Chambers, Bores and Chokes of 31088 "Bo-Whoop"

[Stan Hillis]

I stated that the gun sat in it's broken state in a closet for 50 years, because that is how it was explained to me that day. There was another buttstock accompanying it. This one, which is not the original the gun was built with.







It may have been on BW when it was delivered to Jim Kelly for restocking, but that was not what was told to me. I will be visiting Jim in the near future, and will ask him if the gun was delivered to him broken, or with this other stock in place.

SRH

[Dean Romig]

More data on AH FOX # 31088 is shown here in a few of Austin Hogan’s chamber, bore, and choke graphs that are in my possssiin.


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[Researcher]

As 31088 was originally built for Nash, it was an HE-grade with XE stock and forearm and XE engraving.

31088 14 Production Card.jpg

Note that the card states, "Chamber 3" Shell for #4 Chilled Shot." Western Cartridge Co. didn't introduce the Lubaloy shot until two years after Bo Whoop was built. This is the shell 31088 would have been targeted with --

Super-X 12-gauge, 3-inch, RECORD, #4 Chilled 01.jpg

Super-X 12-gauge, 3-inch, RECORD, #4 Chilled 02.jpg

Super-X 12-gauge, 3-inch, RECORD, #4 Chilled 03.jpg

Bo Whoop was pictured in its original state in the Derrydale edition of Ole Miss.

The Author's ten-pound Becker Magnums.jpg

In this picture it appears to be in its original A.H. Fox Gun Co. livery with the black forearm tip missing.

Nash with BoWhoop, ebony inlay missing.jpg

My supposition is that Nash had Becker restock 31088 to match his Henry Bartolomew gun the lower one in the picture above. In this picture it sports a Becker forearm and stock --

Nash with BoWhoop, with ivory inlay.jpg

likely the now broken stock.

As for the "ten Pound" that is a big problem with Nash Buckingham writing that he never allowed exact facts to get in the way of a good story,

[MrBojangles]

Why is the original Bo Whoop not considered to be stolen property?

[Dean Romig]

Because it was lost by Buckingham’s own carelessness and the fact that it was found and not returned to the ‘unknown’ owner does not constitute theft. Maybe a failure of morality at best.





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[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Ian Civco

Why is the original Bo Whoop not considered to be stolen property?

As I understand it Buck was compensated for the gun by some insurance company that is long defunct. Hence when the gun came to the surface any claim to it reverted to that long gone insurance company.

[Researcher]

As I understand it Buck was compensated for the gun by some insurance company that is long defunct. Hence when the gun came to the surface any claim to it reverted to that long gone insurance company.

That information is in Nash's letter to John Bailey dated Dec.2, '48, on page 37 of the book Nash Buckingham's Letters to John Bailey.

I suspect my providing that information to Jim Julia greased the skids for us to have Bo Whoop at our A.H. Fox Collectors Association table in Las Vegas at the winter 2010 show.

Dave with BoWhoop and James Julia.jpg

Dave trying to look like Nash.jpg

[Stan Hillis]

I spoke with Jim Julia personally, by telephone, some weeks before the auction about guaranteeing ownership, due to the convoluted story about it's loss. We also spoke about the insurance company's part in potentially wanting it back, since they had paid the claim to Nash.

He told me that they had been through this same kind of thing with insurance companies many times, with other items sent in for auction, and that the company in question in this particular instance didn't seem to be in existence any longer. His final statement about it was that, when Julia's announced the auction date, they would be backing the full ownership of the gun by whoever bought it, 100%. He meant that the onus was on Julia's at that point, and that they stood behind their declaration of a clean title completely.

[Dean Romig]

Stan, I think I had seen that in writing somewhere back then.



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