Help me identify this old fox

[kluxardo]

Recently inherited this old fox double barrel 12ga. I cleaned it the best I could. This is first 5 pictures.

[kluxardo]

Here are 5 more pictures. Appreciate anyone’s help.

[JasonPeck]

https://www.foxcollectors.com/fox-gun-g ... -directory

[jolly bill]

Looks like you have a 12 gauge early style A grade.

Hard to read the serial number on the trigger guard. It looks like: "1854" or "7854".

Would you pull the fore end off and check the number on the inside: fore end iron, barrel flats or water table.

I have the same thing: an early A 12 gauge with SN 7983.

Does everything check out OK functionally with your gun?

Welcome.

Jolly

[Jeff S]

Looks to me like you've been blessed with a nice family heirloom. Please enjoy it, and every time you hold that gun, think of the person that held it before you.

[Sporrns]

Welcome, Kluxardo! What 'Jolly Bill' said - look at/post a picture of the watertable (flat of the receiver) and you will see the serial number and (if in fact an early A-grade), an 'A' stamped there. Also of interest is the full barrel ledger stamped on the top of both barrels - there are variations, expecially in the very early guns. A very nice original appearing Fox - and as Jeff S says, a nice family heirloom. Thanks for sharing, Kevin

[kluxardo]

Thank you for the warm welcome and to everyone who replied! As you can see on the photos that I have attached that you gentlemen were spot on with your predictions. The serial number is A 1854. Everything is in working order and it still shots great.
Does anyone have advice on how to clean the steel better? Or should I just leave it as is? Thoughts or pearls for this new fox owner!

[Researcher]

Beautiful, apparently totally unmolested early A-Grade from the Wayne & Bristol Streets days of the A.H. Fox Gun Co. The company was founded in early 1905, and I'd date your gun to 1906, as it has the three patent date roll-stamp. The earliest guns only have the a single date.

I'm traveling and don't have a very good scan of the Grade A page from a 1906 A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalog --

1906 Catalog A-Grade

1906-07 Godshalk 07.jpg (21.25 KiB) Viewed 4232 times

Looking your pictures over closely I see someone did a poor job of recutting the checkering on the left grip panel and coarsened the checkering on the back half of the safety slide. Probably the best thing for that gun would be to regularly wipe it down with Ballistol, G-96 or Eezox, shoot it and enjoy it.

[49packard]

Dear new member,

Your gun is beautiful just the way it is. No matter how hard you try you can't make it original. It's only that way once! Welcome and thanks for sharing.

Brian