Fox Collectors

Ready and waiting for dove season.

Those look really nice. Are they A grades or sterlys? 16"s are hard to find and afford.

Zowie, an early A 16 with yank off forend. I would kill for a gun like that.

Yeah, what eightbore says.

Can you post more pictures of the gun (the early A 16.) And more details about it.

Pretty uncommon.

Jolly

I bought it from a member here. It is 26" chromox IC/M with tight (.655) bores. It weighs only 5-9. The Callahan letter says it shipped in September of '13. I have a Roe Clark letter for the SW that says it shipped in August of that year.

Yes, more pictures and details on that early A! I came across an early A like this in 20 gauge at a gun show recently with the snap on forend. It wasn't even close to the condition of your gun, but I still wanted it. To bad the dealer had it priced like he never wanted to sell it!

Mike

As you can see the frame and TG have silvered out, but overwise the gun is in very good shape.

Spyder,

Thanks for posting pictures of your early A. Looks like SN 300033.

Many years ago I had an early A grade 20 serial number 200061 26 inch Chromox barrels choked F and F that looked a lot like yours. Sweet little gun.

The gun should serve you well.

Jolly

Sweet!! My "go to" Fox 20-gauge is a 1913-vintage Krupp barrel A-Grade --

Many years ago I had an early A grade 20 serial number 200061

I knew 200061 when it lived in Cape Girardeau!!

Dave/Researcher,

I wonder where 200061 is now.

Jolly

Do we have any estimates or best guesses as to how many smaller gauge guns (16's and 20's) were made with the early style engraving and snap on forend? We obviously see a lot of 12's, but I don't see many in the early configuration. Reading McIntosh's book, they started shipping the 20's in 1912 (83 that year), and second generation engraving showed up the following year in late 1913. It also states that 144 20 gauges were shipped in 1913, but obviously not all of them had early engraving if the second generation showed up at the end of that year. I don't recall seeing similar numbers for 16's in the book. If the numbers are correct in the book for the twenty, then that puts production at 227 guns (give or take some missing order cards). I guess we wouldn't call them rare, but maybe scarce? As I type this, I feel like I'm talking myself into making an offer on that early 20ga if I see it again!

SmithShady wrote:I feel like I'm talking myself into making an offer on that early 20ga if I see it again!

Just remember Shady if the barrels aren't trashed everything else can be fixed.

I own 300320 and it has the early style snap on forearm, however the later style engraving. Not sure how many were made with the early style engraving before they switched. It is not near the condition of 300033 overall. Stock is in bad shape and it needs restocking and the original trigger guard was missing and replaced with a sterlingworth trigger guard. Good shooter, and I may restock it soon and perhaps do a straight grip since its no longer original anyway and it has way too much drop at heel. 300033 is special because it left the factory with a 2.5" drop at heel so it was set up for a grouse hunter from day 1.

If this helps, I own 200239 AE shipped 9/5/1913, Krupp barrels, snap forearm, and early engraving---this should be towards the end of early engraving. The bad part, 3" drop and someone carved something in the stock which I think looks like Arabic--can anyone read Arabic??

From my observations the Gough-style engraving begins appearing on 16-gauges in the 3002xx range and on 20-gauges in the 2003xx range.

Abner,

Can you give me the grip-style and barrel length on 200239 so I can add it to my list?

Dave