Fox Collectors

What determined the type and number of beads on Fox barrels? I have a 12 CE , a early 12 A, and a 16 Sterlingworth all with 26" barrel's that each have two ivory beads. I also have a16A with 28" barrels that only has one steel bead. I know that bead type could be specified at time the gun was ordered. Were there any standards on graded guns ?

Freely admit I could be wrong, but as I recall Ivory beads were an option on all the various graded and ungraded guns (Sterly's). That said, I have to believe if someone ordered a higher graded gun, they would most likely provide the Ivory beads at no charge if the client requested such.

In the Philadelphia era Lyman twin ivory sights were "standard" on the XE-Grades and single barrel traps, and optional on all others. In 1930, Savage introduced the Fox-Sterlingworth Deluxe which included Lyman twin ivory sights.
From the introduction of the SP-/SPE-Grade Skeet & Upland Game Gun in 1935, it came standard with twin ivory sights.
The twin ivory sights were optional on the Fox-Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland Game Gun when it was introduced in 1935 --
but by the 1937 catalog they were standard --
Twin ivory sights were "standard" on the Skeeter (1931) and the Trap Grade (1932-34) and who knows what this meant on the only description of the quite obscure SPR-Grade --