W C Letterman Cup at the Northeast

[Silvers]

Once again I'll have George Emmons' Fox J Grade SBT gun at the Northeast/Letterman Cup event. Here's a pic of her taken today.

About eight years ago she literally came out of a barrel in a Maryland warehouse along with some random old military rifles; her stock had been crudely converted from half grip to a straight wrist and also shortened. I considered getting the gun restocked but decided to have pieces spliced onto the back end and the bottom/toe line to revert to its original half grip style. Better to keep part of the original buttstock intact than to replace it. IMO. The splicing and checkering were done by my friend Craig Libhart of Susquehanna Stockworks and I put on a simple finish to be able to compete that year. Well, the years stretched on and I finally got in gear a month ago to strip that buttstock finish, also did some “Circassian” figure matching and put on a proper finish per the original Fox formula. I also fixed the ejector which was erratic after firing umpteen thousand rounds. Here she is ready to rock in less than 2 weeks at the Northeast SxS.

Mr. Emmons was a trap shooter of some note at clubs in the Washington DC area, shooting with the likes of General (then Captain) Billy Mitchell. He even sponsored the “Emmons Cup” at his primary club. This old Fox SBT gun does card directly to George Emmons and it’s the only one that does.

frank

EDITED to add pic of the opposite side, click on either pic to expand. Forearm finish is original as is the metalwork.

[Stan Hillis]

You did a fine job bringing her back, Frank. I'm sure George E. would approve.

Shoot her well.

All my best, SRH

[mc15426378]

Frank, really nice job as usual. What year was the gun shipped?

[Silvers]

Thanks Mike. I have the AHFCA card copy but never got around to ordering a JTC letter. Very few of the SBT cards have ship dates on their fronts but judging from a few that do - in the s/n range from 400201 to 400241 - I'd say this Emmons' Fox was shipped in early 1921.

frank

[Mike of the Mountain]

Very nice gun Frank!

[eightbore]

George Emmons was a board member and committee member at my home gun club (my membership and participation goes back to 1958). I hope Frank will bring the gun to the 2019 Northeast Shoot. My gosh, that's sixty years ago. I never met George Emmons, but he was there when I started shooting there in 1958. For those interested, George Emmons took over William Wagner's address in Southeast D.C. as a high volume Parker dealer.

[TOOL MAN]

[quote="Silvers"]
About eight years ago she literally came out of a barrel in a Maryland warehouse along with some random old military rifles; her stock had been crudely converted from half grip to a straight wrist and also shortened.

….but thanks to the discerning eye and goading from a world renowned FITASC grand master and fellow Fox cohort, Silvers finally "cut the deal" at the NE Fine Arms Show in 2009 (?) and took Emmons back to coal country! And as Paul Harvey would conclude: "That's the rest of the story...." JUST SAYIN'

[Silvers]

Thanks friend Steve for the memory. Actually this Emmon's Fox was standing vertical on the back side of one of those rotating gun show type racks and I'd missed it while first walking the Greenwich show. Then when Steve told me about it I hightailed over and made a quick deal. The then-owner told me how he'd found it in Baltimore. I see him every year at the Northeast SxS where he sets up and we always reminisce about his late Dad and Dad's friend also now passed who was also a long time buddy of mine. Yes Bill I'll have this Fox at the Northeast SxS next month. It sounds like some hot Letterman Cup competition is in the offing with a (new to Hausmann’s) "stealth buy" Fox SBT I know of that will be prancing in from out CT way.

frank