Fell off the Wagon!

[Mark Ray]

Although I pledged to myself that this year would be about completing gun projects and gun maintenance, and that I would refrain from buying any guns this year...I have already strayed.

Picked up this very cute little Philly Fox Sterlingworth 20, 26" original barrels, the gun turned out to be very nice...bored almost perfect, choked IC/M, nice high dimensions, especially for a Fox, 3 weight barrels. the gun weighs a hair over 5 1/2 lbs.

These are sellers pics, will provide more when I can get around to it...gun much better in person...quite a bit of case color remaining...

Happy with this one!

[Mills Morrison]

Like W C Fields said, giving up drinking is easy. I've done it a thousand times.

[Ken Hill]

The only way you are going to stop buying guns is to quit looking at guns for sale. There is always a good looking deal somewhere!

Ken

[Dean Romig]

Mark - I sent you a PM.





.

[James L. Martin]

had many sterlingworths over the years, have 2 now ,hard to beat for the money.

[Eric Eis]

Mark,
You made almost 3 months, that's pretty damn good...........:rotf::rotf:

[Mark Ray]

Mark,
You made almost 3 months, that's pretty damn good...........:rotf::rotf:

Yeah well...the day after I bought this gun, I bought a VH 12 with an aftermarket beavertail forearm, that a friend decided to test and see how much she could reduce the price, and MAKE me buy the damn gun....

I have a feeling that gun will be on the "for sale" section soon!

[frank aloia]

frank aloia

[Rich Anderson]

I have stayed away from the web sites and so far so good........if I can make it through the Southern I'm golden:whistle:

[frank aloia]

frank aloia

[Craig Larter]

The 20ga Sterlingworth is the best buy in vintage American small bore SXS's in my opinion. If you keep your nose to the ground high condition examples with ejectors are available for under 2K and most weight under 6 lbs. A similar condition VHE would set you back $4K or more.

[Mills Morrison]

They are pretty dang nice. I have one that is my go to wood duck gun. It is full and full. I need an upland choked one

[CraigThompson]

A year or so ago I sold a first year production Sterlingworth 20 that was also factory original 26” . I bought it at what I thought was a very inexpensive price four or five years ago and when I sold it on GB I made a nice profit . I liked the little gun and did very well with it on the skeet field and in the dove field . But as you mention this configuration is rather LIGHT and unless you have your head in the game it can be very whippy . I have another 20 Sterlingworth with 28” that is a bit easier to shoot well even though it’s choked M/F and the 26” was IC/M .

[Mills Morrison]

Mine is 28 inches. Foxes and Parkers complement each other well.

[Rich Anderson]

I have a very early AE 20 with 30 inch barrels. The card says the ejectors are "experimental". Like the Sterlingworth I bet it tips the scale at 6lbs +/-. I have come to the Fox's a bit late in the game:whistle:

[Mark Ray]

I kind of started with Foxes when I had my custom Sterly 16 built. Still a very pretty gun that I shoot well, and just 6 lbs with 30” barrels. My collecting has now been focused on Parkers, although I also have been trying to fill in representitve examples of each gauge gun from the other “majors” Smith, Ithaca, Fox, Baker and LeFever.

This little sterly feels great, and I think I will like it on flushing birds, quail, snipe etc. i have quite a collection of small bore 24” and 26” guns, as I prefer those for flushing and snap shooting.

I love the compactness and simplicity of the Fox guns, and the durability. You seldom see a fox that has been shot out of its stock.

[Dean Romig]

The 20ga Sterlingworth is the best buy in vintage American small bore SXS's in my opinion. If you keep your nose to the ground high condition examples with ejectors are available for under 2K and most weight under 6 lbs.



I find that very hard to believe - unless a very seriously uninformed seller finds himself in dire need of cash.

Sorry Craig, we disagree on this issue.





.

[Mark Ray]

First I will say that I am immune to the allure of ejector guns, as I prefer extractors. Most of the ejector guns I own have had the shell chuckers disabled. I keep a 12 ga O/U, and an LC Smith 12, Ideal grade, SST With the ejectors working so I have guns to shoot flurries in competitions.

