Fox Collectors

On January 4th I posted my first topic about acquiring a Fox and once again I appreciate all the helpful responses from all the knowledgable Fox people out there. However, I could have cut the chase if I would have asked:
"CAN YOU SHOOT AN OLD FOX AND TO WHAT EXTENT"?
It was obvious to me that you wouldn't want to give it a steady feeding of magnum shells in a duck blind but I didn't realize the limitations of using todays modern ammo because I thought it was an Iron Horse. After reading through all the postings it is quite obvious that the right thing to do is to use low pressure ammo only regardless how good your gun is per your gunsmith. I can't find any information on the net that shows any lower-pressure factor ammo. So, where do you purchase 2 1/2" inch ammo or who makes low pressure loads and are they effective hunting loads for upland game? I know reloading is an excellent solution but I have no desire to do that.

It's quite easy to get the idea that a Fox will digest factory (big three) loads without problem. Some of us have been doing it for fifty years without any negative incident including loosening of the breech. My PHE Parker pigeon gun has rarely fired less than 1 1/4 ounces at a time since I have owned it, and I'm sure that was its regular diet for sixty or seventy years before that. Many posters on internet gun sites praise these guns for their ability to digest up to and including 3 3/4 dram equivalent, 1 1/4 ounce factory loads. That being said, the normal diet of all of my vintage 12 gauge guns (except my PHE) is 7/8 ounces of shot at less than 1200 feet per second.

Whisperbow,

Relax and enjoy your A.H. Fox for what it is and don't lose sight of why we love these guns whether it be for hunting, collecting, or clay sports if that's your thing. I haven't taken a modern gun in the field, save for regulary waterfowling, since I owned my first Fox and never let ammunition get in the way. I've learned much more about shotgunning since owning vintage doubles than I think I ever could if I was into having the latest in shotgun technology, and choosing the right amunition for each application with these old guns is a small part of the allure. I wasn't into hand-loading at first, but now find it enjoyable. May not make sense for you since you mentioned you might only go through a box of shells a year, so do as others have suggested and check out low-pressure offerings from the various manufacturers and if you feel like taking the occasional duck, goose, or turkey just be sensible about a 2.75" loading.

Best,

jmc

Below is a link to Midway USA, they offer a 7/8 oz load @ 1200 fps and 5000 psi.

http://www.midwayusa.com/epromolisting. ... d=11120061


Derrick

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO RESPONDED. I WAS ESPECIALLY HAPPY TO HERE ABOUT MIDWAY BECAUSE I LIVE IN KC AND CAN STOP THERE ON MY WAY TO ST. LOUIS. I STILL HAVE TO GET A THOROUGH EXAM FROM MY GUNSMITH BEFORE I DECIDE TO KEEP THE GUN BUT AFTER BEING AROUND SHOTGUNS FOR 50 YEARS I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE GUN.