16 ga Fox/Philly/Sterly 26" bbls

[oldwoodcock]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum and wanted to share a recent acquisition I stumbled upon at a trade show. 16 ga 26" bbls s/n 354xxx in very good overall condition. Granted it's not a Grade gun but it is nice. I don't have a choke tool so I took a dime and checked each open end of each bbl and the dime goes into the bbls almost half way for each bbl. (the old timers method) Anyone venture a guess it might be full/full? The right bbl seems to be a micro hair bigger but who knows without the proper instrument. The chambers are original. I was shopping around for something else and when I ran into this I HAD to buy it!! According to the serial it dates to 1918. It doesn't appear to have been used very much. One of these days I'll hook up with Marshfellow and let him have a look see. Enjoy.

fox.jpg

[MARSHFELLOW]

Marshfellow standin by..............

tjw

[oldwoodcock]

Tom, Here are some more pix. Not the best camera in the world or lighting for that matter.. the pictures don't show the condition very well. I'll send you some by e-mail...Paul

[MARSHFELLOW]

looks nice....thanks.

[spyder]

I hope you enjoy your "new" gun. I thought the dime test only worked on 12g barrels. A dime has a diameter of 0.705 inches. The diameter of a 16 gauge bore is 0.662 inches, so a dime could never fit in a 16g, choked or not.

[Twice Barrel]

I hope you enjoy your "new" gun. I thought the dime test only worked on 12g barrels. A dime has a diameter of 0.705 inches. The diameter of a 16 gauge bore is 0.662 inches, so a dime could never fit in a 16g, choked or not.

Inserted from the breech end a dime will only enter the chamber until it reaches the forcing cone.

The serial number sure identifies the gun as a 16 gauge but the dime thing just doesn't track. If the gun were a Parker I would wonder if Old wood cock hadn't come up with a 14 gauge.

[oldwoodcock]

Spyder and Twice barrel thanks for your posts. Let me rephrase my original post. I took a dime as a gauge and inserted it sideways into the muzzle end of my winchester model 12, 12ga, full choke and sideways the dime will go halfway which I used to gauge where full choke read on the dime in that particular firearm. Obviously there may be ever so slight variances from one manufacturer to another etc, etc. I then took the dime and inserted it sideways into the muzzle end of each bbl on the SW and the dime enters each bbl at the muzzle end about a quarter of the distance. I then scored the dime where the edge met the opening for each and at some point will mic it. Spyder I don't know what the math says for modified, im,ic or cylinder in 16ga. If you have that info maybe then will I get a close idea as to chokes. Right now I'm leaning towards improved cylinder and cylinder chokes based on a educated guess. I have Westley Richards two and one half inch low base #7 65mm shot shells which chamber perfectly. I never attempted to put a dime in the chambers which would have proved nothing at all. After the do it yourself gauging attempt I found that the right bbl has a bore diameter ever so slightly smaller than the left which tells me it's choked tighter than the left bbl. Am I to assume this is correct? So maybe the variables are full and modified, modified and improved cylinder, improved cylinder and cylinder, improved modified and improved cylinder? Do either one of you know the standard chokes offered for the SW at the time of manufacture and any special order chokes that were offered? Just curious. At some point I'll get it bore gauged so I'll actually know. I'll shot pattern it at 15 and 25yds . The old woodcock is fast and I need open bores up close and personal. This tired old geezer ain't as fast as he used to be.

[Twice Barrel]

I have seen Savage era advertisements stating that 16 gauge Brush model (26 inch barrels) standard choking from the factory was Improved Cylinder and Modified. Your gun predates the Savage guns by 11 or 12 years and I don't know what Fox's factory chokes were for 26 inch barrels except that Fox would choke barrels to the customers requirements for a small price. I have a 1922 vintage Sterlingworth 16 gauge with 26 inch barrels that left the factory choked full and modified.

[spyder]

I have a 1913 16g SW Brush Gun. The Roe Clark letter says it left the factory with 26" bbls choked Mod and Full.

[MARSHFELLOW]

Paul,

swing by here with the gun sometime and we can measure up the bores & chokes if you like.

tjw

[oldwoodcock]

Just received my brass choke gauge from Brownells. The chokes are as follows. Right barrel full .... left barrel extra full (gauge just starts into barrel opening) The micrometer reading respectively reads right bbl .640...left .628. Will send for a letter now that I know the barrels haven't been cut.. The choke gauge is #344-000-001 brass for 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 in Brownells cataloge. A nice fit for anyone's gun tool chest

[jolly bill]

Oldwoodcock,

Does that choke/chamber gauge you got from Brownell's look something like this one?

I made this one about 35 years ago. It is serial number "1" (ONE). Tony G. seen me using it and asked what it was. He borrowed it and put them into production. Hope it finds good use for all that use it.

Jolly

[MARSHFELLOW]

Jolly, many of us thank you!!!!!......you are the "Marconi" of the chamber gadgets!

tjw

[oldwoodcock]

choke gauge.jpg

Jolly, posted are the pix . Chambers are 2.5" inch.. and MARSHFELLOW if you are viewing are you displaying at the City Center this weekend?

[loggy]

Jolly-It would be nice if Tony would grace you with an FE 20 to round out your collection! Loggy