Fox Collectors

Frank,

As per your photo in the BoWhoop thread, is that the "later style" checkering pattern for XE straight grip?

I ask because Toolman sent me a photo of a couple of XE straight grips some time ago that had a different buttstock checkering pattern from that in your photo.

In contrast to your gun, those XE straightgrips did not have the little hook/point on the distal portion of the grip up near the comb. The proximal end of the grip checkering differed too. They also did not have the 2 points on the proximal end of the buttstock cheeks, but rather they were quarter moon-shaped there.

I have Toolman's photo of those XEs with different checkering, but would not want to post it without his permisssion. I faintly recall Toolman told me they were early guns.

Thanks in advance for any input on the variation in buttstock checkering on XE straightgrips.

The XE-Grade cherckering patterns seem to have changed and evolved more then any other 2nd generation grade's checkering. Unfortunately the companies used the same catalogue picture for the XE-Grade from 1913 to 1942, which appears to be of the first 2nd generation XE-Grade, a gun one of our members has. Here is a magazine ad from the teens that shows one style used for a while with the ribbons --

By "ribbons", do you mean the narrow band of uncheckered wood in the middle of the grip checkering?

I note that the cheek checkering is in a vertical line closest to the receiver on this gun, whereas it is quarter moon-shaped in the 2 other straight grip XEs, and has 3 points on Frank's gun.

Thanks.

OK, just blew up that XE advertisement 400% and note the cheek is a bit moon shaped near the receiver (not vertical), but not nearly as exaggerated as in the the other 2 XEs.

Alan, the XE pic I posted on the B-W thread is s/n 23600's and has Chromox marked barrels. Its Roe Clark letter says the gun was shipped Sept 1918, about 6 years into production.

The Spring 2002 edition of the DGJ has an excellent historical article by Mr. Headrick on the XE grade guns, with many pics. No straight grips are shown. Every one of the XE's has the cheek pattern with two arcs and three points. There are two full wrist pics showing slightly different checkering patterns but each of them have a small checkered projection/tail at the back end of the wrist. Frank

Many thanks, Frank.

I will have to find a copy of that issue of DGJ.

I note the other 2 straight grip XEs are on the AHFCA web site and both were shipped in 1916, not too long before your gun.

Here's the links:

http://www.foxcollectors.com/x%20grade%201916.htm

http://www.foxcollectors.com/x%20grade% ... olliff.htm