I have just inherited my dad's Fox 12 ga....what a beautiful gun.
It has a serial number 649xx and has an 'H' on the bottom of the barrel also.
I swear I can read a date on the bottom of the barrel that looks like Aug 1, 1904, but it is very difficult to read with 55 year old eyes.
When I figure out how to post photos, I would love to share them.
I look forward to learning more about the history of this Fox and am anxious to learn more from the members here
Other specifics I can see: 12 GA - 2 3/4 in chamber;Sterlingworth fluid compressed steel; made by A. H. Fox Gun Co, Phila, PA, USA
Thanks in advance
New Fox Sterlingworth owner
New Fox Sterlingworth owner
Last edited by Melix on Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sterlingworth -- When Ansley H. Fox, was forced to add a lower priced gun to his line of graded Ansley H. Fox guns, in 1910, he didn't want to detract from the A.H. Fox Gun Co. name, so they dummied up "The Sterlingworth Company." The first year’s guns, beginning with serial number 50,000, were marked as being "Made By The Sterlingworth Company, Philadelphia, U.S.A." Actually the first few hundred were marked "Wayne Junction" instead of Philadelphia. They even produced a separate The Sterlingworth Gun Co. catalogue for 1910. These guns were built under the same patents as the graded Ansley H. Fox guns. The main moneysaving features were an American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) stock as opposed to the more costly European thin shell walnut (Juglans regia) stocks on the graded guns, and the "Sterlingworth Fluid Steel" barrels instead of Krupp Fluid Steel barrels. Workmanship on these early Sterlingworths was generally excellent, better than graded guns from the 1920's and 30's. The early "The Sterlingworth Company" guns had a rounded front for the side panel of the frames. According to my list of observed specimens that was changed to the same pointed profile as the graded guns by #51,301.
In 1911 this field grade gun was added to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue as the Model 1911. "Model 1911" is stamped in the forearm iron. (A very few graded guns made about this time are stamped Model 1910) The lowest Model 1911 serial number I've recorded is #53,140. All of these early Sterlingworths had a recessed hinge-pin head like Parkers, or Ansley's earlier guns made in Baltimore and the Philadelphia Arms Company A.H. Fox gun. The highest "pin gun" Sterlingworth serial number I've recorded is # 62,244. After that Sterlingworth hinge-pins are dressed smooth like the graded guns. When the small-bores (16- and 20-gauge) were added to the Ansley H. Fox line they were briefly referred to in some flyers as the Model 1912, but I've never seen one so stamped. Graded 20-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 200,000 and 20-gauge Sterlingworths 250,000. Graded 16-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 300,000 and 16-gauge Sterlingworths 350,000.
Most of the Philadelphia produced S-worths had the word "Sterlingworth" roll stamped on each side of the frame. After production moved to Utica, Savage started using a "Fox-Sterlingworth" roll stamp.
When the Sterlingworth came out in 1910 it had a price of $25. That climbed to $55 by 1919. A.H. Fox Gun Co. reduced the price to $48 in 1922 and again to $36.50 in 1926. Workmanship of course declined. Savage kept the $36.50 price until June 1932 when they upped it to $39.50. On February 10, 1936, they upped the price again to $42.85 (the digits 2 and 8 are transposed in McIntosh's book). On February 1, 1938, Savage tried a price cut and dropped it to $35. February 1, 1939, they upped the price to $44.75. January 2, 1940, up again to $48.50. January 2, 1941, up to $52.65 and June 16 up again to $56.50. January 2, 1942, up again to $64.95.
According to the serial number list compiled back in the early 1970s by Roe Clark and published by Lightner Library in 1976, your gun, 64923 would have been made in 1913, but the only way to know for sure is with a letter. For $40 Graded or $30 Sterlingworth (last prices I've seen quoted) you can get a factory letter on most any Ansley H. Fox shotgun (Philadelphia or Utica) from Mr. John T. Callahan, 53 Old Quarry Road, Westfield, MA 01085. The information exists on the factory work-order cards, probably 85+% of which still exist. Send him the complete serial number and a check, and he can do the rest. That would tell you the specifications of the gun when it left the factory.
There were more 12-gauge Sterlingworths made than any other Fox double (some 110,000, the great majority with 30- or 28-inch barrels), so unless in exceptionally high condition or with features such as automatic ejectors or factory original 26- or 32-inch barrels, they are about an $800 gun. It is impossible to truly evaluate a gun with out having it in hand, but average 12-gauge Sterlingworths are about $800 guns.
If your gun is stamped on the left barrel --
PROOF TESTED--12 GAUGE
--2 3/4 INCH CHAMBER--
that is an indication it was back to Savage for some work. Savage had a policy of all Philadelphia guns returned to them for work would first be rechambered to 2 3/4 inch and proof tested. If the gun passed they would perform the requested work. If not they offered to fit a new set of barrels at cost, as a matter of customer goodwill, and destroyed the original barrels. Otherwise they would not perform any work on the gun.
My two-part article on the Sterlingworths is in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Fifteen, Issues 3 and 4, with some corrections in Volume Sixteen, Issue 2.