I will readily admit that I am a bargain hunter, and at times, that is my demise...but, often, it is not. This is a really nice 26” Sterly, and I paid around $900 for it, shipped! That being said, I have looked for one for a bargain price for about 10 years.

The seller was a pawn shop, and naive about what they had.

[CraigThompson]

Mine is 28 inches. Foxes and Parkers complement each other well.

At the moment one VHE 28" and a Sterlingworth 28" a month or two ago I had a Smith Field grade ejector that was also 28" but that one stayed with me maybe 2 weeks and I never fired it before it left the house .

[CraigThompson]

First I will say that I am immune to the allure of ejector guns, as I prefer extractors.

Won't say I'm immune as a matter of fact up until the last 10 or so years I liked the idea of ejector guns . ESPECIALLY on grouse and or dove guns (thinking I needed to be able to reload a lot quicker don't you know LOL's) . Now speed in reloading is not quite as important to me as being able to hang on to the empties . 10 and 16 gauge hulls are hard enough to get so I darn sure don't wanna throw them on the ground and possibly loose them or forget to pick them up .

When I first played the skeet and trap games I was saving every hull I shot regardless of how many times I'd shot it . Later in my competitive career I took great joy in cracking my K-32 open and watching the hulls fly regardless of whether they'd been reloaded ten times or were factory new :rotf:

[CraigThompson]

This little sterly feels great, and I think I will like it on flushing birds, quail, snipe etc. i have quite a collection of small bore 24” and 26” guns, as I prefer those for flushing and snap shooting.


I'm with you in the short barrel bird choked guns or atleast what was referred to as bird chokes when we were all young IC/M .

Now what I'd really really really like are Parker EH 10's with factory original 24" and 26" barrels !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :whistle:

OMG I need to excuse myself I was thinking about EH 10's with those short barrels and REALLY got excited LOL's !

[Rich Anderson]

I may have found my 410 hammer gun. There is an Army & Navy with 30 inch barrels available:eek:

[Mark Ray]

I may have found my 410 hammer gun. There is an Army & Navy with 30 inch barrels available:eek:

go get it!

[Rich Anderson]

I await the return call as the seller is out of town.

[Mark Ray]

Won't say I'm immune as a matter of fact up until the last 10 or so years I liked the idea of ejector guns . ESPECIALLY on grouse and or dove guns (thinking I needed to be able to reload a lot quicker don't you know LOL's) . Now speed in reloading is not quite as important to me as being able to hang on to the empties . 10 and 16 gauge hulls are hard enough to get so I darn sure don't wanna throw them on the ground and possibly loose them or forget to pick them up .

When I first played the skeet and trap games I was saving every hull I shot regardless of how many times I'd shot it . Later in my competitive career I took great joy in cracking my K-32 open and watching the hulls fly regardless of whether they'd been reloaded ten times or were factory new :rotf:

I came by my disdain of ejector guns honestly. My Dad reloaded religiously. He would dole out shells to my brother and I at the start of any hunt....dove ducks or quail, generally a box of 25 at a time. At the end of the hunt, we were expected to return as many empties as we shot. If the count was off, off we would be sent to look for the missing hull, although it was acceptable in those cases to return any spent shell. Cows had a thing for trying to eat those paper hulls for some reason, and on top of that, my Dad would try and get as many loadings of those old Alcan paper hulls as possible!

[Daryl Corona]

The 20ga Sterlingworth is the best buy in vintage American small bore SXS's in my opinion. If you keep your nose to the ground high condition examples with ejectors are available for under 2K and most weight under 6 lbs. A similar condition VHE would set you back $4K or more.


Be very, very quiet my friend about the smallbore Foxes. They are the best handling smallbores I have ever shot and their prices have'nt caught up with Parkers........yet!:nono:

[Randy G Roberts]

I may have found my 410 hammer gun. There is an Army & Navy with 30 inch barrels available:eek:

You are cracking me up Brother. Earlier in this thread you were staying away from the websites and if you could just make it through the Southern you were golden. You are a real Rock. Thank goodness I'm not weak like that.:rotf:

[Mark Ray]

You are cracking me up Brother. Earlier in this thread you were staying away from the websites and if you could just make it through the Southern you were golden. You are a real Rock. Thank goodness I'm not weak like that.:rotf:

I think I need an intervention.

