Fox Collectors

I was wondering when the engraving style changed on the b grades, and was it the same time as the a, thanks.

Yes, Bryan. As near as I have been able to determine the early style was replaced by the late style about 1913-1914, on both those grades. Not long after William Gough entered the picture at Philly. My late style engraved BE is a 1918 gun. The grade was discontinued in 1919, AIR.

Lots of information of this nature on the Homepage, under "Grades".

The A- and D-Grades were shown with the earlier engraving in the grey 1913 "A Fox Gets the Game" catalog while the B-grade was shown the unique to that year engraving --
The grey 1914 "A Fox Gets the Game" catalog shows the A-, B- and D-grades with the "Gough" style engraving. In the 20-gauge records I've noted that 200306 a B-Grade is listed with "New Style" engraving and shipped October 15, 1913, to J.H. Johnston. In the 16-gauge records an A-Grade 300221 is recorded as "New Type." Cards near it have shipping dates October to December 1913. In the 12-gauges I've observed the "Gough" style guns begin appearing in the 206xx range, but I've recorded early style A-Grades as high as 21061.

Thanks for the responses, picked up a nice 12 in the 15000 range and was wondering.

Stan Hillis wrote:Yes, Bryan. As near as I have been able to determine the early style was replaced by the late style about 1913-1914, on both those grades. Not long after William Gough entered the picture at Philly. My late style engraved BE is a 1918 gun. The grade was discontinued in 1919, AIR.

Lots of information of this nature on the Homepage, under "Grades".

Here’s a fun little tidbit that I’ll discuss in the next newsletter. While the grade B was discontinued in 1919, they must have continued selling them for a while. I have a “letter” for one that shipped May, 1924.

While the grade B was discontinued in 1919, they must have continued selling them for a while. I have a “letter” for one that shipped May, 1924.

There was also a 12-gauge Super-Fox made with the "Gough" style B-Grade engraving.

Researcher wrote:

While the grade B was discontinued in 1919, they must have continued selling them for a while. I have a “letter” for one that shipped May, 1924.

There was also a 12-gauge Super-Fox made with the "Gough" style B-Grade engraving.

Wow! I would like to see that.

Jeff S wrote:

Researcher wrote:

While the grade B was discontinued in 1919, they must have continued selling them for a while. I have a “letter” for one that shipped May, 1924.

There was also a 12-gauge Super-Fox made with the "Gough" style B-Grade engraving.

Wow! I would like to see that.

The 12-gauge, 30-inch, Super-Fox with the B-Grade engraving, serial number 29090, was pictured in a William Headrick photo spread in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Six, Issue 4, page 85.

Thanks for the information. I don’t have that issue, but I’ll check it out someday.

The Hendricks certainly owned or had access to a lot of nice guns. David you are fortunate to have known both the father and son. 29090 is a beautiful, restored gun. It would be fun to see in person. John

The earliest late style B grade in 12ga I've recorded is 17720 observed by Steve Cambria, the latest early style B in 12ga I have recorded is 20391.

While we’ll never know it’s interesting to ponder why there are higher serial numbered guns w/early style engraving and vice versa. Were the guns already started? were the frames already stamped with serial number? Did Customers request one over the other? Or? That’s what makes this so interesting!

One of those out of sequence guns that comes to mind is serial number 1515 that one would expect to be an early Wayne & Bristol Street B-Grade, but it is a 1907 to 1912 style B-Grade with the much later patent dates stamping on the watertable.
Here is a picture from 1988 of "Pop" Headrick on a southern Missouri pigeon pass with his FE-Grade consecutively serial numbered to Teddy's F-Grade --

Wow! Bobby