doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Striking off the barrel legend - how does it look?

The original custom Fox.

When I started this project (1989) there was no one to ask, no precedent (other than Burt Becker) and no right or wrong, I did exactly what would please me. At that time all my welding was gas welding and the though of welding on a shotgun barrel was absolutely out of the question (I still don't think it a particularly good idea) There were no qualms about filing off any factory markings, the Fox signature arrowhead-frame shaping was removed, in fact I wanted it to look English enough to confuse folks, and Eric Gold engraved Hughes/Fox at my request. (The engraving cost about five times more than the price of the project gun, but who can afford Eric's engraving today?!)



If you look closely: my rust blue is a bit grainier than I would do today, there is one hint of a scratch not removed from filing off the roll marks on the top of the right barrel, and you can probably see where they were in the elongated highlight. The case colors have faded and disappeared after the laquer over them wore away as has the trigger guard bluing. She has held up well (with rejointing by Dennis Potter) and I learned more about how guns, and there finishes hold up by actual usage. All in all, it's very pleasing to have owned and shot a gun for 20 years!

A couple decades later, the gun is well worn from shooting and bird hunting in five western states. I've shot thousands of rounds AT clay targets, and it is pictured here with Daryl's Dickson and custom M-21 a couple of weeks ago in out shooting Montana March sunshine. Starting over toay, I'd do a few hings different, but not much, except shoot it more!

Best,
Steve

That's it!,...your book and that gun inspired the work on my little gun,.. virtually gave me something higher to shoot for with all my gun work

Thank you Steven

And thanks for posting

Claudio

SDH - Re: Montana Clays. Have you ever shot the sporting clays course in Emigrant, near Chico Hot Springs? I shot there a number of years ago, and thought it was really a nice course. Do you know if it is still in business?

Well Claudio, we know you didn't fake this one, it's not marked: And it's not as nice as your work. No one is ever going to confuse your gunmaking with a Fox!
Thank you Claudio.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/AH-FOX--C-GRADE-LUNCHBOX-12-GAUGE.cfm?gun_id=100074966

tudurgs, never shot there, we do an informal thing mostly, don't know the current status of the course, but I've heard it's a good one!

Just don't do this in the Great State of Illinois,,, or take the gun there.

(720 ILCS 5/24-5)
Sec. 24-5. Defacing identification marks of firearms.
(a) Any person who shall knowingly or intentionally change, alter, remove or obliterate the name of the maker,
model, manufacturer’s number or other mark of identification of any firearm commits a Class 2 felony.
(b) Possession of any firearm upon which any such mark shall have been changed, altered, removed or obliterated
shall be prima facie evidence that the possessor has changed, altered, removed or obliterated the same.

Any other states have such a law?
Great looking custom guns, I think.

Thanks Kutter, I'll be sure and park my workbench in another state.

"Lastly let me remind all on this forum there is great diversity in the world. Like it or not, your opinion may be different than someone else's. Who is to say you are correct and another person with a differing viewpoint is not? "

I have no dog in this fight, but the above philosophy leaves a lot to be desired. It assumes there is no such thing as 'right' and 'wrong' - I happen to believe there is.

Let's talk about diversity and one's right to hold an opinion. Since there is no right or wrong in this universe - only different opinions and views - I'm going to give you some diverse opinions to enjoy:

"I'm taking your 14 year old daughter out this weekend. We're in love and I aim to show her every inch of my love. My opinion is there is nothing wrong with that so I know you will support me."

"I just finished cashing a check of yours that I wrote myself out of your bank account. I just forged your signature and ID. My opinion is your money is only yours as long as you can prevent me from stealing it. Thank you for supporting me."


I could go on but I think you get my point - it's not enough to boil the world down to opinions.

Those examples are way beyond the pale when we are talking about essentially a hobby or avocation for most of us here Greg. Opinions are fine when we're talking a custom Fox.

Agreed, they are extremes. But since we have determined that we can't make an absolute statement about what's right and wrong, where do we start to draw the line?

One one hand, there's nothing wrong with a guy labeling a set of barrels 'Krupp' if they are not Krupp just so he can have a gun that says so. But, it's reasonable to assume that someday th gun will be in the hands of someone who doesn't know any better.

I had a friend whose father 'made' him a Cougar XR7 in the late 70's by taking a bunch of XR7 parts off wrecked cars and assembling them onto a non-XR7 Cougar. No fraud was intended. It was eventually sold. About 15 years later I ran into a guy who owned the car and I told him I was familiar with the car's background and told him how it was not a real XR7. He was visibly upset and didn't believe me until I showed him some details that I couldn't have known unless I was familiar with that specific car. I gather he had paid a premium for the car because it was an XR7, too.

Karma....

Greg, you're taking my statement to DOUBLE GUN forum members way out of context. I agree 100% there are moral rights and wrongs however it's quite a stretch to apply them to the topic of this thread = how to properly strike a legend off a barrel. You speak of right and wrong but your 14 year old daughter example is inappropriate and offensive. Frankly it sounds like you have a personal agenda and are looking for a soapbox. Take it somewhere else my friend. Frank Silvers