Sterlingworth

[Bob Brown]

Jack, I had some photos of that Sterlingworth sent to me about a month back and considered buying it. In my opinion the stock itself was a replacement, though I'm not an expert and some here could set me straight. I didn't think the stock cheeks were defined enough and the checkering didn't appear to go close enough to the grip cap. The grip checkering panel was shaped a bit wrong too.
Since we're telling secrets I'm also a Fox Collectors Association member and have a few 32" Sterlingworths and several 30" pin guns. Excellent guns for the money they're going for, especially up here in Canada. They are great on clays, but for some reason I always seem to have a Parker in the goose blind.

[TARNATION !!!]

Good to hear from you Bob. Hope all is well. I'll have to take up migratory birds again, as it will take a few seasons of roosters to shoot my late in life SXS accumulations. Will give SC a go as well, although I'm partial to eating what I shoot.

Cheers,
Jack

[TARNATION !!!]

Okay, in the fullness of time and after enduring a postal strike this Fox did arrive at my den today. It will need some work to improve the cosmetics. And, surprise, surprise - it is an ejector gun. A brief look over at the Fox site found one person estimates 1 to 2% of Sterlingworths are ejectors. Any thoughts here on that point?
I will do a full tear down/reassembly because it is time. Anyway, another project and I already have too many projects on the go (only a couple are firearms)
Cheers,
Jack

[StubTwist]

Great find Jack! 32" barrels and an added bonus it came with ejectors.

Like Dave said in an earlier post, we knew it was going to live in your house!

Post pics after you get 'er all cleaned up.

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

Okay, in the fullness of time and after enduring a postal strike this Fox did arrive at my den today. It will need some work to improve the cosmetics. And, surprise, surprise - it is an ejector gun. A brief look over at the Fox site found one person estimates 1 to 2% of Sterlingworths are ejectors. Any thoughts here on that point?
I will do a full tear down/reassembly because it is time. Anyway, another project and I already have too many projects on the go (only a couple are firearms)
Cheers,
Jack

Wonder if it has 3" chambers- The Utica Sterlingworth 20 I own has 26" chromox barrels, DT and Ejectors- but 32" barrels- wow indeed. Fotos soon???

[TARNATION !!!]

2 1/2" chambers F+ F+ chokes

Sear axle set screws getting a penetrating oil soak so I can get the sears out and finally have the butt stock removed.

Got time to mow the grass now.

Cheers,
Jack

[TARNATION !!!]

Mowing grass is over-rated. Trimmed a few tree branches and played with the sear axle set screw. It was of course a buggered screw head and took some judicious work and had to grind a couple of my good tips but got it out without breaking half the head off. In its history, it had a sear replaced based on one looks more like a new sear and the other looks its 90 years. So, the stock is off.

Bob, you wondered about it being a replacement. I don't see any serial number like on the Parkers and don't know if there is any means to tell beyond that. If it is replacement wood, it was a long time ago. Typical oil blackened head. The checkering looks like well worn checkering does, so my guess, unless there is a means to prove otherwise, is that the stock is original to the gun.

For the stock guys who read this - is there a "home" recipe to de-oil the wood? Some method that isn't yet known to the State of California to kill me and all my progeny for generations to come.

Cheers,
Jack

[Brent Francis]

32 inch barrels and ejectors you should log into the fox forum and make them crazy. Ive got a 16 sterly with 28 inch barrel and ejectors that I really like. The only problem Ive had is the forend wood is very thin on the back with the ejector guns and it has a tendancy to crack. Also that woodscrew that goes to the back doesnt have much wood to grab and they have a tendancy to pull out.
Thats on the philidelpia models the savage has a better forend.