It looks beautiful but not knowing much about American doubles I'm wondering what effect the restoration has on value.

AR15 http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_162/1042358_WTS_Fox_Sterlingworth_16ga_Custom_reduced.html

It's about double the price of a very good original Sterlingworth.

Twice the price of a nice original Sterlingworth yes, but then original Sterlingworths don't have nice wood & checketing like the gun pictured & usually have a shorter L.O.P. & more drop than most modern shooters want.

Dave Vandenbrant does very, very nice work so if the stock dimensions are correct for you & you are looking for a very handsome Fox shooter as opposed to an original Fox Sterlingworth to collect it would be difficult to duplicate for that price assuming that everything has been done correctly.

Isn't the Sterlingworth frame and internals the same as the higher grades?

I've owned an original Sterlingworth for over 40 years and it's always been a nice reliable gun for me. Having said that; for this kind of money I'd be looking for a nice vintage British sidelock double or a higher grade Fox of recent manufacture.
Jim

Correct, exactly the same.......the same hammers, springs, internal small parts etc. in all of them........I've had most of the different graded Foxes and many, many Sterlingworths apart for restoration.........I've seen no difference.....

Purchaser's of graded guns paid extra for engraving and wood and the "so called" Chromox barrel steel.....which blues/blacks the same as the Sterlingworth compressed barrel steel.......I think the name Chromox and Compressed Steel were just sales name recognition tools , you know like whitewall tires and a radio.........

The Sterlingworth 16 pictured has an excessive price tag on it IMO.....similar very nice Sterlingworths sell in restored condition with very good original refinished wood for $2500-$3000.00 on the internet sites usually........

There are a few minty original uncut Grade A Fox 16 Philly guns in the $4500.00 range on Guns International as a comparison........

With ejectors and upgraded to 'C' or maybe an 'X' it'd sell for the listed price I'd think. Maybe you'd have to bait it with a gold bird or dog on the bottom..

Nice wood. The forend looks long to me,,might just be the photo angle.
Checkered wood butt?

So little you can tell from one picture.
..what else will $6K buy in a 16 or 20 ga SxS

..what else will $6K buy in a 16 or 20 ga SxS [/quote]


A lot.

A lot. [/quote]

You answered the question correctly I believe..

A "similar" Sterlingworth likely does not exist. That is not a commodity item, like an original SW or even a restored SW. It is a purely custom American SxS based on a SW platform.

Therefore, as a one-of-a-kind custom gun, it is worth whatever the seller and buyer agree upon. The way I would value such a gun is to decide 1) it is perfect for me and I would like to own it or one just like it. Then 2) what would it cost me to reproduce it? And 3) does the cost to own it represent a bargain with respect to the cost to duplicate it?

In this case, having employed celebrity craftsmen, the owner is probably justified in claiming "no expense was spared." IMO, if all the work was commissioned from professionals, the gun could possibly be duplicated for the asking price, but with all the risk, angst and possibly frustration of a 2-year+ project.

Without passing personal judgement on the individual gun, the fact is, one person thought it was a worthwhile project. I don't see anything distasteful or out of the mainstream about it and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get $5K out of it.

Agree with Mr. Campbell 100%.
JR

Another agree with Mike. I've been down this same road to a degree. A fine English stock blank isn't inexpensive and restocking is probably circa $3,500 (not counting the blank) from Dave V. Throw in the celebrity folks who did the barrel blacking and new action colors and you might be exactly into the dollars he is asking for, (counting the cost of the original gun of course).

I'd like to see a few more pictures and have measurements etc etc, but this is no doubt a project that hit all the marks for the original owner.

PS. I doubt if anyone could replicate this exact gun with the same craftsman utilized at the current asking price.

Re tut's point, here are some ballpark figures for a custom SW Fox project along the lines of the gun in question:

Careworn but mechanically sound 16 ga. SW with good barrels - $1000-1500
Rustblue - $250 (Turnbull)
CCH - $250 (Turnbull)
Charcoal blue furniture - $100 (Trunbull)
Quality Restocking, including F/E and checkering - $3000-4000 (plus $600-800 for blank)

So that gets you to $5200-6900 for the project, plus shipping costs back and forth, and project delay and risk.

Of courese, you could get a nice, refurbished SW for a lot less than that, too - particularly if it has been refurbished to something closer to factory finish. Call Dave Sizemore at Sugarloaf Smoothbores and he can help you end up with a refurbished SW at close to half that price, like this one:

For comparison:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Fox-Sterlingworth-Restored-by-Turnbull-Mfg-Co-.cfm?gun_id=100290535

OWD

I stand enlightened. That is certainly a similar SW and an excellent one for shopping comparison...the same money will buy extra fancy English walnut in one case or a leather pad and single trigger in the other. Decisions, decisions.

Those Turnbull prices are for pre-polished parts sent in for finishing. They don't reflect any charges for labor in polishing, disassembly/re-assembly, needed repairs, bore or rib work, custom metal shaping, ect.
Pricey stuff to hire someone to do. Not everyone can DIY in this area.

It can be terribly expensive to have a well known someone or a group of well known someones build a custom gun for you. The other great expense is the loss usually taken when it's resold. Not always,,but very often the case.
That can be a good thing for the new buyer..

Very Beautiful Sterlingworth Doverham, restored with some taste and class, looks super nice with the tasteful fiddleback walnut......

Unlike the first SW pictured with the overly gaudy wood and canoe forend which makes that particular SW look like a Model A Ford that has been painted with a heavy metal flake paint job and gold plated wheels, to each his own though.......many custom guns turn into abortions IMO......

[/quote]
Unlike the first SW pictured with the overly gaudy wood and canoe forend which makes that particular SW look like a Model A Ford that has been painted with a heavy metal flake paint job and gold plated wheels, to each his own though.......many custom guns turn into abortions IMO...... [/quote]




Please, tell us how you really feel. LOL!

Mike has some real nice ones, shoots the heck out of them, too. Of course, if we had Mike's money we could just throw our money away.

I can’t understand why someone customizes a gun then when he goes to sell it tries to make a profit on it. I’m not talking about this gun in particular but If you’re going to customize a shotgun to your shooting style and your tastes does it make sense to turn around and sell it?

Thanks Doug - you can buy the old lady a new dress every once in awhile, just don't make it one of those strapless, plunging neckline, sequined numbers

Well said Doverham....dead on.........

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