Fox Collectors

I have a new to me 1922 Sterlingworth 16 gauge and the forend won't snap on. I am pushing it as hard as I feel comfortable pushing, without risking damage to the forend. The gun appears to have been dry-fired with the barrels off (the firing pins are extended, and the triggers are free). Might the gun need to be re-cocked manually before the forend with fully seat? Thanks for any insight. First-time Fox owner.

The gun does not need to be cocked.

Make sure the forend is seated tight against the knuckle as to depress the cocking plunger and push harder.

It should go on firm.

You can manually cock the hammers with a small flat head screwdriver and this will releave the pressure on the forend so it will snap on,

Reply was deleted on 6/23.

I would guess that you have not placed the forend so that the "cocking slide" is being contacted and forced rearward so that the forend can be clicked into place. Try to locate the "cocking slide".

Just to round out this thread, I got the forend back on by manually cocking the gun, but in the process discovered that it has some left ejector issues that were causing the trouble (left ejector spring on the forend wasn't cocked, but the right one was) with the forend in the first place. Getting it all squared away now. Thanks for the input.

It being an ejector gun would have been useful information to share from the onset.