Another show,another gun.

[Jreed]

This is a picture of the single trigger that was on my DHE. I could never figure out who's trigger it was until I took it apart and from the diagrams I've seen, it sure looked like a Kautzky triggers mechanism.

[Researcher]

The card reads it wax shipped on 6/15, and by the serial number the gun should be a 1911

There also appears to be a stamped date on the card, AUG 11 19xx, but no matter how I've played with Brightness, Exposure & Contrast I can't read the year. That the year digits were overwritten with 6 oz makes it even worse.

[Jeff Sweeter]

When I saw the card and never viewing one before and seeing the name Kautzky,just assumed after all the previous discussion it was just listing the trigger.Didnt have a clue this gun could have been sent to him.Could the Aug 11 just mean 1911 as that is the year the gun serial numbers to.Ill try to load a pic of the card on here.

[Jeff Sweeter]

Here it is.

[Cold Spring]

Josef/Joe Kautzky was in the Sporting Goods business in Fort Dodge Iowa and he ordered Fox guns for customers and peers who were active in Trap shooting as he was. He was an early Fox gun proponent and there are even mentions of the Fox Gun Club of Fort Dodge in period literature. Just because “Kautzky” is shown as your gun’s consignee doesn’t mean it was his personal Fox. With all that said the trigger selector slide on your gun APPEARS to be a prototype or early Kautzky design which he may have fitted to his or to a customer’s gun. It would be nice to see pics of its innards if you decide to take it apart for study.

[Jreed]

Originally Posted by Frank Srebro

Josef/Joe Kautzky was in the Sporting Goods business in Fort Dodge Iowa and he ordered Fox guns for customers and peers who were active in Trap shooting as he was. He was an early Fox gun proponent and there are mentions of the Fox Gun Club of Fort Dodge in period literature. Just because “Kautzky” is shown as your gun’s consignee doesn’t mean it was his personal Fox. With all that said the trigger on your gun APPEARS to be a prototype or early Kautzky design which he may have fitted to his or a customers gun. It would be nice to see pics of its innards if you decide to take it apart for study.

Hmmm. My Parker was ordered for a sporting goods company in Iowa if my memory serves me correctly.

[Jeff Sweeter]

I'm not too far away from Ft.Dodge Ia.Im going to do some checking and see if the guy I got this from might be from that area.He always has a half dozen foxes on his table.I wouldn't be comfortable taking this gun apart,in fact I'm nervous about removing the stock for repair.I have had a stock off a Sterlingworth some time back but don't remember what it involved.Im not going to send this out to be dissected as interesting as it is.I don't personally know any gunsmiths yet, knowledgeable with any doubles around here.I know there are many reputable gunsmiths, im just not familiar with any.I do have a few others with issues but not serious.I have a machinist friend that's been helping me with a couple.Hes pretty sharp.Next time he's over I'll show it to him and see what happens.Would be neat to meet all of you.I did get to the sxs shoot last summer in Wisconsin and might get out there again this year.The other shoots are just too far away.I don't know if my old car would make it.Ha. Jeff

[Researcher]

Jeff, did you get the back of the card as well? I'd like to see those original 30-inch barrels, heavier than 1-weight.

Joe Kautzky Sr and his daughter Marie were well known trap shooters. An article on the Kautzky family was in the Winter 1963 issue of The Iowan --

The Iowan, Winter 1963, pg 38.jpg

The Iowan, Winter 1963, pg 39.jpg

The Iowan, Winter 1963, pg 40.jpg

The Iowan, Winter 1963, pg 41.jpg

Dick Baldwin did a chapter on Marie in his book of trap shooting historical profiles The Road to Yesterday.

[Researcher]

Could the Aug 11 just mean 1911 as that is the year the gun serial numbers to.

The date stamp that appears on many of the A.H. Fox Gun Co. production cards is three letters for the month, two digits for the day and four digits for the year.

17038 Jul. 2012 extreme light weight.jpg.jpg

[Jeff Sweeter]

Just did some checking and the guy I got the gun from is in Minneapolis Minnesota area, which is only a couple hrs from Ft Dodge IA. I might have to take in a Des Moines IA. gun show,they have several a year,not far from Ft Dodge.Might be some more interesting guns in that area.