Fox Custom 20 gauge engraving completed

[tom tutwiler]

Bob Strosin outdid himself. I asked for a bit of his proprietary scroll work on my custom Fox 20 gauge and I wanted a picture of a Fox with a Grouse in his mouth on the bottom. To say it turned out well is an understatement. Well balanced with enough open space to set everything off nicely.

Gun started out life as a Savage 20 gauge Fox Sterly with 26" barrels. Wanted a light grouse/woodcock gun I could carry up the Virginia mountains.

Metalwork and stocking by Dan Rossiter (of course) at Custom Stocks & Steel in Pa.

More to follow when its all together.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410160388.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410160421.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410160422.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410160323.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410166124.jpg

PS. And the Fox pic I provided to Bob:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1418/13596104/24591946/410160438.jpg

Double PS. And the circassian walnut blank (middle one) we used.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL599/2614949/23828662/403290294.jpg

[Angel Cruz]

Very nice!! That woodcock is a nice touch.

[Dean Romig]

Wonderful work!

[charlie cleveland]

very nicely done...charlie

[wayne goerres]

Wow The engraved fox looks more like a picture than an engraving.

[Steve Havener]

Tom the sculpting of the action and engraving are magnificent.

[Patrick Butler]

OK, I'll bite, how did you get that very nice fox photo?

How long did that incredible engraving take? I only ask as I am of the age where I calculate the time I will have a gun vs. how long it will take to be completed.

Best,

Patrick

[tom tutwiler]

OK, I'll bite, how did you get that very nice fox photo?

How long did that incredible engraving take? I only ask as I am of the age where I calculate the time I will have a gun vs. how long it will take to be completed.

Best,

Patrick

Morning,

The photo I found on line as part of the portfolio of a taxidermist. From the time Bob got the gun to completion was about 3 months. The waiting time to get Bob was probably 8-10 months. The long pole in the tent was the metal sculpting and re-stocking. That was about 18 months in total. Gun was a very simple ugly Savage Fox 20 gauge with the uncapped pistol grip and the blocky late style forearm. I had no reservations about turning it into a custom gun because it was ugly to say the least. Lots and lots of metal shaping on the gun. Balances on the hingepin and because I like a bit more to grab onto, it has a semi-beavertail forearm.

PS. I came up with the original pattern for the engraving. Bob tweaked (because he's a lot smarter then I am on these things) and sent me some sketches. I then tweaked a few things mostly on the fences and then he took it from there. He's really easy to work with and a super guy for sure.

[tom tutwiler]

Tom the sculpting of the action and engraving are magnificent.

Thanks Steve. That sculpting design was pretty much home grown by me using my imagination along with some graph and tracing paper. I had had another custom gun done (12 gauge Fox Sterly) that I call the Abby Gun named after my dearly departed Golden Retriever. That gun had quite a bit of shaping but nothing like this. I wanted something totally unique as compared to other Fox customs out there. Dan took my ideas and put the file to metal as they say. I was a bit concerned that it might be too radical in design, but Bob's engraving pulled it together to the point that I think it looks pretty nice.

Still deciding on the french grey or to keep it case colored. I think it will look really good either way. This thing is a tiny receiver. Fox 20's were little anyway and a bunch of metal was removed during the shaping. Gun weighs less then 6 lbs and a lot of that is due to the extremely dense Circassian walnut we used.

[Eric Eis]

Still deciding on the french grey or to keep it case colored. I think it will look really good either way. This thing is a tiny receiver. Fox 20's were little anyway and a bunch of metal was removed during the shaping. Gun weighs less then 6 lbs and a lot of that is due to the extremely dense Circassian walnut we used.

I might lean toward French grey (I know that's what Bob would tell you) you will lose quite a bit of detail if you case color, no way around that and since it is a custom gun you don't have to worry about what the traditional finish should be. So keep the beautiful engraving for all to see and do French gray

[Steve Cambria]

Beautiful, Tom!! Very tastefully done. I too, would vote for the French Grey.
Those partridge should fold out of sheer reverence for that Fox!!

[David Weber]

Awesome!

[Chris Travinski]

I like a case color finish when it's half worn off. Case color it, then use the hell out of it!!

[ken larson]

WOW when I grow up,,,,,,,Im gonna have a gun like that,,,,,,,,,,,,what a work of art!!!!!!

[ForrestArmstrong]

Bob Strosin does phenomenal work, quickly and at reasonable cost. He is now working on another unfinished Parker repro, this time tight scroll & rosette, his design, similar to some English and AAHE patterns, but leaving it to his discretion.