Fox Collectors

Here is an interesting Fox, is the serial number correct? When was this gun made?
Ross

It would have been made in 1906 ( or late 05 corrected). I wonder what the chance of getting a letter on a gun this early would be?

Slim to none.

I don't see any link to the gun in question? I ssem to recall having seen number 96 at some time in the past. No chance for a letter on a gun that early. The A.H. Fox Gun Co. was incorporated about April 1905 and began advertising in mid-December 1905, so a gun with that early serial number might have been built in 1905. Might be some useful information in my Double Gun Journal article on serial number 35. I'm travelling after the Las Vegas gun show and don't recall the volume and issue.

Researcher wrote:I don't see any link to the gun in question? I ssem to recall having seen number 96 at some time in the past. ...

It has been on gunbroker for a bit.....

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=90625897

When looking at the pics, it struck me that there seemed to be a little too much metal width where the barrels meet. I tried to monkey with the image to pick up the lines of the tubes, but couldn't quite do it.

As the barrels are listed as 30", it wouldn't seem they've ever been cut. Ever see a set of factory barrels with a small space between the tubes?

A nice example of that -- FLUID STEEL KRUPP ESSEN -- HEAVY WEIGHT BARRELS marking. Too bad the picture isn't clearer. Maybe those were originally 32-inch barrels that have been cut with those open chokes. Hard to know at this point in time. Certainly not the first one with #29 and #35 out there that I know of. #35 is really more of a DE then a CE, but its markings are all over the map.

Double Gun Journal article Volume 12 Issue 1 (spring 2001) about Number 35. Marshfellow

Late Foxes are known to sometimes have space between the barrels. I don't know about earlier ones. Some open choked later guns have notations on the work card that say "Cut longer barrels to make this gun." I know, it sounds crazy, but that's what they did. I sat at an auction one day with a copy of a work order card for a 20 gauge SP that said exactly that. Unfortunately, another prospective buyer of the same odd length gun also had a Callahan letter on the same gun. He also had more money than I did. There was a serious space between the barrels, but they were original.

Eightbore, would you happen to still have that letter for the 20ga SP? I am curious to know what the choking was is the letter....and listed barrel length? Thanks, Marshfellow

I don't seem to have the card copy that I mentioned. I may not have had it in printed form, maybe just had read the information without copying it. The SP was not in high condition, I didn't purchase it, so never pursued the letter. Researcher should remember another example of a weird gun we saw at an auction where the buyer benefitted from the knowledge he possessed about the originality of the unusual barrel length. I can't remember the details, but he may. I'm not sure that gun wasn't an SP Grade also.

I believe you are thinking about a 25-inch barrel 20-gauge L.C. Smith skeet gun. Our opposition had the info from Cody. There was also a pretty nice Fox second generation B-Grade 20-gauge at that auction with normal length barrels. As I remember the same gent bought both. I have four or five Fox doubles with 26-inch barrels that letter and none touch at the muzzle.

Researcher wrote: I have four or five Fox doubles with 26-inch barrels that letter and none touch at the muzzle.

I'm sure glad you said that, as my 26" barrel set for my old AE two barrel set has a slight space between the barrels (which, was added after 1911 per the patent date on the forend iron). Yet, they're properly crowned and appear correct otherwise. And, the chokes are at least .005/.015. I won't know for sure until my bud brings over his bore guage so I can properly check them.

Researcher, thanks for the reminder of the facts of our unsuccessful attempt to purchase a couple of neat guns. Information from the Fox order cards, Cody, PGCA, and a few other dark and shady sources have helped me in my attempts to document the originality of unusual guns. The down side is that other collectors/purchasers use the same sources to compete with me. Oh, well. At least everyone here is a little more comfortable with their 26" Foxes with space between the barrels.