Fox guns.

[Double Lab]

I'll start out by saying that I have been a Parker 20 ga. guy for 40+ years and love them dearly. That was until I bought my first Fox 20 ga., a Sterlingworth with 30" tubes. It ain't fancy but I shoot it as well if not better than any Parker 20 ga. I own and I have them from 26"-32", damascus and fluid steel.

So, this got me to thinking after shooting smallbore stuff almost exclusively at the Southern this year and this past weekend.

Fox 20 ga. guns are truly built on a scaled down frame. I compared the Fox 20/30" with a Parker VHE 28/30", OO frame. Both with pistol grips, splinter forends the only difference being ejectors on the Parker.

Here are the stats:

Parker
6.25 lb.
width of frame at standing breech 1.60"
length of frame 3.0"
weight of barrels/forend 3.25 lb., stock/receiver 3 lb.

Fox
6.0 lb.
width of frame at standing breech 1.60"
length of frame 2.27"
weight of barrels/forend 3.25 lb, stock/receiver 2.75 lb.

This just goes to show how well designed the Fox smallbore frames are to achieve their wonderful handling and balance. Anyone coming to Hausmann's is welcome to shoot the Fox at the Bo Whoop to see for yourself. Get rid of my Parkers, not quite yet. But certainly on the hunt for more Fox 20's.
The bottom line is the Fox, IMHO and that of a renowned gunsmith, is a better designed gun but the Parker is still dear to my heart.

[Researcher]

At the time the Ansley H. Fox Gun came on the market in 1905, Parker Bros. advertising was stating "135000 in sportsmen's hands." So, from then to the end during WW-II, Parker Bros./Remington produced about 107000 guns and A.H. Fox Gun Co./Savage produced about 190000. Looking at the numbers, the Fox edge was all in the entry-level guns. In 1910 the Sterlingworth was introduced at $25.00. A couple of years late Parker Bros. introduced the Trojan Grade at $25.50 but almost immediately upped the price to $27.50. Inflation associated with The Great War began raising prices and in 1916 the Sterlingworth went up to $30.00 and both guns were up to $55 after the war. Parker kept the quality and price high, eventually selling some 33,000 Trojans. A.H. Fox Gun Co. cut the price to $48.00 in 1922 and to $36.50 in 1926, a dollar less then Ithaca Gun Co.'s new Field Grade NID introduced that year. Fit and finish suffered but apparently the market favored the lower prices and about 141000 Sterlingworths were sold. While the Trojan was only offered in limited barrel lengths and never ejectors, the Sterlingworth was offered with all four barrel lengths in all three gauges and offered with ejectors and single selective triggers.