A wee Fox...

[Phil Yearout]

I have been casually looking for a 20ga A grade to match up to my 16; this'n c. 1914 surfaced and though it has 26" barrels and I'd have preferred 28" I couldn't walk away (and I did try!) given the scarcity overall, and sellers that typically seemed to be pretty proud of them :eek:.

This one was in my wheel house price-wise; just a shooter early A with snap-on forearm, F/M, and an easy-carrying 5lbs.13oz.. Great barrels, metal is good with no colors left but I've been told by folks who know a lot more than I that the colors from that era often disappeared pretty quickly. Has a couple of wood issues; I plan to try to get out with it a few times before season's end and then send it to Mark Larson to work his magic.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/prairieschooner/Hunting/A2020_zpsnyp4ipsr.jpg

[Rich Anderson]

Congrats, a nice Fox.

[Daryl Corona]

To me, a smallbore anything is nice. A 20 ga. Fox is very special.:bowdown:

[Angel Cruz]

Nice Fox. I also want a 20 ga.

[Dave Noreen]

Gotta love those early smallbores!!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Actually, I believe that your gun would be a "late" style, with that engraving pattern. The "early" A's had simple line engraving, like a VH Parker. You do have the early snap on forearm. I also have a 26" Fox A grade and a 28" A grade 16 from around 1916. The engraving style on our guns began around 1913. Great little guns

[tom tutwiler]

I've got one of those as well in 16 gauge. Second generation engraving but snap on forearm. Can't believe there were too many like that out there.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Both my A's have the latch type fore arms

[tom tutwiler]

Both my A's have the latch type fore arms
All 12 gauge Graded Foxes have the latch on forearm. Just the earliest small bores had the snap on forearm. I at one point had the 33rd 16 gauge A grade made and it had a snap on forearm and the early engraving pattern. My later A grade 16 gauge (320th made) had the snap on forearm and the second generation engraving.

[Dave Noreen]

By "early" I meant it still had the snap-on/-off forearm.

The graded smallbores generally had the snap-on/-off forearm from their introduction into about 1915/16. My 1913 vintage A-Grade --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/A%20H%20Fox%20Gun%20Co/191320-gaA-Gradeforearm.jpg

CE-Grade 200109 --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/A%20H%20Fox%20Gun%20Co/FoxCE20gaEnglish013.jpg

Nothing of course is absolute, as 200002 has the Deeley forearm --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/A%20H%20Fox%20Gun%20Co/A%20H%20%20Fox%20Gun%20Co%20Early%20Smallbores/200002%20forearm_zpszfo6gepe.jpg

From my observations the Fox & Kremer or F.T. Russell style snap-on/-off forearm was generally used on the 20-gauges up to near 200600 and the Deeley was firmly in use by 200700. The engraving had firmly gone to the Gough style by 200300.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Very interesting, My 20 A is #201156, and the 16 A is #300640.

[Phil Yearout]

This'n is 2003XX; 2nd generation (late) engraving, early snap-on forearm. You say tomato, I say tah-mahto...

My A grade 16 is 3018XX; much deeper 2nd gen engraving and Deeley latch.