Fox flat side

[Jim Thynne]

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!

[Phil Yearout]

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 .

[Researcher]

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 --

Fox Trap Grade, January 25, 1932 Wholesale Price List.jpg

and 1933 Wholesale Price List --

Fox Trap Grade 1933.jpg

and the Trap Gun folder --

1933 Trap Guns folder inside.jpg

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 --

1935 Retail Catalog Trap Grade.jpg

The same text is in the 1836 Retail Catalog.

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

February 10, 1936, Retail Price List.jpg

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

SPR-Grade Skeet & Upland Game Gun, 1936 wholesale.jpg

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.

[Jim Thynne]

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.

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Jim Thynne

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.

[Jim Thynne]

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!

[Jim Thynne]

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!

[Researcher]

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!!

[Jim Thynne]

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!