1934 Fox Sterlingworth
 

Well the Postman came today with my Birthday and Christmas Present (to myself) all rolled into one. A very nice all original 1934 16 Gauge Fox Sterlingworth, 26" Barrels, both bores factory .658. Right .008, left .014, you gotta love those chokes. I hate to wish my life away, but I cannot wait for bird season:rolleyes:

Very nice Steve. The sterlingworth is one of the best deals out there. Don't worry, bird season is just around the corner. You also don't see many 26" guns. Enjoy.

My goodness are you going to enjoy that gun. You and that little bird dog of yours are going to have a blast. Really nice condition on that gun for sure. One of the better one's I've seen and I've seen a bunch.

Steve - that is an especially nice Sterlingworth !

For those of us who spend our waking hours of bird season brush-busting after ruffed grouse, there is hardly a better gun for the task than a 16 on the light 20 frame.

That is the way we like to find them!!

Congrats!!

Wow, how nice!! I have 2 SW 16's. yours was made right in between my 2 by the serial #. A Deluxe with 28" barrels, and one that has had the barrels cut to 26.5"(not by me).
The New Hampshire grouse are in deep trouble now!

Wow very nice gun Steve. About time you started to think about using a side by side for hunting. :D

Steve I added a thumbs up last night. Very very nice Sterly. I have a comment on the choking. Of course the gun could have been special ordered with most any choking constriction but that 6 point delta between the barrels is atypical at least ime. You might double check to verify the constrictions and to see if both have a taper right out to the muzzle. Most Savage guns have a taper-parallel-taper profile and that can of course be read with a bore mike. Thus a parallel section at the muzzle indicates a choke has probably been opened and if done from the muzzle end the barrel(s) could shoot off. But whatever - as you know that's great upland/birding combo.

Frank, thanks for your concern on my gun. I have a bore gauge and was under the impression that the length of choke taper was the tell tale proof of originality, not the difference between the left and right constriction. Incidentally, both barrels taper for 3 1/8 inches and do so all the way to the muzzle ( skeet's bore gauge ). I am aware and have heard about Fox guns being bored "cylinder" and actually have .004-.007 thousandths constriction so perhaps that's what I have here. Yeah, I think this one is right as rain.

From the addition of the Sterlingworth to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogue in 1911 --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...thtext1911.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...icture1911.jpg

to the last Savage Arms Corp. Fox catalogue in 1942, the chokes given for the 26-inch barrel guns (Sterlingworth Brush) was cylinder right, modified left. That said, all of them in my collection have anywhere from .009" to .013" choke in the right barrel.

Congratulations you have a great upland gun in very fine condition. Mine which is about 300 numbers off of yours came to me in about the same condition about 15 years ago but being my go to informal clay target, quail and mountain grouse gun it is now starting to show some gentle use and a few honestly acquired dings and bruises. Once you start shooting your Fox it will soon become your favorite upland game gun.

That's the nicest Fox I have seen in a while---beautiful gun!!!!

Steve congrats on a nice find, a simply wonderful gun. As Daryl said bird season is right around the corner and some practice with it on the clays course will be beneficial. Some RST 2 1/2 7/8oz #8 and that choke constriction make a deadly combination for the King of the Uplands.

Very sweet Sterly Steve. Let's hope for a good bird year so you can put that nice gun to use!!!