Fox Collectors

I'm taking 4 of my Fox guns out to Susquehanna Stockworks tomorrow. I'm meeting with Craig Libhart to discuss professionally cleaning the XE, my early B, an early A as well as a PAC gun. Of the 4, the XE will be getting the minimum but I'm having a hard time deciding what to do about the hardened and collapsed Silver recoil pad. I could ask him to replace it with a new one and save the old one, or perhaps go with a leather pad or just keep it on and put a leather slip on over it. I'm paranoid that if I keep it on and shoot the gun it will fall apart. Plus, I need to get to a 14 1/4 inch LOP minimum for my 6'3" frame.

Decisions decisions.

I'm open to suggestions and advice from anyone who has been there and done that.

I'd replace the pad with a useful one and shoot the gun. I'd chuck the old one right in the trash can and forget about it. If you save it, you're just collecting junk for your kids to get rid of. The leather slip is nice over an ugly pad, but if it's collapsed it's pretty much useless and ugly.

What is a PAC gun please? I have used the Uncle Mike and even earlier Mershon on some of my shotguns- I'm 6ft 1 & 1/2" with a 35' sleeve, and anything shorter than 14 and 1/4" is not good for my gun mounting and shooting style.

A PAC gun is a pre Fox Fox. PAC is short for Philadelphia Arms Company.

You can look up information in the Homepage.

Do not replace the pad you will be sorry. Your gun is perfect just the way it is, the hardened pad looks perfect with the gun. I have a few on vintage guns with cracked Silvers Pads and they don't fall apart with fequent trip to the sporting clays range.
Your XE is a time capsule PLEASE don't disturb it's history and patina. Less than 500 12ga XE's were made and guns in the 22xxx range are works of gun making art.
If you want a very nice XE shooter I have XE guns I would gladly trade for your XE, keep it as is please. Craig Larter

Well before anybody gets appoplectic, My trip to Susquehanna got delayed for a while due to scheduling conflics.
so it is safe for now.

I just wish there were some fund out there that would pay me not to restore it like they have with farms. I could sell the rennovation rights to some historical group and get to keep my gun the way it is forever. LOL!!!

I think Craig (your stocker) will give you good advise on what should and shouldn't be done as far as originality goes. He's a pro's pro. Lots of the Fox and Parker guys use him.

I'm looking forward to meeting him in person. He seemed like a great guy overthe phone.