Fox Collectors

Those who take Sporting Classics should enjoy the article Bo Whoop, The Enduring Mystique by Mike Gaddis in the new autumn extra-thick issue that's just out. The article summarizes much pertinent info on Mr. Buck, Burt Becker, Bo Whoop, and the speculation and many perplexities still surrounding the Fox with s/n 31088. There's even reference in the article to information gleaned from our Fox website. I really like Supers and have studied them extensively, and did spot one very minor discrepancy in a first-through read, but that didn't detract from the excellent article in whole.

In addition, the autumn issue has many reader favorite classic stories by Corey Ford (Road to Tinkhamtown), Nash Buckingham (De Shootinest Gent'man), Jack O'Connor, Michael McIntosh, Archibald Rutledge, Robert Ruark, T. Roosevelt, Capstick, Hemingway, etc etc. Those who don't subscribe can probably find it in the larger bookstores. I am not connected with Sporting Classics... just suggesting what I think is an excellent issue, worthy of a sportsman's bookcase. Just the thing for long winter evenings while sipping your favorite whatever. Silvers

Frank - Yes the "Sporting Classics" article on Mr. Buckingham and Bo Whoop is indeed a good one. Thanks for bringing it to light.

Great pic of Nash looking fondly at his Setter Dan. My favorite piece in "De Shootinest Gent'man" is "Sell Ol' Dan?".

Bill

I have been a subscriber to Sporting Classics for a number of years. The magazine reminds me of the Sports Afield, Outdoor Life and Field and Stream magazines that I read as a kid. I had the good fortune to handle the Buckingham gun in Vegas and would like to believe it was the real deal. Maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part.

Thanking you kind suh's. I agree, Sporting Classics reminds me of the magazines of my youth. I've been a subscriber for many years.

My all time favorite piece in De Shootingest Gent'man book is The Family Honor.... story of Buck, Marse Henry and the courageous Chesapeake Pat who showed her stuff in heavy ice on the last day.

I finally got around to reading Mike Gaddis' article. It was well reseached. While clearly he doesn't know much about Fox guns, the Fox factory operations or Burt Becker and some of his speculations are easily dismissed, I have always rested firmly in the speculative camp regarding the resurrection of the so called "Bo Whoop". NB had a number of HEs and he and Henry Bartholomew clearly were keeping Fox (and their contractor, Becker) busy in the late 1920s building variations on the HE theme. One thing has always especially bothered me- this gun was a Fox factory produced gun as evidenced by the order card. There is NO doubt in my mind that the gun would have left the factory with the normal XE grade "A.H. Fox Gun Co. Phila., Pa" on its barrel. Perhaps, if not roll stamped, even engraved on the opposite barrel "Made for Nash Buckingham of Chromox Fluid Steel" thus accounting for "his name on the left barrel". This gun was a Fox factory gun of the 1920s not a custom Becker Fox of the 1931-1950 era. Perhaps this was struck off and the crude stamping put on later...perhaps not. One pity is, they at least should have checkered the stock in a XE grade pattern

We went through this before. Back in the original Derrydale edition of Ole Miss' Bo Whoop is pictured in normal XE-Grade livery with the Jostam Hy-Gun pad --



Then we see this picture of Nash with Bo Whoop with the missing tip inlay --



Sometime in the 30s Nash is pictured with this gun shown as Bo Whoop with the ivory forearm inlay of a Becker stocking job --



My take on all this is that Bo Whoop visited Burt Becker's shop some years after it left North 18th Street and Windrim Avenue and was restocked, in my speculation, to match Nash's Bartholomew gun. Since Nash's time with it, his Bartholomew gun has gotten a safety and been restocked with a pistol grip.

Speaking of well known and documented Super Foxes---does anyone know if Tom Kidd still owns the Crossman HE/XE??---and does anyone know where 30069 the HE/XE that Headrick owned is?? I sure would love to see these guns.

Researcher, which is the "Bartholomew Gun"? Which gun had no safety at the time of its manufacture, surely not Bo Whoop, according to the card. Is Mr. Kaas implying that the newly found Bo Whoop is a renumbered gun with spurious stamps on the barrel?

Nash's Bartholomew gun was 33050, covered by Tom Kidd in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Seven, Issue 2, probably shown in its original livery the lower gun in the photo from Ole Miss'.

Without mystery there would be no dreams.