Best choice as a basis for custom gun

[didjacthat]

I am new to the Forum and to Foxes, but I am entertaining the purchase of a Fox gun as a basis for modification to a more sophisticated, but not showpiece level game gun, including restocking and refinishing. My preference is for a 16 or 20 bore gun with ejectors and 30 inch barrels in good mechanical condition.

I would appreciate the members' insights, including suitable gunsmiths and gun type, as to this type of project. Thanks.

[bbman3]

I would start looking for a sterlingworth ejector for your project.It has a snap on forend,not latch plate and i like them better. Bobby

[Silvers]

I agree 100% with Bobby. Decent Sterlingworth Ejectors are out there and if already modified, they make a wonderful basis for a custom Fox smallbore. I agonized for 3 days over a really early SW ejector 16/30 incher at the NE SxS a few weeks ago, tight gun/all original but with pad and fair hunting wear. Finally passed on her because I really don't need another project gun.... but I'm still second-guessing myself. Silvers

[studdog]

If I were going to spend the $ to have a quality custom fox restoration, I would start with a graded model rather than a SW. I think the long tem value of the gun would more than offset the higher inital acquistion price.

[jolly bill]

didjacthat,

While looking for your gun to customize, do not ignore an original gun that meets your expectations for what you're looking for. 30 inch barreled graded 16 and/or 20 gauge Fox's are not rare and might be a better economical decision. They won't be cheap but I'll bet they will never loose value.

You could easily spend a couple $1K's to buy and upgrade such a customized project.

Just my opinion in case you come across one of USA's better Classics.

Jolly

[vaturkey]

I recently bought a 30" ejector 16 Gauge SW with nice case color and original wood. However, it had one problem at the breech which will require TIG welding and a resulting rust blue. I paid just south of 2 grand for it and figure that's the going price. I didn't purchase it as a basis for a custom gun as I've already got a couple other custom projects underway (12 and 20 gauge). What I did purchase it for was hunting doves over a waterhole here in my home state of Virginia with some good RST loads. I'm finding as I get a bit longer in the tooth, that I need less guns and have worked the collection down from what it used to be. Less gun's, but a few nicer ones. I do think a nice project is something special. You get to choose the wood, the engraving, the shaping the customizing. It gets you the chance to make something that speaks to you, perhaps like no other gun would. As you can tell, I like that type of interaction. PS. Above, said don't think it can be done cheap as you need to start out with a good solid gun that has no mechanical issues with great barrels and then take it from there. Start with that and see where you end up. PS. Final free advise FWIW, is take your wood budget and then bump it up even higher. You'll be glad you did.

[Jay]

I have posted photos of my custom stocked SW. 28" extractor barrels. It is now my all occasion go to hunting piece. No slight intended, but I could not have purchased an RBL with plain jane wood for what I have into it. Could not be happier.

[Germantown]

Perhaps you could broaden your search basis if you'd also consider an extractor gun. I believe you mentioned you'd use this dream shotgun mainly for doves in VA?? In my point of view, selective ejectors are of value for a matched pair of guns in a fast and furious driven bird shooting scenario, and then, can be very helpful in waterfowling. Oft times we need a third finishing shot to prevent a sail-off crippled Canada, and the ejectors offer that. Perhaps that is also why the Super Fox 12 guns were HE graded, and not offered as the A for example, ejectors optional. But that is just conjecture.

If you take the stated view of the late Jack O'Connor into play here, and I do not consider him to have been a booster for the Fox guns, as he was for the Model 21 doubles-- he said he'd prefer good wood, fit, finish and checking to the engraving. If that may be your goal, then the frame shape of the fine Sterlingworth grade is idential to that of the higher graded guns.

I agree that the ejector guns have the more secure forearm, especially the Sterlingworths. But that is not a huge problem to surmount. I have a 16 Grade 4 non-ejector LC Smith that is my pet dove gun, but like many of the early non-ejector Smiths, the forearm latch would loosen after an afternoon dove hunt. I had Dewey Vicknair find the components for the push-rod release Hunter Arms used on their non-ejector guns from about 1914 to perhaps 1920, he modified the forearm on my Smith 16, and problem solved. I should think he might be able to do that for you, should you end up with a non-ejector Fox.

Please keep us posted on this project. It sounds like a fine quest, indeed!!