Fox flat side
 

I seem to recall there was a late production Fox shotgun made with flat sides, without the pointed milling. Does anyone know what model that was? If you own one, could you post a picture?
Jeff

There are pictures and discussions of that model on the Fox Collectors Association website and forum.

The gun was called an SPE Skeet & Upland special.
- Brett

Savage introduced the flat-sided black gun-metal finished SP-/SPE-Grade in the summer of 1932.

Attachment 110689

By 1935 Savage added a Skeet & Upland Game Gun version with some scroll engraving on the frame and barrels --

Attachment 110690

As things were approaching the end, Savage used up some of the SP frames to make Fox-Sterlingworths --

Attachment 110691

Here is one--

The early SP-/SPE-Grades were absolutely plain. A 12-gauge --

Attachment 110693

A 16-gauge --

Attachment 110694

After a while Savage added a bit of border engraving and flourishes to the SP-/SPE-Grades. A 12-gauge --

Attachment 110695

A 16-gauge --

Attachment 110696

As things were approaching the end, Savage used up some of the SP frames to make Fox-Sterlingworths --

Attachment 110691[/QUOTE]

These are the ones I was thinking of...the color hardened guns made on the SP frames.

In 12-gauges the thirteen Fox-Sterlingworths I've recorded from 132649 to 132927 are 30-inch barrel on the flat-sided frame. Three from 137963 to 138010 are 28-inch barrel Fox-Sterlingworths on the flat-sided SP-Frame. I've recorded one 26-inch barrel SP-frame Fox-Sterlingworth 161319.

In 16-gauge the five Fox-Sterlingworths I've recorded from 376996 to 377119 are 28-inch barrel guns on the flat-side SP-frames.

Haven't seen one in 20-gauge yet.

In addition, I've seen one or two very late "executive" guns made on the SP-Frame that were color case hardened.

Dave, exactly what are the Executive guns made on the SP frame and case colored? How are they different from the flat sided case colored Sterlingworths that you pictured?

Better wood & checkering and varying amounts of better than Fox-Sterlingworth engraving.

I once owned a 16 Ga SPR That is a sp grade with a Factory Vent Rib They were rare in the 12 ga, but it seems this was the only 16 ever made. It was very minty!

They may be collectible, but to me a Fox without the sculpted side panels is simply wrong; it just looks like what it probably was: a way to build 'em cheaper. Those panels are part of what make a Fox a Fox and without 'em they just look like some cheap ol' shotgun. I'd have no interest in owning one :duck:.

Savage introduced a vent ribbed double called the Trap-Grade in 1932. It is listed on the 1932, 1933 & 1934 Retail Price Lists, but is not in the retail catalogs. The Trap Grade is pictured in the 1932 Wholesale Price List --

Attachment 110908

and 1933 Wholesale Price List --

Attachment 110909

and the Trap Gun folder --

Attachment 110910

The Trap Grade is not in the 1934 Wholesale Price List.

In the 1935 Retail catalog they inserted text about the double Trap Grade
below the SBTs --

Attachment 110912

The same text is in the 1836 Retail Catalog.

Both the Trap Grade and the SPR Grade appear on the 1936 Retail Price List.

Attachment 110913

The only piece of Fox paper I've seen that pictures the SPR-Grade is the 1936 Wholesale Price List --

Attachment 110911

Both the Trap Grade and the SPR-Grade have the regular profiled Fox frame, not the flat-side. Neither appear in any Fox paper I've seen after 1936.

Some of the double trap guns I have seen in the graded models had the very large forend wood.This had a scnable forend and was much larger than the Parker forend.

Yes the only one I have ever seen was exhibited a number of years ago by Tom Wyraz (Fox River Sporting) at Ernie Hausmann's. It was a true trap configuration and had the vent rib and I believe a Monte Carlo stock. As Jim says the forend was significantly larger than a Parker trap BTFE, but somehow the sculpting along the sides and the nose of the Schnable forend on the Fox gave a much more elegant and streamlined air to the lines of the gun, less "clubby" than the Parker BTFE design.

I have a friend that has a late model X E Trap with the large forend, It looks new and he believes it was never fired since it left the factory. Quite a gun I forget what pad it had, but as I remember it had a pad, Kautsky single trigger Vent rib monte carlo stock. A very nice example of a later Fox!

The S P R 16 that I had was from the Meyer Ponteprino Collection, he was a early Fox collector from the 50's and 60's. The guns were found in one of his Duesenbergs in the trunk. The F was wonderful and there were quite a few more. We sold all of these to various collectors including a M Grade single and a consecutive pair of L grade singles. The S P R was nicely engraved, and is now in a private collection!

Jim let us display that SPR-Grade on our A.H. Fox Collector Association tables at Las Vegas one year when we featured Savage era clay target guns. Can't believe I didn't take a picture of it!!

I sold that SPR16 at the Las Vegas Show 12 or 13 years ago. It had the nice engraving and all the options. I would love to have it back. We were about to close the store, and I sold way too many personal treasures! That inludes my early A! Special. If you remember my wife"who later passed away" was very ill. And the guns were of little use at that time!