Just bought a Sterlingworth, 28" barrels, 20 ga. frame (oh, so small and light), tightly choked; extremely nice condition, probably refinished, silvery plated receiver for example, nicely blued barrels. But I'm a hunter, not a collector and the price was oh so low, less than...so who cares?
Question is whether this is probably a 2.5 inch chamber given how early it is...serial numbers says 1920?
I reload 2.5 inch shells and fired 2 3/4 shells in it the other day, low pressure ITX ones I'd loaded that brought down a pheasant nicely.. But it occured to me that this is probably a 2 9/16s chamber.
What do the experts have to say about this probablity? Can't measure it right now as the barrels are out to have the chokes opened up for the kind of shooting I'll do with it.
1920 Sterlingworth
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Re: 1920 Sterlingworth
FOX CHAMBERS --
The only two A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogues, that I have seen, that state chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914. They both state 12-gauge guns are regularly chambered for 2 3/4 - inch shells, 16-gauge 2 9/16 – inch shells and 20-gauge 2 1/2 - inch shells. That being said, virtually every 12-gauge Ansley H. Fox gun made in Philadelphia (other than the HE-Grade Super-Fox) that I've run a chamber gauge in shows about 2 5/8 - inch. The chambers of unmolested 16-gauge guns seem to run about 2 7/16 inch and 20-gauge guns a hair over 2 3/8 inch. A very few graded guns were ordered with longer chambers. Savage began stating chambered for 2 ¾ inch shells in their 1938 Fox catalogues.
All this being said there is a good body of evidence that back in those days chambers were held about 1/8 inch shorter than the shells for which they were intended. In the recently published book The Parker Story the Remington vintage specification sheets on pages 164 to 169 call for a chamber 1/8-inch shorter than the shell for which it is intended. Also in the 1930's there were a couple of articles in The American Rifleman (July 1936 and March 1938) on the virtue of short chambers. Sherman Bell's series in The Double Gun Journal includes an article on tests showing no significant increase in pressure from shooting shells in slightly short chambers. IMHO I don't much sweat that 1/8-inch in 12-gauge guns. On the other hand when one gets a 20-gauge chambered at 2 3/8-inch likely intended for 2 1/2-inch shells I do worry about folks firing 2 3/4-inch shells in such guns.
I have a 1920-vintage 20-gauge 30-inch barrel AE-grade that letters "Chamber for 2 3/4 inch Shells" and the chambers are infact 2 5/8 inches. Back in those days the heaviest 20-gauge loads offered in the 2 1/2 inch case were 2 1/4 drams of bulk smokeless or 18 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Ballistite and 7/8 ounce of shot. In the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 and 3-inch 20-gauge cases one could get a load of 2 1/2 drams of bulk smokeless powder, or 20 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Ballistite and still 7/8 ounce of shot.
The only two A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogues, that I have seen, that state chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914. They both state 12-gauge guns are regularly chambered for 2 3/4 - inch shells, 16-gauge 2 9/16 – inch shells and 20-gauge 2 1/2 - inch shells. That being said, virtually every 12-gauge Ansley H. Fox gun made in Philadelphia (other than the HE-Grade Super-Fox) that I've run a chamber gauge in shows about 2 5/8 - inch. The chambers of unmolested 16-gauge guns seem to run about 2 7/16 inch and 20-gauge guns a hair over 2 3/8 inch. A very few graded guns were ordered with longer chambers. Savage began stating chambered for 2 ¾ inch shells in their 1938 Fox catalogues.
All this being said there is a good body of evidence that back in those days chambers were held about 1/8 inch shorter than the shells for which they were intended. In the recently published book The Parker Story the Remington vintage specification sheets on pages 164 to 169 call for a chamber 1/8-inch shorter than the shell for which it is intended. Also in the 1930's there were a couple of articles in The American Rifleman (July 1936 and March 1938) on the virtue of short chambers. Sherman Bell's series in The Double Gun Journal includes an article on tests showing no significant increase in pressure from shooting shells in slightly short chambers. IMHO I don't much sweat that 1/8-inch in 12-gauge guns. On the other hand when one gets a 20-gauge chambered at 2 3/8-inch likely intended for 2 1/2-inch shells I do worry about folks firing 2 3/4-inch shells in such guns.
I have a 1920-vintage 20-gauge 30-inch barrel AE-grade that letters "Chamber for 2 3/4 inch Shells" and the chambers are infact 2 5/8 inches. Back in those days the heaviest 20-gauge loads offered in the 2 1/2 inch case were 2 1/4 drams of bulk smokeless or 18 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Ballistite and 7/8 ounce of shot. In the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 and 3-inch 20-gauge cases one could get a load of 2 1/2 drams of bulk smokeless powder, or 20 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Ballistite and still 7/8 ounce of shot.
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Cedar Creek Sam
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Re: 1920 Sterlingworth
Wow, now that's an answer!
When I get the barrels back I'll measure the chambers and add that info to this thread, but right now plan to use 2.5 inch shells in this with low pressure loads.
I like the idea and the combination of 2.5 inch and low pressure, and don't have any problems bringing down birds with them if I do my part.
When I get the barrels back I'll measure the chambers and add that info to this thread, but right now plan to use 2.5 inch shells in this with low pressure loads.
I like the idea and the combination of 2.5 inch and low pressure, and don't have any problems bringing down birds with them if I do my part.