Fox Collectors

Fox and L.C.Smith both created 24" guns by cutting off longer barrels.

I expect the orginal barrels were full/mod with 26" length and once cut you have the chokes the original owner requested. Think it would be one helluva Woodcock gun in phone booth type cover. Value would be what Frank suggested imo.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Tim, the poster who started this thread, and looking at his 24" barreled 20 gauge Sterlingworth with ejectors and discussed in detail by all the above.

I took some pictures too as seen below.

The gun is pretty much as described: it does have 24 inch barrels choked cylinder in the right barrel and modified in the left barrel. It does have a marked Miller non-selective single trigger, auto ejectors, beavertail fore end wood and a recoil pad.

The gun has been restocked with much nicer walnut than would be found on a factory gun and fitted with a beavertail fore end. Tim said his father refinished the wood many years ago, much to his disappointment, and the wood to metal fit has thus been slightly compromised. Nice job tho and very nice checkering. Worth mentioning is the single trigger is in the rear position, so the length of pull is just a little short.

I was surprised when I measured the chamber length and found that they are both 2 1/2 inches. Would have thought they would have been lengthened to 2 3/4" as part of the single trigger and restocking project. Which might mean, the single trigger and restocking happened many years ago when 2 1/2" 20's were still in use.

Very nice gun with good original case color remaining. Same for the barrel blue that looks to be factory original and just about all there.

Not a gun a serious collector would be interested in but an upland game bird hunter might find it very interesting and appealing.

Yeah, as appraised above, worth around $2000 (+/-) to a motivated buyer if the seller was motivated to sell - which he is not.

I had with me a 98% factory original condition 20 gauge Philadelphia Sterlingworth with ejectors and 28" barrels. I said to Tim that would be a gun a collector would be interested in and probably worth around $3000. Couple hundred $$ more if 30 inch barrels. I pointed out the very plain walnut stock that would have been on his gun.

It was a pleasure to meet Tim and look over his neat little Sterlingworth 20.

Jolly

Bill, thanks for taking the time to post the pictures and comparing the two guns with Tim. Maybe we’ll see pictures of his gun with game this Fall.

Would make a good newsletter article

Thanx Jolly.
t

I wish my Sterlingworths looked like that.

We forget that these guns were meant to be used and someone (Tim’s father or ?) decided they wanted nicer wood and a beavertail. As Tom said a cool gun for tight cover. Jolly, thanks for meeting with Tim. Great to see connections being made and information being shared across the group!