Fox Collectors

What do you think are the three D specials original guns or upgrades listed by Cabela's? The gold birds look suspect to me, but never say never.

The 12 ga. Special is very interesting,notably the engraving,if it is genuine
quite an interesting gun.

It's a late serial number but the serial number and grade stamp are roll stamped, most D's have engraved serial numbers etc. Also, there is no fancy file treatment to the barrel flats as is normally the case with a D.

Has anyone inquired as to the POR asking price?

Looking at the 20-gauge. The serial number is way high (200928) to be 1st generation D engraving, and it definately has 2nd generation style D wood. I'm thinling by that high a serial number there should be the rebates for the head of the stock?!? Also, doesn't appear to have the profiling of the breech balls to match the barrel contours. Very pretty gun though.

The 12-gauge (33068) certainly looks right to be a D Special for that vintage. I've seen several D Specials with that style engraving. Having the stamped serial number and grade on the watertable of a 1930 vintage gun certainly doesn't put me off, though 33050 and 33051 are engraved. A D quality extractor gun is kind of odd in that vintage.

The 16-/20-gauge two-barrel set, serial 200224, "Made Expressly for Mr. A. Walker" I branded a fake years ago when Joe Murry & Sohn had it at a King of Prussia show. Interestingly a year or so later Tom Gibbons had a DE-Special 20-gauge with a Miller SST with that same serial number, which by the way the card is missing for!!!! There is also a bogus 20-gauge out there with serial number 200232 for which the card is also missing. My gut feeling is that they all started life as Savage-era Fox-Sterlingworth Ejectors. Seeing this set with the other two calls them all into question in my mind.

Caveat Emptor......

P.O.R. = PRICED OUT of REALITY

...or the French definition....." If you have to ask, you can't afford it.."

TOOL

The birds on that 20 ga are laughable, are they woodcock with a duck bill!

I think the dream set of 20s would be an A, a C, an X, a D, and an F, all with the same serial number, all with missing order cards. They would be known as the "A Bit West of Philadelphia Fox Specials". I'm glad I have documentation for Ansley's personal pigeon gun!

fox-admin wrote:The birds on that 20 ga are laughable, are they woodcock with a duck bill!

Spoonbills! All the finest guns have exotic birds

There's a 12 ga. DE Speacial on Robin Hollow's site. Limited pictures of right side of action and buttstock but of note is exposed hing pin and light (for D) barrel wedge engraving.

-jmc

IMHO the Robin Hollow DE-Special is an upgraded S-worth pin-gun that someone removed the last digit of the original serial number from.

It is getting to look like there are more "fake" and/or "upgraded" DE-Specials out in the world then real ones. Kinda like A1-Special Parker Bros.!!!

There is a D Special "West of Philadelphia" Fox across the corn from my house. It looks like one of the one's Dave is skeptical about. They are out there. Be careful. My A's and Sterlys are original (I think).

All three are now marked "Sale Pending" on Cabela's website---sure didn't take long to sell them.

I brought this old thread up.

The 20ga DE Special, serial 200928, is for sale on Robin Hollow's website again.

Best,

Mike

The "West of Philadelphia" Foxes that I mentioned back in 2007 are probably still across the cornfield from my house. I guess I should bite the bullet and contact the heirs of my old friend. There has been no sign of the guns on the market locally.