Saving Orphans

[ArtS]

A few months ago, I bought a 2nd year AH Fox A Grade from LS&B. It had been refinished sometime in the past and the condition appeared excellent. It had been restocked with a really nice piece of American Walnut and had perfect bores. Tight as a drum. The problem? Ugliest stock design I had seen in a long time.

It was never going to be original, but I ended up buying it at a clunker gunsmith special price. It had fore end iron for a beaver tail, but the one they designed was aobut 2" too long and felt like a 2x4. It extended up past the middle of the barrels. The buttstock had what can only be described as a pronounced nose, and a pistol grip that extended about 1/2" to far past the toe line. It was capped with a plastic cap with a large fake mother of pearl inlay. It was all finished off with a blond spray on poly finish.

I recut the cheek line to remove the nose, lopped off the pistol grip extension, shortened the fore end 1-1/2", lowered the fore end line on the barrels and narrowed it about 3/4". With a lot of careful rasping and sanding, I reshaped it within the wood I had left. I think it looks better and will now be serviceable. Once checkered, I think it will be a pleasing gun for someone to use.

Sometimes you need to look past what is there to what it might be. I certainly wouldn't have spent any more money on this, but I think it turned it into an acceptable piece and saved a fine old shotgun.