doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Fox AE Project 6000 miles South.

After several years waiting a Fox AE 20 Ga, popped up in the local market. I bought it with a quail gun project in mind. Its stock and fore-end are not original and the 26" N�3 barrels were reblued at least once. The barrel ribs need resoldering. Bores at 0.620, chokes Skeet/IM, wall thickness 50 thou at 9" and 35 thou beyond 15".. Barrels not pitted but need polishing. The action had lost 90% of its color case, its engraving is in 95% condition. Some screws are not original. The gun in on face and fires/ejects OK. It was made in the mid 1920s to the best of my knowledge.

A decision was adopted to refurnish it locally, sending it abroad, would mean spending as much as twice its resale value. A local gunshmith and stockmaker familiar with Fox guns were selected (they have repaired/refurbished at least three foxes recently). Gunsmith and stockmaker work under the same roof in Santiago. The tasks are:
1. Two small barrels dents will be levelled out with lead plugs and then reblued with ten baths, no previous carding needed. Barrel bores: hone-polishing made on demand.
2. The action will be stripped, cleaned and oiled. Since there is no reliable case hardening in town, French gray color seems a feasible option. Breech face and watertable to be polished. Screws will be obtained from a Fox A broken action own by the workshop. Engraving to be retouched in very few places.
3. Stock and Forend: custom made to my gun-fitting dimensions using locally grown Juglans Regia class XX or XXX provided by owner. Stock will be hollowed to get proper balance and will have a half grip in accordance to the trigger guard length/curve. Forend style as a standard Fox AE. Checkering at 24 lines per in., unless advised otherwise. Finish: London Oil. Several DGJ articles and the Huges�s books be will used as reference for style and wood quality.

Refurbishment cost:
1. US$200; 2. US$150; 3.US$450+100. Total: US$900

My request: professional advise and directions are most welcomed. Some changes are likely to be considered as selecting a straigt grip if a proper trigger guard is obtainable or alternatives to French Gray on the action and so forth. Pictures will be provided as it progess.

Thanks in advance.

What is meant by leveling the dents with lead plugs? Holes, you fill with metal; dents are removed by driving a snug fitting plug under the dent until it is raised, then tapping it level and true with a piece of micarta backed by a small hammer. It sounds like a money pit to refurbish. Just my opinion. Chops

Sounds like you about have the job covered.Let us see some pictures when the gun is finished. Bobby

ejsxs
Good luck with your project.
Can you really get a new for-end and stock made , finished & chequered for $450?...or are you helping with some of the work?
cheers
Franc

Before you start, you must measure the wall thickness of the barrels since you state that the bores are bigger than .615 so have been honed. They may have been compromised on the outside as well as the inside.

Sounds like you've got a good plan, hope you achieve the results you desire and yes, we would like to see the finished gun. Many of us greatly enjoy transforming, owning and shooting Fox guns.
(Before pics might be a good idea to go with the after pics?)
Best,
Steve

Chopperlump,
My English did not help, I was referring precisely to what you said, the purpose is to "raise" the dents as you describe.

Eightbore,
you have a very good point, a Galazan Wall Thickness Gauge is at hand for this, will check today (Hope it does not scuttle this enterprise).

Franc Otte,
your are right too, I was missing the London Oil (US$100), also almost daily supervision is considered. (Yes, I am not adding my own time). Hope this project will not go the Joint Strike Fighter or the Nimrod programmes have gone pricewise.

Steve,
BTW, your books are very inspiring; today I will go to the gunsmith for some pictures.

Does somebody know where to obtain Fox A copies of trigger guards for straight grips? Does anybody knows simple formulas for French Gray?

Thanks for your comments,

EJSXS

EJS,
French gray relies on case hardening to resist corrosion and usually is just removing the colors. The straight grip guard can be made by lengthening the original guard tang. A similar manner is shown in Fine Gunmaking.
Glad you enjoy the books.
Steve

I would think Galazan has the straight grip tangs and anything else you may need.

Steve,

I see, so French gray is exactly what I have now. As to the straight grip guard, I will weigh my options, lengthening vs. a Galazan straight grip (keep one in my drawer, thanks Mike Proctor for pointing on this).

As to barrel wall thickness: 50 thou at 9" and 35 thou beyond 15".
Barrel bore dimensions: .620 on both.
Chokes: Right barrel: 9 thou (Skeet); Left barrel: 19 thou (IM)

This data to be edited in first statement.


Pictures taken, coming soon.

Regards,

EJSXS