doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A.H. Fox Double

I need a little help. I have an A.H. Fox double that I am trying to identify. The serial number (26879) and barrel stampings (A) put it as an A grade (extractor) built in 1920, but it has ejectors and the top of the barrel is stamped Savage Arms, which didn't buy Fox until 1929. Anyone have any ideas???

replaced barrels

It might be worthwhile to get a letter on your gun. The winter 2001 edition of the Double Gun Journal has a story on an AH Fox that was begun in 1928 as an XE grade, but was shipped in 1940 as an AE grade. Your may have had a similar story, or it may have just been shipped back for barrel work or replacement after Savage took over and was marked at the time with current barrel stamps.

Thanks for the help, the barrel replacement was all I could think of but I'm not as familiar with Fox as I am some others and wondered if I was missing something obvious. I am going to get a letter on it.

The old Fox production cards which are at the Savage plant at Westfield, Mass., are by and large for the guns as originally constructed. There are no surviving records of repairs or aftermarket alterations. In a very few instances, a "Fox Special" tag for a gun may remain in the record cards. These "Fox Special" tags were used when a gun was taken from inventory and modified in some way to fill a specific order. I have one such gun where as originally constructed the gun was full and full and had a slim forearm. The "Fox Special" tag has the chokes opened and a beavertail forearm added to the gun.

I once owned a 1913 vintage Fox Sterlingworth ejector that was sent to Savage sometime while Savage operated from their Chicopee Falls address. While in their possession, Savage apparently re-blued the barrels, lengthened chambers to 2 3/4", and rolled-stamped the company name and address atop the left barrel. Like you, I thought Savage had done a barrel replacement; but one day while admiring the old gal I noticed something a bit odd atop the right barrel, turned out what I saw were tiny remaining traces of the words "Sterlingworth Fluid Compressed Steel". During the re-blue, most of the original lettering had been carded off; but not all traces were removed. In the interim, I had already received a letter and learned there was nothing on the original production card to indicate this gun had been to Savage (the barrels on my gun checked to letter specs). Maybe the barrels on your gun are orginal also, as it seems workers at Savage may not have been as attentive to detail as original Fox workers.

I have a 1911 Pin gun with two sets of new barrels labeled Chickopee Falls, converted to ejectors, re case colored, new wood. I'm pretty sure it started life as a non ejector gun. The price list showed case colors costing I think $10.00 and the ejector conversion at at under $100. Done in the 50s The gun is mint condition after the refurbish.

I also had a gun just like yours with a Philly reciever and Savage era barrels. I have one now with a set of Savage era barrels numbered to the gun and a set of cut Philly barrels as well. Owner blew the muzzle and cut the old barrels.

I also briefly owned the gun that Topgun mentions above. It letters as a Sterlingworth Second, but in fact it has what appears to be about grade C engraving, a highly figured straight grip stock and a long tang trigger guard that number to the gun as well as the ejectors. It would appear that an employee bought a second, and he or one or more friends did some upgrading.