AH Fox “A” ?
 

Just picked up a Fox today that’s marked as an A on the water table and was made in 1910 but the engraving and checkering are not commensurate with an A or B for that matter . It is a bit roughish .

The thing is a 12 and 30” tight and tight . Has a rather hard Jostam pad and the finial is missing from the forend . Also as you can see in the pics the head of the stock is pinned . Inside the barrels are spotless and they ring true .

Looks like maybe a D

I would get a card from the A H Fox collectors. Very interesting

I am going to guess that is an upgraded Fox.

A nice looking gun that was probably reengraved post-factory. The dogs do have similarities to those on factory guns and possibly one of Fox's contract engravers did it as a moonlight project.

The grip shape and the checkering looks like the patterns found on some of the highest grade Ithaca Flues Model doubles and SBTs.

Hopefully the serial number is high enough that a production card exists. Some strange and unusual stuff was done at North 18th Street & Windrim Avenue. Like the "Joshua Green" guns, 30-inch, 20-gauges, that card as AE-Specials --

Attachment 78126

Attachment 78127

Made for a number of Seattle high rollers.

I’m sure if 1st Sargent Mostellar was still with us he’d get a kick out of this one ! I always enjoyed when he visited me at the shop !!

My thoughts are also a custom gun. Done a long time ago by the looks of it.
It is an attractive gun and very well done. It just started as an A grade and went from there.

The major thing about the engraving that does not look like anything that would have come out of the factory is the work crossing over the trigger plate and the frame vs. using borders to define the different parts.

And the grip and checkering looks to be i spired by Lefever, Ithaca and maybe a touch of a few others too.

Interesting find. A card request with the Fox group would tell you the story for sure.

The fellow that sold me that gun said he was originally from the Baton Rouge area and his grandfather owned etc etc . I don’t think they bought it new however . Anyway this fellow moved to VA he claimed 40+ years ago . Evidently his predecessors used it rather heavily in the Louisiana bayou :cool:

Verry neat gun Craig.

I just hope I didn't make a mistake :rotf:

It's a Fox. You didn't :).

Please share the card information with us. Who would bother to include the Ansley Fox banner in the engraving? Could be a Becker gun, but the card won't be any help to identify that possibility.

I’m contemplating original cash outlay and fixer upper costs :eek:

I looked on their website and I see nothing about getting a letter or card . I assume you have to be a paid in full member to avail yourself to these services ?

Some more visual effects :rolleyes:

And ,

Look at those dogs... this Fox is looking more and more like a high grade Ithaca with each new picture.





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That thing was allowed to get crusty. A shame.

Yes my thoughts as well .

Oh; just saw the later pics. I see what you mean:shock:

The stock was a skoosh loose . I’ve fixed that . The lever is a bit left and slightly bent , those two problems hopefully will be solved next week . The barrels might be reblued after the first of the year . And I’ll send the forend to a friend to take care the finial . The pad bothers me , I like the old Jostam pads but kinda hard to find in usable condition anymore . Both my guys here refuse to use Hawkins pads and to honest I never liked the look of them anyway . Might just get a Pachmayer Decelerator Old English until I come up with a better idea .

What is the SN of this gun?

10,xxx

"10,xxx"...... must be a typo.





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Nope exactly what I typed .

I got lost - thinking Parker serial numbers... sorry Craig.





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Traces of the original A grade engraving can be seen on the forend latch.
10,000 would be an early gun. When the A grades had the fine and sparse engraving.

It would pay you to become a member of the A.H. Fox Collectors Association; annual membership is only $30 and gets you one free factory card lookup per calendar year. If you joined that would get you a card on this gun free and answer many questions, since ancillary information on the details of the gun are frequently noted on the card. As a member, you would also qualify for succeeding card lookups at a nominal fee after your yearly "freebie", as well as receive the quarterly newsletter. This would answer many questions about the authenticity of this gun. It might also encourage you to reconsider restoration efforts (e.g., rebluing, etc.) in the event the factory card shows it to be a potentially rare, custom-ordered gun.

Craig, you were probably very close to getting a free Fox Collectors appraisal, but...

I did and already asked for whatever info is available on the old beater . Might have to do the same on my Robert Montgomery 20 gauge Sterlingworth . Robert Montgomery was about a B grade actor from the 20’s and 30’s , his biggest claim to fame was being Elizabeth Montgomery’s father . She was the actor that played the witch on the TV series “Bewitched” .

Hmmm doesn’t bring much light on the subject .

Methinks it was restocked. Using a yardstick I got 1 1/2” and 2 1/4” .

My unfounded opinion on this gun is that some well off sport bought it new and later wanted it embellished . I also believe the sport hunted in AR , MS or LA for waterfowl the guns 30” F&F . I also believe at some point the sport gave it to someone possibly the guy I got it from’s grandfather . I doubt that this guys grandfather bought it based on the fact that I asked the fellow how he ended up in Virginia and he told me he had moved here looking for work . “Generally” all the well heeled folks I know or have met from the Deep South didn’t move for work . Anyway that’s just my opinion .

I hope somehow we find out about the upgrade - especially, to me anyhow, about the engraving.






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The bummer in all this is that the gun seems to fit me well . And if I shoot it better then my normal uhm VH 12’s I’m gonna be PO’d :rotf:

I still think there's a big question about the Ansley Fox in a banner. Definitely points to a factory or factory employee engraving job.

Removed the stock today and of course got the screw out the head . I think the wood will head to Danny Patton and see if he can perform ANOTHER miracle . Get the head oil free and glued , put on a pad and fill in the finial . My gunsmith buddy can get the lever back over in a more right of center position . It also has a slight bend which he seems to think he can work out as well . Think I’ll get him to do a rust blue on the barrels . After he’s finished with the top lever I’ll see if I can’t get the exterior of the action cleaned up relatively well . I was hoping when I got the Jostam off I’d find something written beneath but no cigar same under the grip cap . So far nothing :banghead: SF

Good plan