[Rich Anderson]

I'll admit that I'm WEAK and I NEED an intervention. I have failed the 12 step program so many times I'm not even allowed to participate anymore. BUT a 30 inch barreled 410 hammer gun is akin to a 32 inch 20:whistle: besides it's not that expensive compared to a $50K Purdey:shock::shock:

The only other gun that might be of interest is a DH/DHE Damascus 20 simply because I have a couple of GH/GHE's and a CHE.

[Mills Morrison]

My current big interest is remodeling the gun room. Better display, convenient cleaning station and good place to sit are part of the developing plan.

[Jerry VanHorn]

Mills. You might recall that I'm in the process of a similar remodel..when I mentioned the new..(to me) gun cabinet that I bought. It was delivered yesterday. 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Made in 2 pieces..bottom part was not bad.. Top part..not so easy. Had to get the neighbor and another friend to unload it in the garage. Then I thought.."how in the hell am I going to get this upstairs ?". I called one of those 2 Men and a Truck guys..and they are going to come move it. My wife had.."No Comment !"

[Mills Morrison]

Mine will be happy as the current situation is a real mess

[Brett Hoop]

COB

There is a small pool that was started among your beloved friends as soon as you said "I'm Golden....."
Except every one of us took the under.

[Mark Ray]

Mills. You might recall that I'm in the process of a similar remodel..when I mentioned the new..(to me) gun cabinet that I bought. It was delivered yesterday. 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Made in 2 pieces..bottom part was not bad.. Top part..not so easy. Had to get the neighbor and another friend to unload it in the garage. Then I thought.."how in the hell am I going to get this upstairs ?". I called one of those 2 Men and a Truck guys..and they are going to come move it. My wife had.."No Comment !"

Did exactly the same thing 2 months ago, but waited til Robin was outof town!

[Mills Morrison]

Very nice. My goal is volume to hold the ones I have with some "growing room."

[Mark Ray]

This is the volume cabinet...holds guns in two rows

[Mills Morrison]

That is nice.

[Mark Ray]

that cabinet is really helpful as it holds 30 guns.

[Reggie Bishop]

I wish I could find a cabinet like both those! Very nice.

[Craig Larter]

I like guns displayed vertical with a light background. Here is my Parker wall. I have a Fox wall, a Super Fox wall and Elsie wall. Works for me. Parkers from top to bottom, DHE 12ga 3 frame 30, DH 10ga 3 frame 30 with fishtail, CHE 12ga 3 frame 32 Damascus, CH 10ga 3 frame 30 Bernard, BH 12ga 2 frame 30, AH 10ga 3 frame 32 Damascus, DH 20ga 0 frame 26.

[Russell E. Cleary]

Craig: Very impressive. Organized display categories. Systematic. The vintage sporting art.

And, my imagination runs wild with what you could do with an octagonal house.

[Rich Anderson]

It's nice to be able to display our guns in this manner but in today's environment I feel much better with mine in a safe. Not a good way to view them and the one I want is usually in the back but safe from prying eyes and unwanted guests.

[Mark Ray]

I have a safe, but dont keep guns in there...just jewelry precious metals coins and important papers. I need my guns where I can see them....putting them in a safe is like putting artwork in a safe.

[Rich Anderson]

I need my guns where I can see them....putting them in a safe is like putting artwork in a safe.

Until someone breaks in and steals them or you have a fire. I just visited mine in their respective safes.:rotf:

[Mark Ray]

I am in the insurance bussness..and have personally seen about five gunsafes opened up after a bad fire. Two of them had started out on the second floor, but ended up upside down, or on their side, on the bottom floor, both full of ruined guns. Some when opened, had all the wood finishes ruined, and some plastic stuff melted. And at least a couple of times, the safe did its job.

