doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sterlingworth redo opinions?

I bought this tight & on face 1912 Fox from a friend who reconsidered his purchase at $460. The barrels (M/F) had several slight dents so I have sent them to be repaired. Other than the missing butt plate what improvements would you recommend, if any? The checking is flat but I don't know if I want to do anything about? Thanks for the suggestions. Kurt

Ben:
If I owned this gun (which I don't) I'd get a repro buttplate installed, or if it's been cut square, simply put a tasteful pad on it (NOT a Pachmayr) perhaps a repro Hawkins, maybe recut the chequering (by hand!) and shoot it happily. Why mess with a good thing?

Best, Kensal

Find someone who can recut the checkering (flat top) as it came from the factory and correctly refinish with true oil. That old wood will come out looking pretty nice. Just don't overdo it to the point where it too pretty for the rest of the gun. Just go ahead and put on a tasteful pad - reproduction buttplates tend to disappoint and finding an original that will just go on is near impossible.

And most importantly enjoy shooting it !

I have a similar Sterly that is being refreshed right now. Mine had just a touch of case color left, so that is going to remain as-is. Bluing was almost gone on barrels and TG, so new rust blue. Wood had a couple of serious splits near the head and about 3" DAH, so I had it bent up, epoxied at the head, and will have the checkering recut, and then an oil finish. Bought a repro butt plate and grip cap from Galazan and they are OK, but I hope to find better. When finished, it will be a solid shooter with decent dimensions, that will have cost about twice what it is worth in the market.

I see nothing wrong with the Pachmyer decelerator pads as opposed to the red rubber reproduction types in a gun you intend to use. They work great and the black pad is a plus when you're turkey hunting where you don't want anything red anywhere near your body. Matter of taste, I guess...Geo

Did Foxes come with flat top checkering ?

Kurt:

I finished my 20 Sterly Philly about two months back, I refinished the original wood and re-cut the checkering, refinished the original butt plate to new again, re-blued the trigger guard and barrels....did the barrels a light rust blue (not dark black) so the contrast was not so drastic against the action which I left original on this gun..... some original colors still present...rather than re-cyanide....polished the triggers to original and cleaned all the internals, screws all 12 & 6 timed....Callahan lettered 1928 gun....gun shoots great, nice uncut original M/F 28" barrels, 2 5/8 chambers.....I like the light barrel blue contrast against the existing original case colors which are probably 40% or so.....makes the gun look like it aged together over time.....

Had I re-cased the receiver on this one, then I would have gone darker rust blue on the barrels to match.....JMO.....

Nice job

I just picked up a very similar Sterlingworth with nicely done older refinish on wood; barrels could use a reblue but will do me the way they are I think. Only issue: some previous owner polished the receiver bright. Actually did a nice job of it (is that an oxymoron?)and didn't wear away the engraving at all. The barrels are off to get the chokes opened up a bit. Any options as to recoloring that aren't expensive ( ie a real case color redo) or ridiculous ( ie all the master gunsmith Ed threads)? And I won't blue it, to me that is almost as wrong with this gun. I can live with it, but the bright tarted up look just doesn't do a fine old gun justice. I suspect my options are few, but it never hurts to ask.
thanks
Rick