Fox Collectors

Serial Number 367394. 32" Sterlingworth 16 Gauge extractor gun in route to Pa to Dan Rossiter. Not the best of shape, but so unique I pulled the trigger. Once Dan receives it will be collectively figure out the proper plan of attack. Here's a picture:

Oooh! What a nice old Fox...

WOW, I believe that's an "HT" grade.....short for, HENS TEETH !!!! Congrats on a rare bird.
Hope the plan of attack is not an all- out frontal assault......LOL-----TOOL

Looks fine to me! Now find a 32" 20 sterly. Bobby

Great find and a rare bear of a gun. What are the gun's issues Dan will be correcting?

Mike

Tom, congrats on a rare one. A friend let me shoot his 32" 20 gauge SW on a sporting course a while back, and it was like pointing a magic wand. I'd say your new 16 gauge will be the same. Frank

mc15426378 wrote:Great find and a rare bear of a gun. What are the gun's issues Dan will be correcting?

Mike

Seller only had a set of Galazan drop in choke/paperweight gauges. With those it shows full/mod. While he said the bores were excellent he had no way of measuring them. Plus there was only one decent picture of the frame and it shows there isn't much case color there in the least and some are some scratches and dings in the finish. Gun wasn't a closet queen for sure. I also know the gun was represented as a Deluxe SW, but it doesn't have twin Ivory beads and the recoil pad (Redhead) isn't correct either I'm thinking. Lock up however is tight. I called him before I bought the gun and asked questions, but this was a consignment gun and he didn't have it in hand and had to answer the my questions from memory (always a bad thing imo). Also knew some other folks were most likely looking at the gun and didn't want to screw around to long. However, the price seemed fair given how rare the gun was in my mind, thus I pulled the trigger. Can't wait for it to get to Dan for the look see. Usually I have all my gun purchases sent to my local (25 miles away) guy, but this one I wanted Dan to really go over first hand.

Is it a Philadelphia or a Utica gun? Is it marked Sterlingworth or Fox-Sterlingworth on the sides of the frame? The 26- and 28-inch guns I've recorded in the 367xxx range are all Utica, Fox-Sterlingworth guns. Great find.

Thanks Tom. May be wrong on this but my understanding is that SW Deluxes were all Utica guns and marked Fox-Sterlingworth on the frame sides. Your new 16 appears to have a Philly top lever & safety but could still be a Utica gun. I have a 32" SW 12 ga, Philly top lever/safety, SW fluid compressed barrels, stamped Fox-Sterlingworth on the frame, made in Utica on the barrels. What are the stampings on your barrels?

Mike

Don't have the gun in hand to check what the barrels say. Says Sterlingworth on the frame. Looks indeed like a Philly gun, but the serial number firmly places it into when the guns were made in Utica. Here's a frame pic:

Tom,you do not have to worry about it having cut barrels! Bobby

Interesting gun will will be fun to learn the rest of the story after it passes inspection and you get a hands-on look, another great subject for our Newsletter.

Great find!!! That just may be the most perfect gun built for Doves.... It would be a lot of fun for sure. Congrats

Josh

Found one more picture:



Also, the gun arrived in Pa and was inspected by Dan. 3 weight barrels, 6 lb 13 oz, perfect bores and indeed choked full/mod. Barrels are marked Savage, but its got a philly frame/buttstock/forearm. All serial numbers match. Cut stock with poorly fitted wrong type recoil pad added.

Even with the cosmetic warts, Dan said its a flat out amazing gun. Really needs to have the barrels reblackened per Dan. I'll head up in the next few weeks and see what the proper course of action is. This thing will be fun to shoot for sure.

What is the difference between a Philly frame and a Savage frame?