Fox Sterlingworth Dbl Barrel 12 ga. with engraving

R

Rylan

Regular
Rating - 100%
89   0   0
Location
Victoria, B.C.
Hello everyone,

I was offered a few rifles, one of them is a Fox Sterlingworth 12 ga, and I am not a shotgun gun, especially those with engravings. The photos and information I have is limited... But if anyone could give me any info on this shotgun, the manufacturer and maybe a very rough ball park idea of the value, that would greatly be appreciated. Never once have I ever owned a gun with any sort of fancy engravings. Any information would help :)

Thanks!

2zn4f0Y.jpg

Rj4gZq6.jpg

Vp0t6Pg.jpg

9wiiH9g.jpg

tTMWWY1.jpg

Wp9OSYb.jpg

h0FrXXD.jpg
 
Last edited:
A Fox 12 ga Sterlingworth was Fox’s entry level shotgun. Produced roughly between 1910 and 1940. The gun pictured is a Philly gun so made prior to 1930 and of better quality than those guns produced later. In Canada, in good shootable condition it’s a $500 gun give or take $150 depending on who’s looking.

It’s not clear from the photos, as they are highlighting the engraving, whether the gun got a restock with a fancy piece of walnut at the same time as the engraving was done. That’s what usually happens in an upgrade but the bit of wood visible doesn’t inspire me. The engraving is extensive and reasonably competently done in an old school fashion leading me to believe it was done at least a couple decades ago if not more. But there are some problems with it as well. Most glaringly is retention of the roll stamp “Sterlingworth” on the sides of the action. A crude intrusion into whatever artful composition that might have been.

I know this sounds insane but assuming the wood is plain, what I can see about this gun doesn’t really excite me any more than a good condition standard Philly made Fox SW would normally. It’s the problem with custom upgrades. If I’m going to spend the money, I want what I want…..not what some other fellow wanted.

To put this in perspective for the OP a high quality full coverage engraving job that includes some gold inlays on a Fox by one of the better engravers in Canada is likely in the area of $15,000. Just for the engraving. And the engraving on this gun wouldn’t get me to pay more than $1000 over the normal price of a stock Fox SW.
 
Last edited:
As you can see from the signature in front of the trigger guard it was engraved by F.R. (Frank) Gurney. I tried to enter a link to his website, but it won't work for some reason. Just google firearms engraver F.R. Gurney and a link will come up. He could probably give you more info on the original owner and the reason behind the the upgrade. Someone put a lot of money into this one. Perhaps it was a family gun and someone wanted to dress it up in a relative's memory?
 
Last edited:
Ignore the link to Gurney's website above. It isn't working. Just google firearms engraving F.R. Gurney and it will bring up a link. It won't let me edit the post. I took a second look at Gurney's website. There is a link to a 2011 newspaper article on him that gives his age at 87. If he is still alive he would be 99 now. Long since retired.
 
Looks to be a very nice looking shotgun with some good clear pictures too.
I am sure Ashcroft will be along to offer up some information.
The link I scooped from lube toob has some interesting history along with a bunch of fluff , but the company history is kinda cool.
Ashcroft where are you ? :)
Imo $800 and going up depending on chokes, tightness of the action (function) and remaining all around condition , but I am a A-5 and 870 fan boy, what do I know.
Nice piece over all.
Rob

https://projectupland.com/shotguns-and-shooting/shotguns/a-love-for-the-fox-sterlingworth-2/
 
I have owned a number of Fox guns over the years, both graded guns and Sterlingworths. The 12 gauge are good solid guns. But it is the small bores, the 16s and the 20s, along with the big Superfox 12 gauge heavy duck gun that really made Fox's reputation among hunters and collectors. In many cases a Fox 16 or 20, even a SW is as good a handling gun as can be found. That, combined with the simplicity, robustness and dependability of the action design and it's inherent attractiveness, is why the Fox small bores are by far the most common gun used as a base for an upgrade.
 
I'd be curious to know the story behind the gun? and a full picture
- Seems like a odd-choice of action to get full coverage engraving on.
- The deep relief kind of reminds me of D.E. grade Fox
- Just-thinking-out-loud: Weird that they went to the trouble of hangraving the barrels, but skipped the forend iron (or whatever it's called)

I find it pretty

Can't help you on $...

