doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Upgrading plain jane field grade guns

Rob,
You sure you wouldn't like to have one of Doug's Fox guns?

Well, I have a 1913 Flues field grade in 16ga and ejectors and the original box it was shipped in. Unfortunately, too many years of over oiling has made the stock and forearm very tender to say the least. Not only that, but the dimensions make it nearly unshootable. So, I will have it restocked in a very nice piece of Bastogne, have the Checkering done in an up graded style and have it totally refinished and barrels reblued. I may even go a bit over the top and have it engraved, although this is a smaller possibility. Even so, I will have a DAMNED nice handling gun, in a lovely little 16 gauge for far less than anything else available today.

Here's a Fox 20 ga A grade I had done for my Dad - I think he liked it better than the "original" gun prior to the "customizing" - at least he let on like he did..........

best regards,
JBP

Sure, I was thinking of getting custom MATCHED PAIR of Ruger #1s in 450/400 and a personal gunbearer/loader for Vintagers ... kicker shooting event!
PS. Lets change that chambering to .450 Assegai, I luv that cool name.

I am all for upgrades provided they are done well. I am currently working on a 16-ga. Sterlingworth. I am doing all of the metal work except like the beading and scalloping of the frame myself. I am also making a straight grip trigger guard for it. With new wood and engraving it should be quite beautiful. After I saw J.B. Patton's gun shown above I bought mine not a month later. The whole project will cost 10K or more but it will be as nice or nicer than anything else that 10K buys and I will have some personal effort invested in it. When JB first posted his gun I don't recall any negative comments. I recall mostly envy.

Bill G.

http://www.gunfancy.com/new_page_1.htm
Here's an example of an upgraded Parker Trojan which I think is along the lines of what's being discussed that's currently for sale. IMO: Trojans are common enough so nothing rare has been lost here and the work appears to have been well carried out. Your opinions?
Jim

I think the appeal in upgrading lies in its "custom" nature, i.e., wood you picked out yourself, customer checkering you designed, custom engraving of your dog or what have you. Other than that, it does makes sense to just refinish and/or buy an upgraded model.

Italiansxs,
Thats an interesting take on an upgrade and the guy has priced it right. I expected some frame filing but he did it his way.

"Restore" is one thing, "upgrade" entirely another. I wholeheartedly support the first, cannot support the second. These guns deserve to live out their lives in a condition as good as can be provided them. But they do not deserve to be made to appear more than they are. They came into the world as honest guns, and should be allowed to so remain.

Frankly, I think the vanity of the owner who cannot abide having a simple field grade gun in the cabinet is a poor reason to "upgrade" a gun.

jmVERYho.

Fin

I resemble that!


Unfortunately I really don't care for Fox factory engraving (I'm not alone in this opinion) and I couldn't afford it if I did. But I can afford to make a custom gun using a Fox as a base. In most cases, field grade frames of American guns are the same as their more expensive relations so they make excellent raw material to work with.

In the gun pictured above there is no attempt to deceive. The gun still has "Sterlingworth" stamped on the barrel and the engraving is so superior to factory work that no one in their right mind would ever think that this is an original gun.

Doug