Fox Collectors

I went to a historical arms show this weekend and came away with a 1914 SW. This is my 2nd Fox gun. It had been restocked and badly fitted. But the barrels, receiver and metalwork are all in good shape with minimal pitting on the trigger guard and on the bottom tang over the serial number. It locks up tight and flat. The forend is original but has a really bad coat of shiny varnish so that will be refinished. I'm looking at it as a custom project and thought $920 was a decent price (opinions?). I need to decide on a custom stock or finding an original stock and having it custom fitted. I'd like the new wood to be nicely figured. The barrels will be reblacked. Were SW receivers case colored? I'm looking at restoring the minimal engraving on the SW's and adding some sort of flourish or scroll work around the "Sterlingworth" stamped on each side of the receiver.

OK, now I'll open the floodgates. What would you do? Yes, money is a consideration but let's hear your ideas anyhoo! Thanx,

Dave

Yes, Sterlingworth actions were case colored. I'd restock (with a matching fore end) to suit my shooting needs and not worry about the metal unless you are going to give it a serious make over (game/ bird scene, etc.). The wood finish and checkering would need to be appropriate for a field grade gun unless you decide to dump a pile of money into engraving, in which case you'll want to upgrade your wood selection. To each his own, but I prefer to let my Sterlingworths be as close to factory appearance as possible.

FC16, if my SW was in better condition I'd agree with you about keeping it close to factory. Actually, if I wanted a close to factory gun I'd have paid a little more for one in better condition. But seeing as how it does need restocking and the metal work needs cleaning up I think I'm going for a custom project gun. On closer examination there is a little more clean up on the metal work than I first thought, although it's not too bad. It may not end up as the best custom SW in the world but I hope it will get a "Wow, that's a SW?" reaction. My personal view is this SW in an opportunity to own a nice custom 20. My real hope is to one day own an AH Fox 20 ga but the SW will be a really nice grouse chaser!

BTW - thanx for your input and answering my question about the case color SW receivers. Never too late to learn.

Best times & best guns,

Dave

Dave, I understand where you're coming from on the project. Over the years, I've found that 20 gauge SW's are either in well cared for condition( adult owned) or rode hard and put up wet (Dad bought one for his lucky kid). The 12's and 16's seem to have more gradual variations of condition but most of the 20's that I see are at one end of the scale or the other. What are the current barrel length and chokes on your 20? Fred

Fred, 28" barrels F/M. I'm thinking of changing it to IM/IC - my faves for chasin birds. Also 6 lb 8 oz.

Dave

I say "go for it!"

Make it your own, as you like it, and originality be damned.

I bought my first Fox about 25 years ago. When I bought it, it was actually a very nice, fresh and fairly authentically restored little 20ga, including cyanide case colors which are rarely seen today. Being authentic, it had unshootable dimensions and I immediately restocked it to fit me with totally inappropriate California English walnut. It's been my only grouse/woodcock gun for 20+ seasons and I've never regretted the decisions I made.

A few years from now, at sunset on the day of my last grouse hunt, I've promised myself to toss it into a beaver pond to spare future generations the agony of seeing such a "tarted up" Sterlingworth.

Or you could sell it to me and I'll be proud to parade the "tart" in full view of the purists! I'm just warped that way!

BTW - nice looking gun I must say!

Although English is my second language, I'll say "That is not an ugly gun." Bill Murphy

Thanks, fellas.

Whaddya think of that woodcock? I decided that's a fitting bird to be my last. The dog is grown up now so I'm gonna let the little fellers go from now on.

Among woodcock anomalies, some white primaries is probably the most common deviation. That's the only one I've ever seen though. Didn't see the white on the flush, only after it was tumbling down. I thought "Oh, $hite, I killed a spotted owl!"

.......not familiar with the white primaries Mike. Nice pic. Maybe it wont be your last....but I know the feelin.

tjw

Oh, I'm sure I'll kick up some more, Tom. Just hope I can refrain from shooting them. I have a buddy who pan sears them in some kind of orange and flaming brandy recipe and they make great appetizers to a game dinner. We don't have those meals anymore so I'm not motivated to collect them. Me, I can fry an egg. Sometimes I don't break the yolk.

Thicket load?? Is that an old time spreader type load? Wonder what they did 50 years ago to make them open up quickly?

Yes, an early Western moniker for a spreader load was "thicket" load. I've never dissected one so I don't know how it was constructed.



Post WWII, they sold "brush loads" which divided the charge vertically into 4 chambers. These cardboard X's could be homemade. A plastic version called a "disperser X" is still sold to reloaders and wads with the X molded in place are used in Kent and Fiocchi factory spreaders.



Remington's version was a "scatter" load and relied on cards or discs to divide the shot charge into 3 layers. The Polywad Spred-R disc with it's stabilizing tail post is a considerable improvement to this approach and is the basis for what I consider the most advanced spreader loads. truth is, though, the Thicket shells are a prop as I don't use spreaders for hunting, only for clay targets.

I used hand loaded polywad spreaders with #6 shot with great results in my early B Fox which is mod/full at a recent preserve hunt last wednesday. Taking my time they were devastating on pheasants but at the same time did not blow them up. Some of my collegues were ruining their birds with tghter chokes. They were too impatient to let them get any distance.

Mike, get into one of those Thicket Loads and tell us what you find. I like the PC Post wad with fuel line section over the post to reduce the shot quantity to under an ounce and open the pattern even more than the post itself. It takes only a few minutes to prepare a season's worth of wads.