doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Restocking an A grade Fox wood opinions

Have an early A grade 16 Gauge Fox. Gun is a shooter not a collector, but a nice gun. This is an early one made with the snap on forearm. The problem is it is very muzzlelight and I don't shoot it well. It also has a too short LOP. Accordingly, for some time I've been thinking about what to do. Finally sold a few things I didn't need and have a bit of a re-stocking fund set aside. Per the norm for me I'm kind of a closet wood collector. I see wood different places and I buy it. Don't really need it, but it calls to me. Anyway, I'm looking for nothing over the top as I want to keep this thing pretty much similar to what Fox would have stocked an A grade in 1910. In short, Circassian/English walnut of moderate figure. Not plain but not over the top either. That said, I have seen some A grades with killer wood, so I guess that was an option 100 years ago as well. Anyway, I have the following set aside that I've had for a while. All are circassian. All are over 5 years old. A couple have faults in layout, but 3 are really nice in layout. Actually the middle 3 are really good although one blank has to be flipped to make it right. The one the respective ends just don't lay out well but they are darned nice looking. Anyway, thoughts are appreciated. Thanks





PS. I'd be looking at a semi-beavertail to add a bit more weight to the front end. Also, no doubt the buttstock would have to be hollowed out a bit as well to allow more weight to move the the front. Guess its the curse of the 26" barrels.

This is a beauty contest in some respects. So like any judge I will give you two different answers and you choose which one you want. Send the first three blanks to the person who is going to do the restock job and let him choose which one is best. Flaws will shout to him and whisper to us if we listen. Second choice is to let us help you choose it with you.

That being the options I would drop the fourth and fifth blanks. Heavy mineral streaking and slab sawn grain does not look right on a graded Fox unless you are dealing with a Utica gun. Late guns are much less well stocked. Two down and three to go.

Are the first three stocks of the same density and hardness? Can you tell if one is much heavier than the other? When weight is your final concern I would drop the heaviest one first. From a personal viewpoint I would choose number two if I could. The grain flow in the grip is good and you can get the grain flow in the toe area to be very good as well. The color and figure are as good as you could ask for. You could see that on a Fox of that age.

I like the first one a well but tried to use a stock that could a have been its' twin. Inletting became a very frustrating process. Such tight curly grain became very prone to chipping. The longer grain structure in the second or third blanks looks to much more predictable to my eye. Have fun and enjoy the process.

please do show us progress pitchers.

Man those are some killer blanks. IMO #1 is too much for an A-grade and I'd agree with KY Jon that 2&3 are seemingly the best of the five for your Fox. I really like the straight grain of #3 and think it will work beautifully with the lines of the Fox action. I have a later Philly A-grade 12 that has really nice straight grained wood that gets a lot of compliments. Not sure which species of walnut Fox used in the 20's but back to your blanks - I don't think you could go wrong with #'s 2 or 3 in the lineup.

A bit more info. The only blank quartersawn is number 2. Everything else is slab sawn. Number 1 is akin to being as dense as Ivory. Number 5 is really bizarre. It could be amazing when turned or you go what the heck happened?? I believe number 2 and 3 would be very consistent on each side when turned. All of these are very dense. Guess thats a circassian trait.

PS. My stocker has already restocked one gun in California English for me and one in Circassian. He said the California English was a tad easier to work with, but the Circassian was much much more dense.

Most stockers prefer quarter sawn. Blank #2 also has consistent figure through both sides, fiddleback, good color variegation and contrast. These might be some more "objective" elements in a very subjective arena, but you've already touched on the heart of the matter: it's what "speaks to you" as much as what is appropriate to the gun.

Mike

I just came back from a visit with Tut's latest projects. He knows something about wood. I like his choices, but I must say, regardless of cutting methods, I don't think fiddleback has any place on a double barrel shotgun. Other than that, take your pick. Nice wood, Tut.

+1.

Isn't #3 quartersawn as well?

Fiddleback has no place on a double?! I really like the individuality of knots, birdseye, fiddleback, etc. on any wood object, especially the butt of a stock. It is hard to work and stain and therefore a challenge to a stockmaker and it sets it apart from the straight grain average blank, provided it is not in the head or the hand where it might compromise strength.

Here are two photos of my restocked "A Grade" fox, with a semi-beavertail forearm. Wood is semi-fancy English walnut.

JERRY