Fox Collectors

I recently acquired this beut being passed down from my Grandfather. Ive been trying to gather as much info about it as I can but it is very limited. He passed away years ago but here is what I have been able to dig up so far. Both him and my grandmother are first gen Americans. As such, they are tough people with modest upbringing. My grandfather was born around 1925 and grew up in western Pennsylvania. Served in the army during WWII. Came home, they got married in 48 and he worked in the coal mines. Makes me wonder how my grandfather came into possession of the finest gun in the world. Knowing him, he may have won it in a backyard poker game. Still trying to dig if it was passed down to him or where he got it from. Around 58 they moved to the Cleveland area. Googling the obsolete drug store on the card I believe it was originally shipped to a local drug store in Steubenville OH in 1912 which may or may not have closed that same year. So the gun was originally shipped to his part of the world, but, thats about all I have. If I am able to find out more I'll be happy to share.

I would like to point out I am very much a novice to this world so if I am incorrect in any info given please feel free to correct me or add anything further you may know.

Jostam Pad
F&B Lyman
When I came into possession it had a 5$ sling attached to the butt with electrical tape wrapping it all up. Cringe.
Unable to locate the barrel weight stamp
Matching numbers on all pieces.. circa 1912


From the card:

Bbls. 16/28
Comb: 1 3/4
Heel: 2 3/4
Stock 14
Weight: 6
Right: IC
Left M
Chamber: 2 3/4
Use "D" grade stock - this stock to me very much appears as C to my blind eyes. Anyone explain this?
To add, the card is somewhat faded and hard to read.Not to sure what other says. No back included.

Sadly, will be waiting till spring to make her go bang.

A couple more. A lot of the quality appears to be lost when I re-sized the pics.

Man that is Nice!!!

That is a spectacular gun!!!!!! It was fitted with a d grade stock which means the wood used was upgraded to d. Without measuring the lop the stock may have been cut for the pad. The barrels appear to have been reblued. Great gun a real peach!!!

The checkering on the early D-Grade stocks was pretty much the same as the C-Grade, just a bit finer.
The fancier D-Grade checkering pattern came along with the Billy Gough engraving in late 1913.

Thank you for the kind words and info on the stock. Makes sense now.

You have a wonderful Fox! Bobby

I have been thinking about that gun since you showed it to me last month. She's a beauty!

Welcome to the club.

Wonderful shotgun....to be proud of and its family too.... Now go gets some birds!....(-: SXS Ohio

Love it. Love those early escutcheon small bore high grade Foxes.

Yes, the escutcheons are interesting. I was thinking about starting another thread for pictures of any some might have. Saw another one in a different thread that I really liked and wondering if each one is custom or if Fox made a few different versions. Slowly making my way through the forum archives. Maybe someone already started one.

Wonderful Ansley H. Fox shotgun. Congratulations on such a fine inheritance. The Jostam pad has to be a later addition, as Jostam wasn't organized until a couple of years after that gun was originally shipped. One thing I forgot about D-Grade checkering patterns is that the 1913 "A Fox Gets the Game" catalog shows the D-Grade with a different checkering pattern than shown in any other A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalog --
DE-Grade 20-gauge, serial number 200108, shown in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Three, Issue 1, has that pattern.

Thanks for the info Researcher. I was assuming the pad was a latter addition. It has two different pattent dates on it. One in 1915 and another in 1927. Does that mean it was most likely produced between those dates or post?

This is a great gun! I have been looking for information and examples of these early small bores. I recently acquired what is likely the first graded small bore made. It exhibits many of the same features as your CE 16.

Mine is a 20 bore, #200003. It is a double barrel set, all # matching. The second set of barrels appear to have been made shortly after it was built. It is also a CE, straight grip gun, built as an ultralight (per notes on the card to be built as light as possible).

Unfortunately, the stock and forend of barrel set #1 are pretty much toast so it is undergoing a full restoration with replacement of the wood on the original gun. It will be done to original specifications. The receiver is in good shape (30-40% color) and will remain as I found it.
I appreciate you sharing these photos.

I recently acquired what is likely the first graded small bore made.

Beautiful gun, but not the first. Serial number 200000 a DE-Grade is known and an article on it was published in The Double Gun Journal. Period pictures of 200001 a C- or CE-Grade have also been published. A member has brought 200002 a CE-Grade to a couple of our events.