Fox Collectors

Hi Guys,

Bought a Sterlingworth Pin Gun 12 ga 28 inch # 3 Barrels serial # 573XX restocked buttstock. Double Guns says 1910 if I'm reading it right, and it's stamped MODEL 1911? It seems strange that the gun was built in 1910 and stamped MODEL 1911, what gives with that?

To me it's a shooter but I always liked the STW Pin Gun Parker look alike and the price was right. Barrels reblued nicely done, ring like a bell. Restocking is fairly nice, plain walnut, checkering nicely cut, so someone put alot of time and I assume money into it. The Buttplate says Bishop, and the Gripcap is incorrect, these things I can change. I did a quick search of Bishop and didn't find much are they still in business?

Best Regards

I don't think so. I have a Savage 99 rifle with a Bishop stock, and when I tried to find info on it I was told they're long gone. I believe they were located in Warsaw, MO, along with the Fajen company. I've also heard that Henry Pohl at Great American Gunstocks is Bishop's great-grandson.

What does it say on the gun? On the sides -- Sterlingworth or The Sterlingworth Gun Co.? On the barrels -- The Sterlingworth Co. or A.H. Fox Gun Co.?

According to my table of observed specimens you are way into the Model 1911 serial numbers. The lowest Model 1911 I've recorded is 53140 and the highest The Sterlingworth Co. I've recorded is 53824 and it had the Fox Proof and Model 1911 stamped on it!! That Fox serial number chronology, originally put out by Lightner Library back in 1976, is worth just what you pay to look at it on the internet, nothing!! The only way to get any accurate information on a Sterlingworth is to get a letter from John Callahan.

I believe the name of the restocker was actually Fajen Bishop. They were located in Mo. and have been out of business for some time. I do believe their operations was transferred/sold to another company which I believe is "Show me gunstocks", also loaded in Mo. I don't think they have a website, but I believe their head guy is Donnie Gemes (may have the wrong spelling).

Bishop and Reinhart Fajen were separate companies. Both in Missouri.

vaturkey wrote:I believe the name of the restocker was actually Fajen Bishop. They were located in Mo. and have been out of business for some time. I do believe their operations was transferred/sold to another company which I believe is "Show me gunstocks", also loaded in Mo. I don't think they have a website, but I believe their head guy is Donnie Gemes (may have the wrong spelling).

I believe those were two different outfits: E.C. Bishop and Reinhart Fajen. There are still some stock makers in the area: Macon Gunstocks, Show Me Gunstocks, Wenig Custom Gunstocks to name a few.

Yep, stand corrected. Here's Donnies info.

Show-Me Gunstocks
PO Box 97
Warsaw, MO. 65355
660/438-4568
Donnie Gemes - owner

For a very brief period, Fajen and Bishop were one company. It was a short union, don't remember who purchased whom. The selloff was outstanding. I got a full catalog of leftovers about once a month for more than a year. I think I saved a bunch of them, didn't buy anything. It was a wise decision since I wouldn't have done anything with them. Actually, I still have a 95% Parker stock and a 95% Model 21 stock that I probably paid $20 for. A friend bought inletted Parker eight gauge stocks, just in case. I wonder if he still has them. They were about $10 apiece.

Thanks for all the information guys. The receiver says Sterlingworth, and the barrels are marked Sterlingworth Fluid Compressed Steel, and Made by A.H. Fox Gun Company Phila PA USA and strange enough one of the better looking roll stamping jobs I have seen, deep and really clear. Surprised to see the # 3 barrels, chokes seem to be IC and Mod should be a great bird gun. But I just like the look of the Recessed Pin, would have loved to find one the say STW Co. Wayne Juction but we all want one of those. lol

Interesting on the history of gun stock companies. I did buy an L.C. Smith stock from Macon and they were fine people in my experience with them, nice piece of walnut. But once I started that L.C. Smith project I learned why they always break and now I only buy Foxes. Would try Parker but the price always scares me off so the Fox look alike is about as close to a Parker I'll get for now.

Best Regards,