Fox Collectors

I am working on a nice little 5 3/4 lb Sterlingworth 20 ga ejector for a friend and it has a high comb factory round knob stock with correct butt plate. I removed the stock today and the serial 2619xx is stamped on head of stock. Only factory round knob sterlingworth i have ever seen. Barrels are Savage marked and it has Philly top lever and safety. Fox sterlingworth stamped on sides of frame and forend is wider than earlier Philly guns but does not appear to be as wide as late Savage Fox. Bobby

Likely reworked by Savage in the 1950s. I've seen a couple of Sterlingworths with the half-pistol grip of a late Savage A-Grade.

I'll never say never, but I'd have to see a Callahan letter to believe it started life that way.

The Sterlingworth was a "stock" gun made to standard specifications. Any change from those cost extra and quickly got one into the price of an A-Grade where the choice of grip style and stock dimensions were part of the deal. Every A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue that carries the Sterlingworth from 1911 to 1929 states -- "THE STOCK is best quality plain American Walnut, thoroughly seasoned, nicely checkered on grip and forend. Full capped pistol grip only." In the Savage era catalogues the Fox-Sterlingworth text just states -- "Stock and Forend--American walnut, nicely checkered and finished." The catalogue pictures always show the capped full pistol grip 1931 to 1936, and the capless full pistol grip 1937 on.

The grip style section of all Fox catalogues says (except Sterlingworth) or (except Fox-Sterlingworth). The very last catalogue says (except Fox-Sterlingworth and Model B).

Dave, i have not pulled out any of my Foxes in that serial # range but i thought it should be marked a philly gun. it has SP proofed barrels and 2 3/4 inch chambers but barrels are not stamped 2 3/4". The stock is a factory stock. I really like the shape of the dainty little stock and plan to trace it and duplicate it on one or two of my doubles. I will ask him if he has factory letter. Bobby

There must have been a lot of already numbered 20-gauge Sterlingworths in work at the time of the sale. The lowest Utica gun I've recorded is a 30-inch 20-gauge 259,354 and the highest Philadelphia 20-gauge Sterlingworth I've recorded is a 28-inch gun 262,687.

FWIW I have 20 Sterlingworth 20ga 262590...Utica marked. Marshfellow

My son in law has a 16 with a B Grade stock of European walnut and a round knob. It has finer checkering and checkered side panels. It was not redone when his brother cracked the wrist. The stocker who repaired it said it was original and I saw the serial numbers in the head. My redone
Sterlingworth 12 did not have the numbers stamped back in the new stock.

The gun letters as nothing unusual and was sold to Sears Roebuck.

Hi Dick Jones. Hey guy, long time no see on "any" board. Glad to have you among us. ken

The possible scenarios of how a B-grade stock got on a Sterlingworth in the last 60 to 95 years are endless, and in my mind that the Sterlingworth started life with that stock is the least likely. I've got several sets of stamps in the shop and could certainly add a serial number to a stock or over-stamp it.

I also know a guy who has a rig to duplicate the serial number off a Model 12/42 receiver and put it on a barrel extension. IMHO there are probably as many Model 12 barrel extensions out there with Pigeons on them that were done after-market then left New Haven that way.

Guess I'm getting skeptical in my dotage.

Hi, Ken,

Between still having a real job and trying to become a writer, I'm busier than a three legged cat in a sand box. I'm doing 2 newspaper columns and some magazine stuff and it keeps me busy. I want to get down there and write a story on you one of these days.

Resercher,

I'll agree that it would be easy to make a stock look original. The problem with Jeff's gun is the motive. There are guys that can take an old clunker Pre 64 Model 70 and make it look like a mint gun. The motivation is that these guns have always been valuable.

The problem with motivation with Jeff's gun is that 16 gauge Sterlingworths were worth less than an A5 Browning in the 60s when Charlie (Jeff's Dad) bought the gun. Why would someone go to that much trouble on a $150.00 gun?

If I had bought the gun last week at a gun show, I would suspect restanping.

Either way, We'll never know.