Sterlingworth

[rook]

I have a Sterlingworth made in Philly with a serial number 75904. It has been in the family since new and trying to figure out the year manufactured. It has fluid compressed steel barrels and 2 3/4 has been shot through it, is that ok or should I switch to 2 1/2. Thanks.

[Researcher]

Serial number 75904 would be an early 1916 vintage gun according to the old Lightner Library produced serial number chronology which was produced back in the 1970s and is available various places on the internet. The only way to know exactly is to get a letter on the gun from the surviving records which are now housed at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

https://www.foxcollectors.com/mechanism ... ry-letters

No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may or may not be safe in a given gun.

The only two A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogs that mention chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914, both say 12-gauge guns are chambered for 2 3/4-inch shells. However, A.H. Fox Gun Co. appears to have held chambers about an 1/8-inch shorter than the intended shell, the theory being that the mouth of the shell extending 1/8-inch into the forcing cone provided a better gas seal which improved patterns. I've been shooting 2 3/4-inch shells in my 1914 vintage go-to bird gun since 1966. Most modern, nominally 2 3/4-inch, plastic shells are actually a bit shorter. As a favor to your over 100-year-old wood, you may want to stay away from high-velocity loads.

[rook]

Thanks for the info. It's a great gun and shoots very well, when I miss those birds I can't blame it on the gun.