Fox Collectors

Hello,
For my first post I have a question. How many frame sizes are there for the Sterlingworth. I have 2 in Philidelphia guns 16 gauge built in 1913 and 1924 and was (perhaps mistakenly) under the impression all 16 gauge Sterlingworths were built on 20 gauge frames. Both of mine weigh slightly less than 6 pounds so I assume they are small frames, but I'm not sure. If the 16s were built on different frames, is there a way to tell which I've got? Not that any of this matters as I wouldn't trade them. Just curious. Great Forum. Thanks in advance.

Both the 16 and 20 were built on the same size frame. The distance between the firing pins is exactly the same for both gauges. McIntosh says in his book that the frame is more of a true 16ga frame than a 20ga. I believe the 20ga Super Fox was built on a larger frame. Welcome to the Forum.

Essentially the A.H. Fox Gun Co. had four frame sizes -- regular 12-gauge, 12-gauge Super-Fox, regular 16-/20-gauge, and 20-gauge Super-Fox. There is certainly some height and width variation of the standing breech of a regular frame gun with 1-weight barrels and one with 4-weight barrels. But the firing pin spacing remains constant at 1 1/8 inch for 12-gauge guns and 1 inch for 16-/20-gauge guns. I don't have a 20-gauge Super-Fox to measure, but I know that information was given in McIntosh's article on the 20-gauge Super-Fox in Sporting Classics which begins on page 16 of the January-February 1996 issue, Volume XV, Issue 1.