Fox Collectors

Well, ignoring my better judgement I shot modern loads, instead of the RST low pressure loads I have, through my 12 ga. Sterlingworth and cracked the wrist of the stock. I want to replace the stock, but I have three questions:
1. If I get a new stock, not repair the one I have, would it be able to handle modern loads?
2. If the stock is repaired, would I be able to shoot modern loads?
3. If you were going to have someone replace or repair the stock, who would you recommend?
Thanks,

To have a stock replaced on a Sterlingworth will cost you close to $2k using a qualified craftsman. A broken stock can most likely be repaired so that the repair is almost undetectable. That is the path I would follow for a Sterlingworth. If the stock is unrepairable you may be better off just buying another gun and selling your current gun for parts.
Also, you may be able to fit an old take off stock if you can find one that needs a minimum of alteration (which can be very difficult). For a stock repair I would contact Brian Dudley http://www.bmdgunstocks.com/. Sorry to hear about your accident. Stay with RST's after your repair or replacement. Craig Larter

fox-admin wrote:To have a stock replaced on a Sterlingworth will cost you close to $2k using a qualified craftsman. A broken stock can most likely be repaired so that the repair is almost undetectable. That is the path I would follow for a Sterlingworth. If the stock is unrepairable you may be better off just buying another gun and selling your current gun for parts.
Also, you may be able to fit an old take off stock if you can find one that needs a minimum of alteration (which can be very difficult). For a stock repair I would contact Brian Dudley http://www.bmdgunstocks.com/. Sorry to hear about your accident. Stay with RST's after your repair or replacement. Craig Larter

Thanks for the reply.

Just what "modern loads" were you shooting? Three-inch Magnums in a 2 5/8 inch chambered 12-guage? Some of the super high velocity 1400 or 1500 feet per second loads? If the stock cracked from just shooting ordinary "modern" 2 3/4 inch loads, there is more at play here then just the loads. Already internal crack(s), screws loose, oil soaked stock head, or all three.

Pressure has nothing to do with it. There were some pretty stout loads on the market when your gun was built in 1913. The heaviest 12-gauge loads offered by our North American ammunition companies were 3 1/2 drams of bulk smokeless powder pushing 1 1/4 ounce of shot from a 2 3/4 inch or longer 12-gauge shell --



or 28-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing that same 1 1/4 ounce of shot --





According to a couple of DuPont smokeless powder handbooks in my collection the pressures of these loads were quite high, from 11,700 to 12,600 pounds. In the early 1920s, our ammunition companies began providing shotgun shells loaded with progressive burning smokeless powders, Western Cartridge Co.'s Super-X loads leading the way, and these loads moved that 1 1/4 ounce of shot out a considerably higher velocity and lower pressure than the older bulk and dense smokeless powder loads. Progressive burning smokeless powders also allowed the heavier payloads of 1 1/8 ounce in 16-gauge, 1 ounce in 20-gauge and 3/4 ounce in 28-gauge over the previous 1, 7/8 and 5/8 ounce loads.

All the above said, no one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may or may not be safe in a given gun. That requires hands on by a qualified smith. I can say that my "go to" hunting Ansley H. Fox doubles are a 1913 A-Grade 20-gauge and "Meat in the Pot" my 1914 vintage A-Grade 12-gauge and they have digested their fair share of Super-X type loads with no problems over the past 48 seasons. For high volume shooting at clay targets I use 1200 fps reloads with 7/8 ounce in 12-gauge and 3/4 ounce in 20-gauge for recoil to be easier on the old guns and me.

It didn't crack when shooting RST low pressure loads, it broke when shooting modern loads. Doesn't matter much does it? It's broken!

8's or 7.5's?