doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com lengthening chambers

Yea, but a very pretty one and I'll bet it fits him like a glove too.

Yours look about like the ones I pasted up, except you have more Harlem upgrades.....The shell boxes look nice though.......

Does the round knob and lack of checkering on the SW help in your swing, or is it more of a cosmetic addition, maybe just shotgun porno like you said......?.....

I noticed the ones I pasted up had after market gaudy stocks and no checkering as well like yours (owner improvements), that is why I thought you would like them.........enhancing the field gun look, don't you think...........

They did indeed, Jerry--back during the paper shell era, when American gun companies were converting to the 2 3/4" standard. They discovered that patterns were better with shells that opened a bit into the forcing cone, because the shot--of course unprotected by plastic wads in those days--was somewhat cushioned by the case mouth on its initial contact with the barrel walls.

As for "originality", some Americans seem to have a serious hangup with it. It's one thing on a "collector" gun: high grade, not many made in the first place, or perhaps even a field grade in mint or near mint condition. But if you buy a gun as a shooter, why not alter the stock to fit you (rather than trying to alter your shooting style to fit the stock), why not open the chokes to suit (since very few American doubles had the chokes marked anyhow, who's to know minus a factory letter)? As for reblacking barrels, refinishing stocks, recutting checkering . . . the Brits do it all the time. In fact, especially on a nicer Brit double, they'd look at you as if you were crazy if that Purdey, showing a bunch of wear, checkering almost gone, bluing significantly faded, were described as "all original"--as if that were a virtue. Their thought would be, "The owner didn't care enough to send it back to the maker to have it kept up properly?" Different strokes, I guess.

The checkering comes last....so it doesn't get glopped up with finish. I'm not surprised some people don't know that....about not glopping on finish and all.

OK, I concede to the voice of experience. Sometimes a "refinish" really does constitue butchery, as in the case of this "Almost a Virgin."



Well, they'll be even harder to find now. There used to be one more high condition original SW out there

I would have to agree with you there Sparky..(amazing).....not my style to ever put finish in the checkering......for some reason I figured you had bad eyes, so here's some close ups.......

Strange place to take a picture of a gun.

It is a Sterlingworth jOe. When it comes to Sterly's the only other proper place for a picture would be next to the commode. I'm just kidding.

Not a Fox guy, but I have a A-grade from 1929 and my checkering is different, or it looks different than PA24's. Did you recut that checkering? I was under the impression that most Philly Fox's came with flat top checkering and pointed up coarse checkering would usually be found on Utica guns.

No Dustin, not re-cut.....the top gun above is an LC Ideal Grade...and the bottom is the SW Philly both with factory checkering....showing the refinished wood without finish in the checkering for Sparky up above ......

I have a field grade 16 LC that the original buyer in 1931 purchased with upgraded wood and 20 LPI checkering.....and lettered as such........just like today, you can order pretty much what ever you want if you have the money....these companies were all in business to make money......so step right up......sign here........collectors sometimes think everything is cast in concrete...well, it is not as most of you know........

Some more refinished wood...all factory checkering....SW forearm is the one on the left with a piece of lint on it....

Doug, I posted a question about the blown barrel on that Baker thread. You might want to take a look. Given the damage to the hull, visible in one of the photos, I'm thinking maybe an obstruction was the culprit--although it's possible it might not have happened had the chambers not been messed with.