There's a book on Amazon (among other places) about Frank Gurney. Seems like he lived in Edmonton, Alberta in the late 60. Retired in 2009.
- ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1449969275





I had photographed Frank Gurney, engraver, forty years ago while a student in photography school. He surfaced again in a different community nearby as the person selected to engrave replicas of the Grey Cup, for the Canadian Football League. I compiled a mock up for the book from my old negatives. I visited Frank and he helped me sort out and identify the photographs, and I added some new photographs to the collection on what was 40 years later, within a few days. Frank worked as an independent engraver for most of his life. He engraved objects, semi precious stone, precious meals, medals, rings and what I photographed him doing, engraved rifles, shotguns and pistols. Forty years ago, I worked with a 4x5 view camera and a set of home made tungsten lights. In 2009, I used a digital camera. Frank retired within days of my taking the color photographs. Color and B&W, 43 photographs, 58 pages
Click to expand...

Anyway, if the price is reasonable (?) it ought to be a fun gun to shoot.

What's the rifle right behind it?
- It's got a nice checkering job!
 
sillymike said:
I'd be curious to know the story behind the gun? and a full picture
- Seems like a odd-choice of action to get full coverage engraving on.
- The deep relief kind of reminds me of D.E. grade Fox
- Just-thinking-out-loud: Weird that they went to the trouble of hangraving the barrels, but skipped the forend iron (or whatever it's called)

I find it pretty
Click to expand...

As I mentioned, Fox actions are BY FAR the most popular action to use for an "upgrade". Which is typically a North American thing to do. It's not a "odd" choice......it's the most common choice.
 
sillymike said:
It's probably just some weird coincidence now that I think of it. But of the few people I know who sent shotguns to the engravers... It just happened that they were all Winchester's (1x M21, 1x Super-X, 1x M50 and a few M12) :confused:
Click to expand...

Sorry, you make a good point. I wasn't clear. I meant the most popular upgrade action of SxS, and I think also O/U because not too many O/U get done.
 
Looking at Rylan's Fox, I like the wood to metal fit, and how the transition is smooth between the surfaces.
- the "step" between the metal/wood of many of the new guns kind of bugs me... like on the Browning BSS

H8897-L275746410.jpg



It doesn't look like his Fox Sterlingworth wasn't shot much, after the action/barrel was engraved.
- but could use a cleaning of the dried oil
 
Last edited:
Nice job. I kinda like that the STERLINGWORTH was included in the job. It is an odd choice for full engraving to me, not for being a Fox just a Sterlingworth which was similar to a Parker Trojan, entry level gun for the brand.
 
Thanks to everyone for your responses. I hope to pick up this gun along with a couple others. This one I was really clueless about, so your help is greatly appreciated! :)
 
sillymike said:
Looking at Rylan's Fox, I like the wood to metal fit, and how the transition is smooth between the surfaces.
- the "step" between the metal/wood of many of the new guns kind of bugs me... like on the Browning BSS

H8897-L275746410.jpg
Click to expand...

Knifemakers call that "Museum Fit". Not sure why. I think it looks like crap, but that's my opinion and others will think that it's beautiful..
 
When it comes to engraving I’ve seen a lot worse, perhaps not to today’s standards but you have to assume the action was still hard when it was cut and that is not an easy thing to accomplish, there are two different styles within the overall composition but the flow has some grace and the cuts are clean… so this fellow was no amateur.
Btw….the engraving on most Fox guns , even on the higher grades leaves a lot to be desired
I bet if you clean it up…..carefully get rid of all that black stuff in the background, and let the bright cut show, it would look a heck of a lot better

All best
C
 
Last edited:
New Photos:

I thought I would take the time to update this thread with better photos, at the request of some fellow CGN'ers. Here we go...


qA95inS.jpg

GBbBxFp.jpg

4RPAJh3.jpg

GF8BupK.jpg

f81uzEX.jpg

LVEzbIS.jpg

7t6Hl6R.jpg

qZumtK8.jpg

6cj3OpM.jpg

7RsjhtA.jpg

MaI4PE3.jpg

drcByCY.jpg

ZhbbqIf.jpg

5k9nVpj.jpg

zAjh1la.jpg

8GtjqGT.jpg

p1bp7gU.jpg

fyQVzAF.jpg

MHv4aeh.jpg

mXTUe70.jpg

oMOrmt1.jpg

uGIq9U2.jpg

3gPWOdW.jpg

gLvORsY.jpg

9c9Vq9X.jpg

cN5JuEg.jpg

JRWjL13.jpg

NIw2dfy.jpg

bVzaPf2.jpg

hsyz27k.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks for posting the update Rylan. With some sober second thought, I think Claudio O makes a very good point about the metal likely not having been annealed before the engraving was done. As there is little evidence of a post engraving CCH job. And there are few that post here more qualified to make an assessment of the gun and the workmanship than he. He's right, that would have made the engraving dramatically more difficult. I'm also looking at the new photos and feeling like the engraving isn't as disjointed stylistically as i originally felt. I'm not a fan of beavertails but that's quite a nice looking gun in those photos. I hope you use it and enjoy it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom