Description:
Fox Sterlingworth SKEET AND UPLAND 20GA. – RARE, NICE ONE!
When Savage purchased the A.H. Fox Gun Co. in 1929 they continued production of the standard cataloged grades that had been offered for years. In an effort to stay competitive and appeal to a larger segment of the gun buying public, they also created variations of earlier models with special features, ie. The Waterfowl Special, the SP Grade, and the Sterlingworth Skeet and Upland, to name a few. The limited production numbers of these guns make them very desirable to collectors and shooters alike, and the special features offered by these models are appealing as well. The Sterlingworth Skeet and Upland was the only straight gripped Sterlingworth ever offered by the factory. It also included open chokes, double ivory beads, 26” barrels, and higher stock dimensions than their standard Field model. This fine example, sn270186, was produced in 1937 and remains in excellent factory condition.
The 26” number 3 weight barrels retain 97% factory blue, excellent bores, choked Cyl/IC (.002/.008), bore diameter of .618 both barrels, minimum barrel wall thickness of 33 thousandths, no pits, scratches, or dents, 2 ¾” chambers, tight ribs with barrels that ring like chimes, double ivory beads, extractors, barrels tight on breech face and hinge pin, clear, sharp lettering; a great set of barrels.
The action retains 50% fading case color, excellent screws, action tight with lever centered, clear engraving, double triggers, trigger guard grey with 40% blue remaining, all in excellent mechanical condition.
The wood is an English style butt stock with splinter forend, with excellent finish and checkering, short tang trigger guard which is correct from the factory, no splits, cracks, or repairs, 14 3/8” LOP to the end of factory plate (there is a pad professionally fit to the gun that was on the gun when I bought it that can be included if you need longer LOP. It is a solid red rubber pad 1” thick bringing the LOP to 15”, or it can be ground thinner for anything in between),2 5/8” drop at heel, 1 ½” drop at comb for nice modern dimensions (can be bent to your specs for about $180 within 10 days of purchase), excellent wood to metal fit.
This hard to find little Fox handles like a wand with its straight stock, 6lb. weight and dynamic balance. With the 26” open choked barrels you can see the versatility they were trying to achieve when Skeet was growing in popularity and the ultimate upland hunter’s gun had been clearly defined, even today. The Skeet and Upland moniker was and is a great description of this gun that will do well at either venue. Heck, most of the Sporting Clays courses I shoot are well served with the same chokes! There are very few of these guns ever seen and they command a considerable premium over a standard Sterlingworth. In case you haven’t noticed, even the standard Sterlingworth 20 ga. in decent condition is hard to find and the values are approaching $3000. This gun, in its “unmolested” condition, is a great gun to use and enjoy while its rarity will secure its value in the future. Just take good care of her!
There are more photos upon request. There is a 30 day mechanical warranty on this gun. Please see my other fine Vintage Firearms on this website. Just click on the line in the ad that says “see all items from this seller” and a great list of collectible and sporting arms will appear. We are listing 20 guns a week for the next 5 weeks, so keep your eyes open for more treasure. Thanks for looking!
Condition:
Used - See Item Description
Caliber:
20 Gauge
Location:
MI
Trades Accepted:
Shipping Notes: See Description
LET ME SELL YOUR GUNS!!! As you can see, I do a thorough job, am nationally known, and have hundreds of existing customers looking for your gun! Federally licensed dealer of Classic American Doubles, i.e. Fox, Parker, Ithaca, L.C. Smith, Lefever. Guns must be shipped to licensed dealer. Layaways accepted. No returns on layaways. I BUY SHOTGUNS, COLLECTIONS OR ONE AT A TIME.
