I am a small bore / light gun fanatic. This thread is interesting to me because I think on the Fox Collectors website and the Parker Collector's Website the big 12 gauge and ten gauge goose guns get most of the interest and most of the posts. I haven't been to the Southern SxS but read a post where Eightbore reccommended against spreader loads as most shooters want all the choke and lead they can get so I assume the course is set for long shots. The Fox Association has an annual clays game with trophy that is set up for long distance guns.
I think the Fox HE 12s are amazing guns and had amazing performance with their contemporaraneous cartridges. The Parker DHE 3 frames and 4 Frame guns in 10 and 12 gauge guns are fantastic long distance guns.
So it appears to me that the long-term, serious, studious, note-taking, serial-number-tracking long-time collectors tend to collect high original condition 12 gauges. Certainly the ones I know do. And they are the types that tend to start or officer the collector's associations. It also seems that there are a lot more high condition old American 12 gauge doubles around than there are what I would call flushining-bird small gauge guns cause the flushing bird guns tend to have had the dog hunted out of them.
My weakness is SxS Bob White guns:
16 gauge Parker O Frame, 5lbs 14oz, 8 and 12
28 gauge Parker Reproduction, 5lbs 5oz, mod and full
Ithaca sixteen, 6lbs 4oz, cyl and mod
Ithaca sixteen 6lbs 4oz, IC and Mod
20 gauge London sidelock, 5lbs 13, IC and IC
20 gauge Birmy boxlock, 5lbs 8oz, Cyl and Mod
28 gauge Birmy boxlock, 5lbs 4oz, Cyl and Mod
Fox 16 gauge, 6lbs 6oz, mod and mod
Spanish 20 gauge, 5lbs 14oz, cyl and mod
Fabrique Nationale boxlock 12 gauge, 6lbs 2oz, cyl and mod
Manufrance 16, 6lbs 4oz ic and full
Manufrance 16, 6lbs 6oz, ic and full
Singleshot Birmy sixteen hammer gun, 4lbs 9oz
Singleshot Iver Johnson sixteen 5-1/2 pounds
Winchester Model 12 2-3/4" 16 gauge, factory cylinder choke
And I just picked up a nice little Fox A grade, 26" barrels, capped pistol grip, choked cyl and mod from the factory, 26" barrels, good stock dimensions, 5lbs, 9oz.
If, like Markethunter, I was a wildfowl fanatic and spent all my disposable income and time on chasing down ducks and geese instead of quail I am sure I would be interested in old wildfowl guns and probably not 5-1/2 pound upland guns.
Perhaps someone here has knowledge of how high original condition 12 gauges are moving and wouldn't mind commenting here.
Best,
Mike
Last edited by AmarilloMike; 02/14/11 11:21 AM.
