Fox 20g project pictures of the week

VictoryXC said:
John, I'm coming out your way this fall for a week of upland hunting. I would unselfishly volunteer to break it in for you. :welcome:
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jpbcal308 said:
No problem Patrick, I'm sure I can find a 311 for you to use :)
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I better go with the 311. I would be staring at the Fox and forget to watch for birds. This Fox is going to be another mighty fine addition to your collection.
 
cjdawe said:
To put all the inquiring minds to rest ...the initial engraving thoughts wasn't quite so detailed as what John's gun has now become , so CCH was the initial and traditional treatment thought ...now with what's being done French Grey is really the only sensible route ,india ink is not how it's traditionally done ,nor is chemical etch - its CCH and then carefully polished back .

Trying to capture engraving on a CCH action in a internet pic usually looks like #### ...that same piece in hand is a world apart ,but opinions being what they are;) .....

Now ,while i'm on a roll...to all the guys out there who comment on this stuff I'm truly honored and flattered by the comments as are my friends at Lemieux .But there are couple of key points you must all consider when contemplating a project like this

#1-Don't start of with a structurally or mechanically crap gun ...this cannot be emphasized enough

#2 - Have a clear game plan ,Myself or the Lemieux team encourage dialogue,we are there for you the customer ....but don't look to us to tell you how to spend your money and decide later its not what you wanted because friends on the internet say its not what they like

#3- Have a clear picture of how much you want to spend , custom metal work and engraving can be tailored to budget to a certain extent ,as can the checkering and stock furniture ...but please educate yourselves as to what these services generally cost ,this is our livelihoods and passion - but be damn sure we don't do it for the money!...the costs may seem high at first but break down the hours we work and what we pocket at the end of a project and most would find it quite depressing .....so please began a project with at least some understanding that the costs will start at a minimum of 2500 for a very basic upgrade ,and that 6 months as a minimum time frame.

And lastly ,thanks to everyone who support us through commissions ,kind words and lip service:cheers:
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Some great points. I am often struck by the underappreciation given to true craftsmanship now. People think 2500 is a lot of money for some engraving, or for a custom stock not realizing that its a relative bargain in many cases.
 
Philthy1 said:
Some great points. I am often struck by the underappreciation given to true craftsmanship now. People think 2500 is a lot of money for some engraving, or for a custom stock not realizing that its a relative bargain in many cases.
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This is truer than you know. I am constantly amazed at the underappreciation of very finely made doubles vs the feeding frenzy for a “classic” American or Canadian made double with the idea it’s a “collector” item. From a quality of craftsmanship standard even mid grade Continental and British guns leave almost all the NA stuff in the dust.

The truth of it is that the only real collector gun I’ve ever seen surface on this shotgun forum is last week’s Tobin. And my Charles Daly or my MF Ideal are more finely made guns in every single respect.

There is a reason that 9 out of 10 upgrades done are done on Fox small bore guns.

When Chris, Oskar and the boys at Lemieux are finished with John’s gun, then we will be looking at a seriously well crafted American gun. The single best American design in one of two gauges that count (16 & 20) with metal work and woodwork that do the design justice.

I don't know how long it took Chris, in hours worked, to do that stock or the shaping of the metal. But I can make some guesses as to how long it is taking the engraver to do his part. John started this thread on Feb 2. It's now 15 day later. More than two full weeks. A significant chunk of the engraving had been done by Feb 2 and there is still some to go. So I'll go out on a limb and say that the engraving on this gun will have taken 4 or 5 weeks of a single man working full time on it by the time it's all done. I say full time because what I have seen of Lemieux suggests that when they take on a project, they work on it, not stick it in the corner for "later".

Anyone want to take a stab at how much we should pay a highly trained and skilled craftsman to ply his trade, on an hourly basis? Imagine the cost of having a plumber or electrician work full time for 5 weeks on a project for you. When you think about it that way, I suspect John is getting incredible work at bargain basement pricing.
 
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FOX 20G Last pictures of the week!
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Great new pics John. Love the detail on some of the smaller bits, like the rose on the safety slide. Chris, Paul and Christian have done a hell of a nice job. Glad to see that’s noted on the gun.
 
canvasback said:
Great new pics John. Love the detail on some of the smaller bits, like the rose on the safety slide. Chris, Paul and Christian have done a hell of a nice job. Glad to see that’s noted on the gun.
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Thanks James, I made sure to ask Christian to tell Paul to engraved the gun with the restorers ( artisan ) names. The gun will leave to visit Oskar for the French grey and back to Lemieux for clean up, them Chris will do the final touch.
 
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