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ANSLEY H. FOX
by
JOHN N. DAVIS
When you think of famous “Parker” shooters, one name that does not come to mind is that of Ansley H. Fox. In Michael McIntosh’s definitive work, A. H. Fox, “The Finest Gun in the World”, he writes:
“Certainly, competition was fierce in the firearms industry. Parker was riding high, dominating the market, its factory reportedly working double shifts. A great many of the best professional trapshooters - such luminaries as James A. R. Elliott, Rolla Heikes, and Fred Gilbert - used Parker guns, and Parker made the most of that in its advertising. Ironically, even Ansley Fox would shoot a Parker in at least one major tournament.”
One can only assume from this statement that A. H. Fox may have shot a Parker but it certainly was not considered his mainstay.
McIntosh goes on to tell the story of Fox’s world record accomplishment at double targets.
“On Tuesday, May 15, he [Fox] was shooting Targets at Monumental Park in Baltimore, at a tournament sponsored by the Standard Gun Club. Someone observed that shooting doubles was the most difficult test of a gunner’s skill and offered a bet that Ansley Fox couldn’t break forty-three out of twenty-five pair.
No one had ever shot that well at double targets, and when Ansley Fox went out to settle his wager late that afternoon, the consensus was that he wouldn’t, either. Odds in the side-betting instantly ran into double digits. What happened next made headline copy in newspapers and sporting journals over half the country. A Baltimore daily, reporting with the breathlessness of a dime novel, had this to say:
The first ten were ground up to powder without a miss, and, after a few minutes’ rest, he started on the second string of ten. When this ten had been completed the score showed not a miss, and when, after the third ten had been shot and still not a miss, the shooters present began to realize that something out of the ordinary was going on. The fourth string of ten was shot, and when this string ended with the score still clean, excitement ran high. All eyes were now turned upon the young Baltimorean, who seemed to be the coolest man in the crowd. With unerring aim, and with quickness that was simply wonderful, the last ten were broken, and with it the world’s record for double target shooting. After many congratulations, Mr. Fox’s friends asked him to shoot at fifty more birds to see what he could run his already phenomenal score up to. He then broke forty-eight out of his next fifty doubles, which score beats the best record ever made by any other shooter. The grand total of 98 out of 100 birds, double style shooting, has never been equaled in Europe or America.”
But what of the gun Mr. Fox was shooting when he ran up this most remarkable score? The gun that he used in what most certainly must be considered the best shooting of his life?
Perhaps the American Field magazine can help to shed some light on this question.
American Field, May 26, 1900, “Mr. A. H. Fox of Baltimore, Md., on May 15, at Monumental Park, on a wager that he could score 45 targets out of 25 pairs, made the phenomenal score of 50 straight, the world’s record on pairs. At the request of friends Mr. Fox continued shooting, and in the next 25 pairs scored 48, making a grand total of 98 out of 50 pairs. Mr. Fox uses a Parker gun and E. C. powder in Winchester Leader shells, factory loaded.”
Mr. McIntosh goes on to write:
“Ansley Fox was on a roll. The following week, on May 23, he broke 152 of 165 targets in an Interstate Association shoot at Richmond, Virginia, losing high-gun honors by a single clay. Early in June, at a tournament that was part of the Maryland Sportsmen’s Show at Electric Park in Baltimore, he won the show championship, the Maryland state championship, and the high-average trophy, with ninety-six percent.”
Once again Mr. McIntosh makes no mention as to the make of gun Ansley H. Fox was shooting during this exceptional time in his career. And once again we must turn to the American Field for the answer.
American Field, June 9, 1900, “Ansley H. Fox, who shoots under the name of ‘Winchester,’ covered himself with glory at the finals of the Sportsman’s Show shooting tournament, at Baltimore, Md., on May 26. In the 100-bird race, two days before, Fox and Malone tied for high honors and the beautiful silver championship cup, each scoring 96 out of the possible 100 clay targets. The tie was shot off on May 25, Fox winning on the score of 48 to 47 out of 50. The cup Fox won was donated by President Fenneman, of the Electric Park Company. It is valued at $100, and represents the Sportsmen’s Show championship as well as the state championship. After the big race was over the shooters shot for the merchandise prizes, the winners being Fox, Maolone, Lupus and Du Pont. Mr. Fox used a Parker gun and E. C. powder, factory loaded in Winchester Leader cases.”
If the foregoing articles from the American Field are not enough to satisfy even the most skeptical of readers as to the make of gun Ansley H. Fox was shooting at the very pinnacle of his career, perhaps we should hear it from the man himself.
American Field, September 29, 1900, “In view of the recent interest shown in the matter, I beg to say that I have referred to my score book and find that my score of 98 out of 100 targets, shooting at 50 pairs, was made with Winchester Leader shells, a Parker gun and E. C. powder. Pensacola, Fla., Ansley H. Fox.”
By August of 1900, Fox was shooting for Winchester and had laid his trusty Parker shotgun aside.
American Field, August 11, 1900, “Mr. Ansley H. Fox of Baltimore, Md., one of the best trap shots in that state, has just closed a contract with the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven , Conn., and will henceforth travel in the interest of that company. Mr. Fox holds the world’s record on doubles, having broken 98 out of 100, and the record for Maryland on singles.”
Although the Winchester would now be Fox’s gun of “choice” and he would later become famous for the gun which would bear his name, it should always be remembered that it was a Parker with which Ansley H. Fox did his very finest shooting.
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06-16-2011, 12:40 PM
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