom ribs will be removed and resused, as will the forend mounting lug. Dewey Vicknair is a member of the AHFCA and is expert at this type work. I'd suggest that you give him a call to discuss. By coincidence last week Dewey and I discussed a sleeving job he recently did on a customers C grade Fox.

http://www.vicknairrestorations.com/

Notwithstanding what your FIL's friend told him, I really doubt a magnum shell caused a split that far down the barrel. It seems more likely his Fox was fired with a barrel obstruction. Silvers

[hestersu]

Thank you. I will follow that link and see where to go from here. I really appreciate the lead.

My husband would agree with you regarding the barrel obstruction. So does my son in law. I suppose it is possible a magnum shell would do the damage, but we kind of doubted it. It's the story the guy told my FIL and my FIL believed his friend. None of us were there so who knows what happened.

[hestersu]

I am in contact with Dewey. Thank you for your help! I believe Dewey will be able to make our gun whole again. I will be shipping it out soon and expect it back in February or so. We are so excited at the prospect of having the gun in full working condition. My father-in-law will be so happy to hold his daddy's gun in his hands as a complete and whole gun. When all this comes together, I will post before and after pictures.

Thank you again for your help. This is so exciting!