AH Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga.

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Swamp

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Brockville Ont.
I am looking at a Sterlingworth 16ga 28 in. barrels. The gun in excellent condition. Serial 35###. Can anyone give me a value range. I know a picture would be ideal but don't have one. A price range would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Swamp
 
I assume it is an original Fox gun and not a Savage Fox? Made 1910 to 1942 98% condition 1600.00 60% condition 575.00 10% condition 300.00 as you can see a broad range of value based on condition. The bright side is you can add 50% of the noted value because it is a 16 bore. auto ejectors add 33%, single trigger adds 25%. Now the final word (not good) these are values set by the Blue Book and do not apply generally in Canada. I would guess your gun is around 80% condition and would fetch about 750.00 in Canada. Some double gun aficionados will hopefully chime in with better news. Savage Fox guns are worth a lot less than the noted values. I am talking Savage Fox not the Fox branded Stevens guns.(which are worth even less)

Darryl
 
Yeah, we really need to know what Fox it is. As mentioned, there can be a large range in price. If it turned out to be a Stevens Fox model B, it's roughly a $350.00-$400.0 gun in nice condition.
Edit--I see you said it's a Sterlingworth so it won't be a Stevens.
 
Meh, there isn't as big a price difference as suggested between Utica and Philly guns, unless you are a collector looking at a high condition original gun. In fact, I paid less for my 16 gauge Philly gun than I did my 16 gauge Utica gun. Both with 28" barrels but the Utica gun has ejectors.

The deciding factor on price is condition, not where it was made IMHO. So tell us a little more about condition, seeing as you haven't any photos and we can try to be more specific. Get us chamber and chokes, what the bores are like, condition of bluing, wood etc. Does it fire, is it tight and on face, do the barrels ring blah blah blah. The usual drill. So far we have "It's a gun" LOL

But we really need photos. Go back and take some.
 
Swamp said:
I am looking at a Sterlingworth 16ga 28 in. barrels. The gun in excellent condition. Serial 35###. Can anyone give me a value range. I know a picture would be ideal but don't have one. A price range would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Swamp
Click to expand...

Neither did you mention the chamber length?

Could be, 2 1/2, 2 9/16, or 2 3/4 inch.

To many people, this info could be a deal maker or a deal breaker.
 
madtrapper143 said:
The serial number is short one numeral. The part we have dates the gun to 1922 or there about. IIRC it will have a 2 9/16" chamber unless it has been reamed.

Darryl
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Either that or it's a 12 gauge graded Utica gun from 1939 0r 1940. LOL

Actually if we assume the missing digit is that last of the six that should be there, then the gun dates to a range from 1913 to 1925, all of which would make it a Philly gun.
 
Brutus said:
Neither did you mention the chamber length?

Could be, 2 1/2, 2 9/16, or 2 3/4 inch.

To many people, this info could be a deal maker or a deal breaker.
Click to expand...

Below is a quote from Dave Noreen, one of the most knowledgeable and historically accurate double gun guys in the US. Some of you might recognize his handle, "Researcher", from visits to a variety of American double gun sites like DG, Remington Society, Fox Collectors, etc.

"The only two A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogues, that I have seen, that state chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914. They both state 12-gauge guns are regularly chambered for 2¾" shells, 16-gauge 2 9/16“ shells and 20-gauge 2 1/2' shells.

That being said, virtually every 12-gauge Ansley H. Fox gun made in Philadelphia (other than the HE-Grade Super-Fox) that I've run a chamber gauge in shows about 2 5/8". The chambers of unmolested 16-gauge guns seem to run about 2 7/16" and 20-gauge guns a hair over 2 3/8". A very few graded guns were ordered with longer chambers. Savage began stating chambered for 2¾ inch shells in their 1938 Fox catalogues.

All this being said there is a good body of evidence that back in those days chambers were held about 1/8 inch shorter than the shells for which they were intended. In the recently published book "The Parker Story" the Remington vintage specification sheets on pages 164 to 169 call for a chamber 1/8-inch shorter than the shell for which it is intended. Also in the 1930's there were a couple of articles in "The American Rifleman" (July 1936 and March 1938) on the virtue of short chambers. A recent issue of The Double Gun Journal carried an article on tests showing no significant increase in pressure from shooting shells in slightly short chambers. IMHO I don't much sweat that 1/8" in 12-gauge guns. On the other hand when one gets a 20-gauge chambered at 2 3/8" likely intended for 2 1/2" shells I do worry about folks firing 2 3/4" shells in such guns. "

This should answer everyone's questions about chamber lengths.
 
Swamp said:
I am looking at a Sterlingworth 16ga 28 in. barrels. The gun in excellent condition. Serial 35###. Can anyone give me a value range. I know a picture would be ideal but don't have one. A price range would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Swamp
Click to expand...

What really does that mean? I have seen a number of guns that were described as excellent condition that were far from it when you know what to look for.
 
gunsaholic said:
What really does that mean? I have seen a number of guns that were described as excellent condition that were far from it when you know what to look for.
Click to expand...

Brian, there is a thread right now on 16 Gauge Society called "The Art of Rating a Gun's Condition". Rather germane at the moment. The general consensus there is that it's a lost art. However, remember, while the OP asked for our advice, he's not asking us to buy and likely the gun isn't with him. I'm not surprised by the vagueness.
 
I'll have to check that forum out. Why I questioned him about what exactly he meant by excellent condition is because he mentioned that he is looking at the gun. Hopefully it might prevent him from buying something that might be perceived as excellent by some but turns out to be something else. Best to look at various aspects of the gun that might detail the true condition before putting down any cash. Plus, as he is thinking about the gun, a true or accurate representation of condition will affect value. Unless he has given it a careful examination already, he needs to ask some questions and not just go by what it might look like as far as determining his opinion for it being thought of as excellent.
 
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I just meant that he probably doesn't have the gun in front of him. Everything you have said is correct and many of us have some experience with things being called "excellent" that really aren't. As far as the thread is concerned, it really comes down to whether the OP wants our best advice on that particular gun or some quick generalizations.
 
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