Sterlingworth -- When Ansley H. Fox, was forced to add a lower priced gun to his line of graded Ansley H. Fox guns, in 1910, he didn't want to detract from the A.H. Fox Gun Co. name, so they dummied up "The Sterlingworth Company." The first year’s guns, beginning with serial number 50,000, were marked as being "Made By The Sterlingworth Company, Philadelphia, U.S.A." Actually the first few hundred were marked "Wayne Junction" instead of Philadelphia. They even produced a separate The Sterlingworth Gun Co. catalogue for 1910. These guns were built under the same patents as the graded Ansley H. Fox guns. The main moneysaving features were an American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) stock as opposed to the more costly European thin shell walnut (Juglans regia) stocks on the graded guns, and the "Sterlingworth Fluid Steel" barrels instead of Krupp Fluid Steel barrels. Workmanship on these early Sterlingworths was generally excellent, better than graded guns from the 1920's and 30's. The early "The Sterlingworth Company" guns had a rounded front for the side panel of the frames. According to my list of observed specimens that was changed to the same pointed profile as the graded guns by #51,301.
In 1911 this field grade gun was added to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue as the Model 1911. "Model 1911" is stamped in the forearm iron. (A very few graded guns made about this time are stamped Model 1910) The lowest Model 1911 serial number I've recorded is #53,140. All of these early Sterlingworths had a recessed hinge-pin head like Parkers, or Ansley's earlier guns made in Baltimore and the Philadelphia Arms Company A.H. Fox gun. The highest "pin gun" Sterlingworth serial number I've recorded is # 62,244. After that Sterlingworth hinge-pins are dressed smooth like the graded guns. When the small-bores (16- and 20-gauge) were added to the Ansley H. Fox line they were briefly referred to in some flyers as the Model 1912, but I've never seen one so stamped. Graded 20-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 200,000 and 20-gauge Sterlingworths 250,000. Graded 16-gauge guns have serial numbers beginning with 300,000 and 16-gauge Sterlingworths 350,000.
Most of the Philadelphia produced S-worths had the word "Sterlingworth" roll stamped on each side of the frame. After production moved to Utica, Savage started using a "Fox-Sterlingworth" roll stamp.
When the Sterlingworth came out in 1910 it had a price of $25. That climbed to $55 by 1919. A.H. Fox Gun Co. reduced the price to $48 in 1922 and again to $36.50 in 1926. Workmanship of course declined. Savage kept the $36.50 price until June 1932 when they upped it to $39.50. On February 10, 1936, they upped the price again to $42.85 (the digits 2 and 8 are transposed in McIntosh's book). On February 1, 1938, Savage tried a price cut and dropped it to $35. February 1, 1939, they upped the price to $44.75. January 2, 1940, up again to $48.50. January 2, 1941, up to $52.65 and June 16 up again to $56.50. January 2, 1942, up again to $64.95.
According to the serial number list compiled back in the early 1970s by Roe Clark and published by Lightner Library in 1976, your gun, 64923 would have been made in 1913, but the only way to know for sure is with a letter. For $40 Graded or $30 Sterlingworth (last prices I've seen quoted) you can get a factory letter on most any Ansley H. Fox shotgun (Philadelphia or Utica) from Mr. John T. Callahan, 53 Old Quarry Road, Westfield, MA 01085. The information exists on the factory work-order cards, probably 85+% of which still exist. Send him the complete serial number and a check, and he can do the rest. That would tell you the specifications of the gun when it left the factory.
There were more 12-gauge Sterlingworths made than any other Fox double (some 110,000, the great majority with 30- or 28-inch barrels), so unless in exceptionally high condition or with features such as automatic ejectors or factory original 26- or 32-inch barrels, they are about an $800 gun. It is impossible to truly evaluate a gun with out having it in hand, but average 12-gauge Sterlingworths are about $800 guns.
If your gun is stamped on the left barrel --
PROOF TESTED--12 GAUGE
--2 3/4 INCH CHAMBER--
that is an indication it was back to Savage for some work. Savage had a policy of all Philadelphia guns returned to them for work would first be rechambered to 2 3/4 inch and proof tested. If the gun passed they would perform the requested work. If not they offered to fit a new set of barrels at cost, as a matter of customer goodwill, and destroyed the original barrels. Otherwise they would not perform any work on the gun.
My two-part article on the Sterlingworths is in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Fifteen, Issues 3 and 4, with some corrections in Volume Sixteen, Issue 2.
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Wow, I didn't expect such a thorough reply! Thanks
I believe this is a 28 inch barrel as you suggest
I will be sure to post the history of this piece as far back a dad can recollect. My office IT group doesn't allow access to photobucket for posting the photos, so I'll do that from home.
So, I shouldn't worry about taking this out to fire a few test rounds at the local R&G club?
Wow, I didn't expect such a thorough reply! Thanks
I believe this is a 28 inch barrel as you suggest
I will be sure to post the history of this piece as far back a dad can recollect. My office IT group doesn't allow access to photobucket for posting the photos, so I'll do that from home.
So, I shouldn't worry about taking this out to fire a few test rounds at the local R&G club?