Restored Sterlingworth

[Joe Graziano]

It’s been a few weeks since the Southern. What a fantastic time, as always, at Deep River! Below are a few pics of my restored $300 Fox Sterlingworth. Brian Dudley turned an ugly duckling of a gun into a beauty, and more importantly, a fine shooter. Hats off to Brian for his skill as a gunsmith and dedication to preserving shooting history.

The gun began as a well used 1912-1913 Sterly, 30 inch barrels, with badly bruised wood, a cracked butt plate and chipped toe, cracked wrist, worn chequering and F/XF chokes. I delivered it to Brian at the VGC in September. In April he delivered to me a gun with repaired wrist, repaired toe, very nicely refinished wood, recoil pad, recut chequering, chokes at IC/M and ready for another 100 years! I am very grateful and enjoyed shooting it at the Southern. I will enjoy it for many years to come. Thank you and well done!

[Keith Sirmans]

Nicely done!

[B. Dudley]

Thanks Joe. Yeah, the wood is factory original. And is the nicest piece of figured walnut that I personally have seen on a sterlingworth. But as you can see the grain layout in the wrist is not ideal. That is why it broke. The repair of the break with reinforcement by carbon fiber rods, will ensure it will not be a problem again.

[Harold Pickens]

Nice gun Joe, and great job Brian. Yeah, best wood I've seen on a Sterly. I bought a Sterlingworth Deluxe 16 28" back around 1986 for $300, still have it.

[George "Scott" Davis]

My two favorite hunting gun are my 1913 16 gauge with 28 inch barrels and 1917 12 gauge with 30 inch barrels I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of your beautiful gun. Thank you for sharing photos of Brian's work as I always appreciate the work of a master gunsmith.

[charlie cleveland]

very nice gun and workmanship....charlie