So, assume there's a Fox Grade A double for sale on one of the sites. It has Savage Chicopee Falls barrels. Further assume that the barrels were installed by Savage and done properly (we don't know that), what would be the effect on value? This particular hypothetical gun also has stock repairs but disregard that for the sake of a discussion of the barrels only. I'm assuming that a Savage rebarrel seriously degrades market value/potential of such a gun. What say you?
Interesting, cant give you a value, but there have been a few of those Fox/Savage hybrids out there. I think it was parts from the fox/savage merger that produced these type of guns.
If in mint condition it would bring a premium to a collector. But as described I be real hard pressed to even have interest in it. What would it be worth as a shooter because that is all it will ever be? Some of the later barrels were rather rough in the fit and finish department. Perhaps these were not. Go in with a low ball price unless you just have to have it.
I have sold a few Shooter grade Foxes with Chicopee barrels. Asked and got same money as if had original barrels.
For a shooter they are just fine, but no "collector" value. They will probably not be as finely struck as Philadelphia barrels and the gun may well not have the handling dynamics it had with the original barrels. Somewhere in his writings I recall McIntosh mentioning the Chicopee Falls barrels were done with a better solder then earlier barrels. Just some points to consider. Each gun needs to be judged on its own merits.
I'm fuzzy on my recall, but wasn't there a relatively recent (last couple years?) Fox article in DGJ touting the late Savage era guns as having certain superior qualities? Darned if I can remember the specifics, but I do recall someone making that case.
I only have two Fox's so not well versed but the 1935 gun is far superior in fit and finish, principally refering to metal in and out,than the 1923 gun.
I prefer the earlier guns. Bobby
I prefer the Philadelphia guns as well. It is unusual to hear of a 1935 gun being superior in fit/finish to one from 1923...Geo
IMO, the earlier guns were so far better fit and finished that is was part of the reason for the "forced sale" by Ansley. He was simply producing guns of such high quality and finish that the prices at which they were being sold would not allow profit margins. Ansley Fox was so determined to produce the "finest gun in the world", and sell them at a price the average man could afford, that he simply could not stay in business. Perfectionist? Yes. Astute businessman? Maybe not. When the successive owners took charge, the finish work gradually, but assuredly, declined ....... to save in labor costs.
The quality of the insides never changed much, if any at all.
SRH
It may jut be it is newer, less used and abused. My father pointed out to me once that doubles were going out of style before WWII, his friends were shooting more pumps and A5's. Their fathers were the ones most likely to be shooting doubles. And after the war nobody was interested in doubles and the decline in sales reflects this. One by one the double makes ended production or sold out to others who ended it later. Late guns saw much less use than earlier examples for reasons other than just age. No man would want to be seen as falling behind his shooting buddies because we all know the misses are in the gun not the man. New guns miss less than old guns. If you want to prove it shoot a gun you are interested in buying, you will shoot the best round of the year with that still un-bought gun.
If you think about it the double dominated shooting from about 1870 to about 1900 or as late as 1910. Then the pump guns took over with some A5 types mixed in. After the war the pumps were slowly replaced by the semi autos the by the early 60's the gas operated semi auto took over the market. Then the O/U came into heavy use. No system lasted in dominance for much over fifty years and all remained in limited production even after they faded from the top.
I've looked at a number of Foxes that were returned for repair to Savage that were re barreled with CF barrels. To say the workmanship was poor would be an understatement. I'd pay less for sure. To me they were much worse then anything that came out of Philly or Utica after they were sold to Savage. Course that is just my opinion based on probably 6 to 8 samples all of which were Sterlingworths.