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How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:12 pm
by MilRob
I am looking at a Fox with an English stock and wondering if it is a skeet and upland gun or a custom stock.
Here is what I know:
16 ga
28" barrels
2 3/4"
Serial number 376xxx
I think made in 1939
Straight english stock 14" lop 2 1/2 dah
Gun shop thinks it is choked Ic/m
I have not seen the gun in person and the shop does not know much about it. I think it is either a custom stock or refinished since it is prob 90% checkering looks the same as others I have seen pictures of.

The other part is the barrels are Chicopee Mass. Never seen barrels marked this way. Case colors are prob 40% blueing wear by actin and has ejectors. As it sits anyone have a fair price fo a gun like this. Thanks

Re: How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:10 pm
by Scott
Look at the trigger gaurd tang, is it Long or short? Every real Skeet and Upland that lettered for me had a short tang. Other than that a letter is necessary. The Chicopee Mass barrels are either a replacement or this was a very late gun. Get a letter.

Re: How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:03 am
by fullchoke16
The barrels are likely replacements as Skeet & Uplands had 26" barrels. Only a letter can confirm if it was shipped as a Skeet & Upland model.

Re: How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:36 am
by Researcher
In the 1935 catalogue the Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Gun was only offered with 26-inch barrels, but from 1936 on it was offered with either 26- or 28-inch barrels. I haven't yet recorded a Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Gun in the 376xxx range. I've got four in the 370xxx range, one with Chicopee Falls barrels, two in the 372xxx range, one 374xxx and one 375xxx. All the 16-gauge and 20-gauge Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Uplands Game Guns I've recorded have the short backstrap trigger guards. The earliest 12-gauge Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Guns in the 1306xx range had long backstrap trigger guards like graded guns but all the later ones in the 135xxx and 160xxx ranges have short backstraps.

Re: How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:43 pm
by bbman3
My 16 SU has 26 inch barrels.Be sure gun is not loaded and look ath the right barrel choke at muzzle.The SU guns choke is larger at the muzzle and then get smaller about an inch or so forward in right barrel.Easy to see. Bobby

Re: How to identify Fox Skeet and Upland?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:52 pm
by mc15426378
Here's a photo of my 12 ga Skeet & Upland which shows what Bobby was stating on the RT choke. The marks you see are from the tapered reamer opening the RT choke to what is called a reverse choke-meaning the choke is a larger diameter than the bore. If I remember correctly the LT choke is .004 which would be what Savage called cylinder.

I've used this gun several times for skeet, and it is perfect for this, but surprisingly the gun also really busts birds on much longer sporting clay shots....if I do my part.

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