Fox Collectors

So I had won a 1921 Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga with LOOKS like original wood straight grip stock,so I sent out to repair small crack before firing.Meantime sent for record card hoping it would say if so.Got card today and only states 3" drop at heel. Don't have back from gunsmith yet to measure. So question is anyone every gotten Sterlingworth card for pistol grip stock and does it have both heel and comb dimensions? or they always just state comb only.

The Philadelphia era Sterlingworth was a "made for stock" gun and offered no choice in grip style, a capped pistol grip was it. Every A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue from 1911 to 1929 states on the Sterlingworth page under the stock information section "Full capped pistol grip only."

The catalogued stock dimensions for the Sterlingworth was a 14-inch length-of-pull with a 3-inch drop at heel for the 28-inch barrel (Field) and 26-inch barrel (Brush) guns, and a 2 3/4 inch drop-at-heel for the 30-inch barrel (Standard) and 32-inch barrel (Trap) guns. For extra cost one could get a bit more or less drop or have the length cut. The extra costs for any change to a Sterlingworth quickly sent one to the price of an A-Grade where choice of grip style and personal stock dimensions were part of the deal.

A Philadelphia era Sterlingworth production card is essentially pre-printed and just has the chokes written in and some dates stamped on the back --



As I mentioned above the drop-at-heel for a Sterlingworth Standard was by definition 2 3/4 inch. It isn't written on the card.

Thank you so much.I fully understand .. Now know what I have LOVE straight stocks even if not original.

The original Sterlingworth Catalog had a statement saying any deviations from standard including length, drop and STYLE were available for a $10.00 cost.
So maybe a early straight grip Sterly was made----never say never.

Once you added that $10 to the $25 basic Sterlingworth you were within $2.50 of the A-Grade.