On another occasion just last year, a friend and client of mine who collects model 21's was the subject of a home invasion, in the middle of the day, by guys posing as UPS delivery guys. They were there for the guns, and he had about forty on display, but another 100 or so in a very large walk in safe. the held a gun on his wife while screaming at my friend to open the safe, which had a very complicated combination. Unable to think under the stress, he was having a difficult time opening the safe while these guys were pistol whipping him, and threatening to kill his wife . About that time they alarm siren in the house went off, as the maid, who the intruders were unaware of pushed the panic button. The robbers gathered up armfuls of the 21's on display and whatever elese they could grab and left.

Don't really know why I am telling this story, but I really think it is each to his own how to protect your guns. Again, We have at least the dame amount of investment in artwork hanging on our walls as I have in guns. I own them to look at and shoot, and handle, not to hoard.

All that being said, if I was concerned about the investment value of my collection, they would be living in the vault at my bank.

[Mark Ray]

PS...I DO have a safe at the ranch, and during hunting season it is chock full of rifles and shotguns, and I get in a cussing match with myself every time at Dark Thirty in the morning when the gun/guns I need are at the back of the safe!

[Rich Anderson]

To each his own but I feel better with them in a safe. No one is going to come by in the middle of the day and see a gun cabinet or a rack on the wall full of guns and be able to plan the robbery.

[Mills Morrison]

My security measure is buying beaters that a thief looks at and keeps on walking.

Seriously I eventually want a walk in vault with display.

Uncle Hugh had the coolest gun room at his Plantation. I remember several LC Smiths and probably the Parker he won on his skeet shooting competitions. Someone broke in and stole the whole thing, so the threat is real

[Craig Larter]

Life is full of risks, I just buy insurance against loss and enjoy my guns in full view. Most of my friends keep their gun collection locked away which is fine but not my deal.

[Dave Noreen]

I finally, after more than a dozen years, got around to getting a five-gun rack to install over my .348 Win. ammo collection, to display my Model 71s.

70872

[Rich Anderson]

Insurance is great but try to replace that lost Parker, Fox or Winchester even if you get full value from the insurance company. How many 16ga lifters or graded small bores are available?

[Mills Morrison]

Found this and thought of you guys

[Mark Ray]

I need to buy that book, grind it up, and eat it by the spoonfull

[Rich Anderson]

I wrote the book....it's all lies I say lies,lies,lies:rotf:.
I'm doing good it's almost mid March and the bank account is intact:shock:

[Eric Eis]

I wrote the book....it's all lies I say lies,lies,lies:rotf:.
I'm doing good it's almost mid March and the bank account is intact:shock:

The only reason it's intact is because you haven't picked up the 410 hammer gun :rotf::rotf:

[Randy G Roberts]

Found this and thought of you guys

Bring it to the Southern. We can have a ceremonial burning, that's as close as I need/want to get to that book :)

[Mills Morrison]

I need and want this book but am afraid it is a lost cause.


Good news is got UPS notification and Rock Island packages are arriving a day early (today). Also have a Fox supposed to be coming later this week. It's a project, but that is standard for me. After Julia dragged me to Lowes with a massive hangover from my friend's wedding, I thought I earned it.

[Rich Anderson]

Keep thinking Mills sounds like your on the right path.....where to I'm not sure of however:rotf:

[Kenny Graft]

Well times are not as good as they were just a few years back in the gun shop. Amazon, our great Trump, box stores, internet cut throtes and so on. The gun biz is soft in general too,,, )-: BUT Its a good time to buy....(-: I bought a DHE-16 1 frame, 6lbs-9oz, DT SG SF for 3250.00 Still has its skeleton but plate and modern dimensions that I like! Did need some work so its at Delgrego's shop as I type getting all dolled up for grouse season this fall. Add about 6-800.00 $ it will be good as new and I will be happy with her. That was the cheap one, made a deal and bought the CE-16 that Steve Barnett has had for some time and its at the stocker for both hunks of English wood! Love that C engraving!!! Good guns, great dogs and sweet whiskey, life is good!..............SXS Ohio

[Mills Morrison]

Dang that is a nice C grade

[Reggie Bishop]

There is a 20 just like it too! And we all know 20s are the best!!

[Kenny Graft]

I thought so too...it needed restocked to be really nice is why it languished unsold, the Numbers had to work and they did,,, (-: SXS ohio