Sterlingworth

[TARNATION !!!]

Good to hear from you Bob. Hope all is well. I'll have to take up migratory birds again, as it will take a few seasons of roosters to shoot my late in life SXS accumulations. Will give SC a go as well, although I'm partial to eating what I shoot.

Cheers,
Jack

[TARNATION !!!]

Okay, in the fullness of time and after enduring a postal strike this Fox did arrive at my den today. It will need some work to improve the cosmetics. And, surprise, surprise - it is an ejector gun. A brief look over at the Fox site found one person estimates 1 to 2% of Sterlingworths are ejectors. Any thoughts here on that point?
I will do a full tear down/reassembly because it is time. Anyway, another project and I already have too many projects on the go (only a couple are firearms)
Cheers,
Jack

[StubTwist]

Great find Jack! 32" barrels and an added bonus it came with ejectors.

Like Dave said in an earlier post, we knew it was going to live in your house!

Post pics after you get 'er all cleaned up.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

Okay, in the fullness of time and after enduring a postal strike this Fox did arrive at my den today. It will need some work to improve the cosmetics. And, surprise, surprise - it is an ejector gun. A brief look over at the Fox site found one person estimates 1 to 2% of Sterlingworths are ejectors. Any thoughts here on that point?
I will do a full tear down/reassembly because it is time. Anyway, another project and I already have too many projects on the go (only a couple are firearms)
Cheers,
Jack

Wonder if it has 3" chambers- The Utica Sterlingworth 20 I own has 26" chromox barrels, DT and Ejectors- but 32" barrels- wow indeed. Fotos soon???

[TARNATION !!!]

2 1/2" chambers F+ F+ chokes

Sear axle set screws getting a penetrating oil soak so I can get the sears out and finally have the butt stock removed.

Got time to mow the grass now.

Cheers,
Jack

[TARNATION !!!]

Mowing grass is over-rated. Trimmed a few tree branches and played with the sear axle set screw. It was of course a buggered screw head and took some judicious work and had to grind a couple of my good tips but got it out without breaking half the head off. In its history, it had a sear replaced based on one looks more like a new sear and the other looks its 90 years. So, the stock is off.

Bob, you wondered about it being a replacement. I don't see any serial number like on the Parkers and don't know if there is any means to tell beyond that. If it is replacement wood, it was a long time ago. Typical oil blackened head. The checkering looks like well worn checkering does, so my guess, unless there is a means to prove otherwise, is that the stock is original to the gun.

For the stock guys who read this - is there a "home" recipe to de-oil the wood? Some method that isn't yet known to the State of California to kill me and all my progeny for generations to come.

Cheers,
Jack

[Brent Francis]

32 inch barrels and ejectors you should log into the fox forum and make them crazy. Ive got a 16 sterly with 28 inch barrel and ejectors that I really like. The only problem Ive had is the forend wood is very thin on the back with the ejector guns and it has a tendancy to crack. Also that woodscrew that goes to the back doesnt have much wood to grab and they have a tendancy to pull out.
Thats on the philidelpia models the savage has a better forend.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Brent Francis

32 inch barrels and ejectors you should log into the fox forum and make them crazy. Ive got a 16 sterly with 28 inch barrel and ejectors that I really like. The only problem Ive had is the forend wood is very thin on the back with the ejector guns and it has a tendancy to crack. Also that woodscrew that goes to the back doesnt have much wood to grab and they have a tendancy to pull out.
Thats on the philidelpia models the savage has a better forend.

A good friend has a AE 16 Fox with 28" Krupp barrels, DT, Ejectors, splinter forearm and has had that same problem- we reinforced the thin area inside with a coat of Acra-Glas- and wrapped masking tape around the wood screw threads for a tighter fit- problem solved. My 20 has a slightly "beefier" forearm and buttstock than my friend's Phila mfg. 16- Many of the pre-1913 LC Smith ejector guns with splinter forearm also had possible cracks due to the thin cross-section at the rear of the forearm wood- my 3E (made in 1911) started to develop a hairline crack- Acra-Glas and taping the screw slightly solved that problem- the extractor guns- possible not so much strain on the shoe of the forearm iron- just my guess.. My 20 Fox has the serial number under the trigger guard, stamped in the inletted groove just as on the Parkers- perhaps a later concept for Fox after they were bought out by Savage-Stevens in 1929???

[OH Osthaus]

[QUOTE=Francis Morin;45962]
My 20 Fox has the serial number under the trigger guard, stamped in the inletted groove just as on the Parkers- perhaps a later concept for Fox after they were bought out by Savage-Stevens in 1929???QUOTE]

the philly foxes I have stocked had serial numbers on the original wood.

[Old and Reliable]

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