Fox Collectors

Finally got my hands on a gun which I had never seen before and knew very little about until last week. It letters with the card I received last week. 26", straight grip, checkered butt, SST, beavertail, SK/IC, dual beads. I'd say 85% with slight handling marks. Honestly, it's a beautiful little gun and handles more like a 28ga. than a 20. Can't wait to shoot it at Ernie's

Pictures?

Daryl, sounds like a perfect bird gun. Jim

Yes I will attempt to take and post some tomorrow.
You are correct Jim, it will make a great bird gun.

Daryl: Great job can't wait to see it a 20ga SPE is a very hard Fox to find.

.....ESPECIALLY when it's a Skeet & Upland !! One of only about 3 dozen made. Nice catch, anxious to see it.

tjw

Daryl, sounds like a great gun. Looking forward to seeing it and you at Ernies. Missed your presence atDrakes this year.

Congrats Daryl!! Great find.

Is it a 1934 "Fox Special" Skeet Grade --



or the 1935 and later SP-/SPE-Grade Skeet & Upland Game Gun --

Dave, it is a SPE skeet and upland, s/n 203864 which puts it about 1938 I believe. The water table is marked SPE Grade, 20ga. About 1" forward of the barrel flats on the underside of the barrel tubes is stamped a S on the left barrel and what looks to be an O on the right. The card says 1/4 choke/left, the right says "something" cyl. I can't make out the word. Card also says "same as gun 203794".

Daryl, I'm happy you got the gun. Can't wait to see it at the Northeast SxS next month. That right barrel choke is probably "skeet cylinder" which is a bell-shaped reverse choke intended as a spreader with period bare shot ammo. Winchester's version of same was the "WS-1" choke. That skeet cylinder choke was common on Fox S&U guns.

Sounds like a real peach of a gun. Below is a photo of what Frank describes. This is a 12 ga Sterly Skt & Upland I used to own. Notice the still visible reamer marks from opening the last 1 inch + of the right barrel.

You are right Frank, it says Skeet upon closer examination under a magnifying glass.
Yes Mike, my choke looks like that. Can't measure the bores/chokes right now as I've not been cleared yet by the surgeon to climb the stairs up to my gun room.

...... that's interesting, I have never seen one of these guns marked "skeet".

tjw

Tom,
If I knew how to post the factory card on here I would to show you the choke markings.

Excerpt from a JTC factory letter for a Sterly 12-gauge S&U. See reference to "skeet cylinder" choke. Now, I know a Sterly isn't a SP(E) but I'm thinking that choke profile was a conventional Fox/Utica design.