doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com CE Fox help needed- now with pictures-update!!

Gents,

Beens sort of a lerker for a while after becoming interested in Fox shotguns and being led here by a member from a Forum on collecting Savage guns.

After many months of looking and price checking I bought a reconditioned CE in 12 bore. I'll post pics soon. Its a nice gun and recognize its no collector piece but it was what I could afford and I like it.

Now for the problem... it seems to look tight to me but when loaded with two snap caps it is VERY hard to close...takes both hands...one wrapped around the forum and one wrapped around the P/G and both pushing hard down to close all the way. It will however close most of the way with little effort but will not latch. I don't like this b/c I want to hunt and walk with the breach open and easily close it to shoot.

As stated the metal is reconditioned: recased, reblued: both are nicely done in my opinion. Wood looks original but butt stock was cut, pad and extension added but well done.

I paid $2700

What is it going to take to fix it? Should I keep it?

I have to decide if I am going to keep it by tomorrow or send it back. Your help is greatly appreciated.

here are some pics...




I know the screw is buggered...

Hello
Nice hunting gun. The gun has no problems. The problem is your snapcaps. The caps are most likely 2 3/4" snapcaps.
Your original chambers are shorter than 2 3/4" You can easily find out by takings some sized fired hulls and cutting off an inch or so of the plastic and close the gun on them, or just shorten the snap caps if that is possible.
That is my opinion, let us know if I am correct.
Have you ever had the chambers measured??
Mike

I don't think it's the snapcaps. Shotshell lengths are measured after firing; the snapcaps are probably shorter than 2 3/4".
JR

Could the problem be the ejectors? Maybe not retracting properly? How is the closing without the snap caps?

More then likely the rim diameter or the rim thickness of the snapcaps. I bought a couple of sets of snapcaps from Dyson's at the Las Vegas show one year and none of my American guns would close on them. I carried them with me to the next years show and they refunded my money, said they'd had that problem with several Yanks.

In a similar vein many early Parker Bros. 28-gauges need their rim recesses recut to handle modern 28-gauge shells.

You need to go to our A.H. Fox Collectors Association, Inc. web site. We'd love to have you join too.

http://www.foxcollectors.com/

okay...the snap caps are only 2 inches...

I tried some once fired shells (measured 2 11/16")...hard to close with even just one in and did not want to open at all...once forced open, did not eject. Bottom of shell brass was visibly marked on the face.

Does eject the snap caps nicely and has no issue opening with them. I did notice some damage to the face of the snap-caps after several openings and closings. Small piece of clear plastic off the snap cap face on the flat of the receiver.

and I don't think its thickness of the snap caps or rim diameter...they fit nicely on the ejectors and look very similar to the shells I have here.

Or the 'rims' of the snap caps are a bit too thick for the guns chambers.

Does the problem still exist when closing it w/o any snap caps in the chambers at all? Is this hard closing problem only when a snap cap or fired case is in the chamber? How about a factory round or an empty chamber?

If it occurs all the time wether there is a snap cap or case in the chamber or not..
It could be a slightly warped frame from the case color rework,,,,or,,,

It may be the ejector springs (coil) have been replaced during the reconditioning. Springs that are a touch too long or the wrong dia.wire, etc will 'stack' at full compression and not smoothly allow the barrels to close while the ejectors cock. Plainly,,not enough room for the motion needed.
Even if the gun is not 'fired', each ejector blade shaft very slightly compresses it's ejector kicker at the last closing movement of the barrel pushing it past & off it's sear. So an improper spring may be felt as difficult closing/locking wether the gun is being closed after being 'fired' or not. Might sound silly,,but does the gun close easily & lock with the forend removed??

Once fired cases aren't the best for test purposes, especially a SxS as even one barrel to the next will vary a bit sometimes.

There's other possibilitys, but that's what comes to mind seeing the gun and the described problem.

What do the people know about the gun you bought it from ?