Fox Collectors

I asked Admin whether there would be interest in seeing one of the latest CSMC Foxes to be delivered. I used this Forum and McIntosh's book along with other Internet resources to spec the gun. I am not a Fox Collector and understand the admiration for the older doubles but after collecting other shotguns, I am now ordering exactly what I would like and CSMC is the manufacturer to source from. I already have two of thier guns so was not hesitant to deal with CSMC again.
Specifications briefly are:
16 gauge
26" Barrels
Target Weight of 5# 13oz
DE SPECIAL engraving without any Birds, dogs or animals, just Ansley H Fox in a gold banner.
Case Coloring
Exhibition Circassion Walnut
Single Trigger
Checkered Butt
Choked IC/Mod 9/16
Nitre Blue Trigger
CSMC has exceeded my expectations. Gun actually weighs 5# 9.1oz and the charachter of the gun as a whole is discrete and not flashy as it is meant for hunting and not display.
If there is any interest, I can further detail the process I went through in deciding what to order.-Dick
BTW, please no reproduction of the pictures.

Very tastefully done!! That half-pistol grip looks right! Several I've seen on Tony's Fox doubles look too bulbous, not at all Fox-like.

Outstanding, nice wood and I really like the scroll engraving. Congratulations! Bring it to one of our events so we can all put our fingerprints on it.

That is a beautiful gun and what a great configuration for hunting! I am curious to know if you specified the scalloped frame, or whether that is just standard on CSMC Fox's??

-jmc

Any self respecting Wisconsin Grouse would be proud to have fallen to such a fine gun.

Very nice gun! The trigger looks like it has a rocker for selection like a Miller.
Is it a Kautzky or a Miller trigger?
Scott

"I am curious to know if you specified the scalloped frame, or whether that is just standard on CSMC Fox's??"

I believe the scalloped frame is standard on CSMC Fox's but the rebating in not on all Grades.

"The trigger looks like it has a rocker for selection like a Miller.
Is it a Kautzky or a Miller trigger? "

The trigger does have a rocker for selection and is similar to a Miller, I am told by CSMC.-Dick

Dick, your Fox is outstanding and only 5 lbs 9 ounces! I did not know they were installing Miller type triggers.I had a CE made years ago and it was Fox design not Miller. Bobby

Beautiful wood and a lovely gun for sure. CSMC's Fox D-grades are my personal favorites--not over the top, but just right.

"If there is any interest, I can further detail the process I went through in deciding what to order".-Dick

I'm sure many here, myself included, would be interested in hearing the details of your decision process.

OK, you asked!
I have been watching Tony and CSMC guns since I first met Tony about 1991. At that time he was making the USRAC Winchester branded Model 21's and his own Model 21 without the Winchester name. I told Tony I wanted the Winchester name and he said OK, $55K as all we are making is Grand Royals. Well I can purchase a lot of model 21's for $55K at that time. But I continued to handle and look at every gun that CSMC produced I could get my hands on. Dealers at that time did not know what the aftermarket value of a CSMC 21 would be compared to a Winchester 21.
When the RBL20 was announced I ordered one and was favorably impressed upon delivery. The fact that my first double was an Ithaca SKB Model 100 ceertainly helped.
CSMC also started to produce a small (baby) frame Model 21 for 28 gauge and 410, something that Winchester had never done as Winchester 28 and 410 are on the 20 gauge frame and used bored out 20 gauge barrels resulting in guns over 7#'s. A small frame CSMC M21 would weigh under 6#'s. I finally purchased one from CSMC and at 5# 13oz it is a delight and the manufacturingr was as good as anything I have ever had in my hands. Truly impressive. When I saw small gauge Foxes coming out of CSMC at the sub 6# level, I wanted a 16 gauge even lighter than my 16 gauge Bruchet/Darne at 6# 0.1oz. These Foxes also had a a beauty about them that transcended any of the parts as a whole, it's hard to explain.
Most of my upland guns have either 26" or 65cm barrels and a 26" would help insure a sub 6# gun. Most manufactures are very optimistic about weight and rarely deliver an agreed upon weight.
Engraving is a sore point with me and I am very particular about birds, dogs and the like. In the Fox catalog CSMC will send you, is a picture of an engraved Fox with no Grade listed but very nice engraving. Most of the guns I had been seeing had this engraving but with the assorted dogs, birds etc. I learned that it was called the DE Special. In reviewing MM's book and this forum, I decided that Ansley H. Fox in gold banner was a subtle bit of adornment and because there was no animal engraving involved, the surchage over a DE Grade from CSMC was not that much at the time of ordering. The DE Special, Lou also tells me is the most popular Fox they make.
The bright finish I saw associated with the DE Special was too flashy for me so case was decided and i think it works quite well.
I have double trigger guns and single trigger guns but I prefer single so the half grip and POW would be a good combination and seemed a classic Fox combination. I have Darnes with half grips and I was used to the grip.
I am a fan of wood and particularly American Black Walnut with feather but I noticed that many high grade Foxes used Circassian walnut. Since I wanted a 'classic' look, exhibition Circassian it would be.
I wanted my initials in flowing script engraving on the trigger guard so they were not readily observable and detract from the engraving but I never came to terms with CSMC about how to do this and they were concerned that whatever they did would not work. I commissioned an engraver I had worked with to come up with a pattern for the guard but when the final specs were needed, he had done nothing and the idea was dropped. So the gun is sans any personal adornment and maybe better that way because I am merely the caretaker for the moment.
Chokes were easy as at this weight, it was a gun to carry a lot and shoot a little in thick cover.
That's probably more than you wanted to know.
The decision whether to purchase a pre-1946 high grade Fox veras current production was simple for me at this point in time as I am really done with collecting and realized finding a high grade Fox to my liking was a big chore and maybe an impossible one. I had experience with CSMC and the chance to have a gun made like one could order from Fox years ago to my wnats was a chance i jumped at.
CSMC exceeded my expectations on the weight of the gun and the fit/finish is superb. The engraving is hand done, the checkering is hand done and its like comparing a pre-1960 Winchester Model 21 to a Post 1960 Winchester Custom Shop Model 21 or a Darne to a Bruchet/Darne. The metal is the same but the stock work is significantly better and of course the engraving depends on the engraver. Ulrich and Gough are long gone, so new guns have new engravers. The engraver is Toscano and he did a nice job.-Dick

bud that is a very tastfully done Fox, maybe one of my favorites. The only thing that I don't like on the Foxes is the scalloped frames, they don't look size proportioned or something like that. I wonder if they had a Lindner Daly look how that would flow? Will never know though. I am toying with the idea of ordering one with engraving only on the bolsters, maybe a clam shell type thing and engraving on the opening lever the rest of the frame no engraving except the name Ansley H Fox on each side. Some really nice dark walnut. Possibly a blued frame with the name in gold. Have to give it a little more thought. Really like your gun though.

tim

As wonderful as Lindner Dalys are, the "back" is not particularly innovative or artistic. Much of the charm of the Fox and the Lindner hammerless is the size and shape of the frame, and the two are very similar in those respects.