Fox Collectors

In the boards opinion who does the best job of doing bone charcoal case colors that are "truest" to what Foxes would have looked like circa early 1900's? I'm talking those early case colors that look like a drop of oil hit a glass calm lake. Maybe no one can replicate that look, but I'd be curious what folks think.

I haven't seen anybodies colors really duplicate the early A.H. Fox Gun Co. colors, the cyanide colors of the 1920s, or the Savage-era colors.

David, I'm with you.
tjw

Not having seen many high condition Foxes in my life I never quite understood what was meant by the true Fox "oil on water" look ...... well, I knew what it meant but had never seen it in person, that is until I came into the possession of a high condition AE last spring. Now I know, and it is indeed gorgeous. I have never seen any replicated colors that come anywhere near looking that way.

SRH

Check out Ron's Gun Shop in Oshkosh, WI. I have been recommended them by more than one member of the ACGG as being 'very good' at duplicating original Fox colors.
http://www.ronsgunshop.com/finishes.html

Here are cyanide case colors from Rons Gun Shop. These were done last winter if anyone was curious about what their colors look like. I ended up selling the gun but I felt they did a good job on the restoration.

Great job.Bobby

That is pretty close, MilRob. A bit "bright", but that is understandable considering many of the originals are centenaries. I have had their address for consideration, even talked with them, for many years, but never "pulled the trigger". I think I may do that now, thanks to your photos.

SRH

IMO and its only that! This is the "oil and water" look of correctly done charcoal color case. You have to see this Fox in the flesh to ta appreciate the colors. This was done circa 2001 by Oscar Gaddy so its no longer available.

Doug

Doug Mann wrote:IMO and its only that! This is the "oil and water" look of correctly done charcoal color case. You have to see this Fox in the flesh to ta appreciate the colors. This was done circa 2001 by Oscar Gaddy so its no longer available.

Doug

I'd say that is pretty close Doug.

An old world gunsmith that is very knowledgable on classic double guns shared a piece of information with me, that may or may not be correct. But that is that when Fox switched to cyanide coloring on their guns, that the work was not done in the factory, instead it was outsourced to a firm in carlstadt, NJ (100 miles from Philly) by the name of Hienzelman & Son. Hienzelman is still in business today and still does cyanide coloring on firearms. So... if this piece of information is correct, i woild think them to be the source for correct cyanide colors on a Fox.

Any thoughts on the legitimacy of this story???

Brian,

I tried repeatedly, and extensively, to contact Heinzelman several years ago and was finally told they were no longer in business. If you have a good phone number for them I would greatly appreciate getting it. I had read that same information that you posted, but struck out at every turn, and gave up.

SRH

......next time tell them not to blue the pins.
tjw

Stan Hillis wrote:Brian,

I tried repeatedly, and extensively, to contact Heinzelman several years ago and was finally told they were no longer in business. If you have a good phone number for them I would greatly appreciate getting it. I had read that same information that you posted, but struck out at every turn, and gave up.

SRH

Found this digging around:

Fred Heinzelman & Sons
790 Washington Avenue, Carlstadt, N.J. 07072....201-933-4800

vaturkey wrote:

Stan Hillis wrote:Brian,

I tried repeatedly, and extensively, to contact Heinzelman several years ago and was finally told they were no longer in business. If you have a good phone number for them I would greatly appreciate getting it. I had read that same information that you posted, but struck out at every turn, and gave up.

SRH

Found this digging around:

Fred Heinzelman & Sons
790 Washington Avenue, Carlstadt, N.J. 07072....201-933-4800

That is the number I tried for so long, I think. Anyway, I tried it a couple times this afternoon and all I get is a busy signal. I looked up the number of the Carlstadt post office to try and find out if they are receiving mail at that address, and they wouldn't answer either. I will try them again tomorrow. I am going to exhaust every avenue to try once again to reach them.

SRH