Fox Collectors

New to the forum. Love old double guns. A friend of mine brought by a Fox Sterlingworth the other day for me to check out. From what I can find it's a Fox Sterlingworth in 16 gauge circa 1921. Serial Number 3571XX, 1920's safety, Metal Bead, #3 weight barrels, ejector style forend. Matching serial numbers, but not original stock. My question is, did they make this gun in 24 inch barrels, full and modified? When I measured them I thought for sure they had been cut off, I'd never seen one with original 24 inch barrels, but checking the bores it showed full and modified.

I have absolutely no idea if it's original (unlikely), but a 16 ga. with 24" barrels sounds like the world's greatest bird gun. Buy some RST "spreaders" to offset the tight chokes and start chasing grouse and woodcock. What a fun gun.

Did you use a drop-in gauge? Those can be misleading. They indicate more choke than there really is if the bores are tight to start with.

Most likely started as a 26" barrel. If you could measure the chokes with a good dial or digital bore gauge you could see what the remaining "length" of the actual choke is.

FoxintheHenHouse

Or order a letter.

Thanks for the info. I checked the chokes again, this time with a caliper. Measured improved and modified. 640 and 650 give or take a thousand or so. Didn't have a way to check depth.

While I have found a couple of 16-gauge graded guns in barrel lengths other than the standard 26-, 28-, 30- and 32-inch lengths, it is very unlikely in a "made for stock" gun that the Sterlingworth was.

16 bore Foxes of that vintage will have nominal .659" bores (as the mean) and the taper chokes will vary somewhat in length of taper, and whether the abrupt run of the taper is leading or trailing. I'd say your Fox was likely cut from 26-inch/Mod & Full. You mentioned a metal bead and I'm curious to see if it's the regular Fox bead and also its location on the muzzle part of the rib. Thus a good macro pic would be helpful. Also while taking pics you might do a good macro of the front of the muzzles so we can see the filler pieces "keels" that are fitted between the tubes.

Cut barrels.Bobby

Thanks for all the info everyone. Great board. That action was so tight it's now got me looking for one for myself.

Many Fox guns were cut to a specific shorter than standard length at the factory before being sold at wholesale or retail. Measuring the chokes with a micrometer does not separate the cut from the uncut. A letter is the only way to tell how your gun came from the factory.

Many Fox guns were cut to a specific shorter than standard length at the factory

More like "A few".

That doesn't look like a Fox factory bead, and the center punch mark forward of the bead looks like the gunsmith had second thoughts and moved it a bit aft. Also, the factory wouldn't have filled the spaces between the tubes with solder.

OK, Dave, "A few". Sorry I misspoke. If it is only one, this could be that one. I am trying to help the poster identify his gun. It's heck getting old.