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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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I'm showing a couple of pictures of a Fox 20 ga. that belongs to a friend of mine. He bought it in the condition that you see and bought it cheap. I don't know the history of the gun or what happened but I thought everyone would be interested in seeing a big time barrel split (9 1/2")> The gun is in otherwise remarkable condition as can be seen by the picture of the receiver. The barrels are 3 weight, 28" in length and the bores, other that the split are perfect. I've tried to measure the steel thickness and the best that I can measure is .048". It shows evidence of a pin in the cheeks of the stock but the wood appears to be sound otherwise.



Doug Mann
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Sidelock
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Doug,
If you get around to sleeving this gun, try to save the barrel remnants. Our resident metallurgist, Zircon, may be interested in looking it over with his lab toys. .048" with a split makes me suspect either overpressure/blockage or a large flaw

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Sidelock
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Who knows what that farmboy shot in that poor thing.
Most likely happened right after the lead ban.

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Sidelock
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Wow, Any ideas what caused this split?

That Fox is in remarkable condition. My SW had a serrated staple across the inside of the stock. Is the pin in the cheeks of the stock a result of the stock spliting at the head?
I am not trying to be a smart guy but with that much case color and barrel blue you would think that the stock would not need the pin across it to keep it together.

It looks like your friend needs to have one barrel sleeved at least.

Thank you for the pictures. They invoke all kinds of thoughts as to why this happened.

Regards, Gordon


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Sidelock
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That ia a nice clean Fox! I once bought a set of 20 ga. #4 sterlingworth barrels that were blown in left barrel just like your friends. I had left barrel sleeved and fitted them to a sterlingworth. Shoots great! Bobby

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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Hmm. Epoxy isn't going to fix that, I bet. That's a shame. A decent repair just might equal the cost of another Sterlingworth.
It seems to me, unscientifically, of course, that a high percentage of the "blowed up" gun pictures we see here, and, elsewhere, involve Fox guns. Better knock on wood that my really old Tobin is feeling up to par. Light English CIP loads only, of course.
Best,
Ted

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Sidelock
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What he has is a parts gun. The sharpness of checkering does not match condition of CC on the reciever. One can get BL series BP 20br (better handling gun) for $700-$800 so why waste time and money on this long in the tooth thing?
This is an inexpensive mass-produced gun so it could be cannibalized for parts, no?

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Sidelock
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Bet it was steel shot, good for the wildfowl, bad for the Sterlingworth.
Not uncommon for the good 'ol boys and trusting souls to shoot whatever the hardware store had for sale.
Tools is tools and he'd be too poor for a new M12!
Besides, that gun has been reworked.

Last edited by Lowell Glenthorne; 07/11/07 06:27 PM.
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Sidelock
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I think something is greatly amiss here.
These are not cyanide colors. Looks to me like heat case colors and recently done.
The color on the barrels look too good as well.
This is the first that I have read that a great majority of the burst/split barrels were on Fox guns. Seems to me that this must mean that Fox owners were/are more careless that others. HUMMMMMM!!!! LOL
Best,
John


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Sidelock
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There is nothing amiss here. What you are looking at is backyard refinish job. You didn't really think this was an original factory finish, did you?
Well, usually the failure occurs in right (more often shot) tube, or perhaps our nimrod only took long/tall birds?

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