Save old sxs or buy new sxs

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Brodie34

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Recently I came into some inheritance money from my grandmother. She told me a few months before she passed that she really wanted me to use some of this money to get me something I wanted, not just for bills or savings.

So I have been thinking about what I want to do and I am torn on what to do. I love sxs shotguns and I fell in love with them with a 12ga fox sterlingworth that belonged to my grandfather. Since I started shooting that gun I found it had started to come off face and is getting a little loose. It also has a big chip out of the wood up against the back of the action. I stopped shooting it after finding these things out.

I also want to start using a sxs for all of my hunting. Ducks, geese, and all upland birds. Modern guns with the ability to shoot steel without any issues is something that I really enjoy and would like to have available.

So to the crux of my issue, do I spend this money on restoring my grandfather's shotgun or do I spend it on a newer sxs that will handle all my modern needs. I don't have enough money to do both right now, so it's either or unfortunately. Please help me with this decision haha
 
I would retire the Fox for now in favour of a steel-capable gun if you want to shoot waterfowl. Come back to it one day in the future when the budget is not so tight if you are inclined to get it restored as an upland gun. Just me.
 
While im inclined to agree with the above ill add that there are some modern non toxic loads safe for classic sxs guns. Theyre not cheap but they do allow the old guns to be used for waterfowl again.
 
The link to your grandfathers shotgun is one that you should never ignore. As I get older, the link to my ancestors feel more and more important. I think its that way with alot of people. You have a tangible item (and a firearm at that) that will help you remember your grandfather. Spend the money, get it restored and buy non toxic loads that are safe for that shotgun! Then one day, when you make a skilled shot in beautiful weather and the sun shines down on your upland game, you will feel a connection with your grandfather.

Maybe a little heavy on the drama, but worth considering.
 
I have my great grandfathers Fox Grade A. Given that I had the gun fixed (it was doubling) and restored, there is only one answer I can give. Fix the old gun. You will never regret it. You may add a more modern semi or pump one day that better suits your waterfowl hunting needs but you will always be happy with the choice to save your grandfather’s gun.
 
If you can afford it have the Fox re done. They are a well made shotgun and will give years of enjoyment when fixed up. There are not too many guys around that can do that sort of work anymore so waiting may land you in the with the Winchester Model 12 guys who can find no one to work on their beloved shotguns.

Darryl
 
I don't know about the funds involved but I would suggest that you can both save and restore the old gun and also buy a new one. I suspect there are very few single gun owners on CGN, no reason for the OP to be one of them. Although as far as doubles go, my motto used to be "Beware betting against the man with only one gun."
 
So there you have it, recomendations to do both of your options plus a another one or two to think about. Asking these kinds of questions on here seldom lead to definative answers! :)
I would be struggleing with this decision as well but I'm leaning toward the camp of purchasing a new gun now and rebuilding the Fox as funding become's available. Regardless of what you ultimately end up doing, the Fox will always be invaluable to you as an herloom whether it's rebuilt or not.
 
Big Bad said:
I don't know about the funds involved but I would suggest that you can both save and restore the old gun and also buy a new one. I suspect there are very few single gun owners on CGN, no reason for the OP to be one of them.
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I'd guess that if the Fox has yet to be fixed up, funds are limited (or assigned to other project)
- Don't know how old Brodie34 is... but if one starts buying other guns and waits to have the $$ to fix his grand father's gun... the Fox will never get fixed, as something else will always creep up... and over time, restauration $ will only go up.

This been said, if OP is overloaded in bills
- It would make more sens to clear up... and evaluate how these debts came about.
 
madtrapper143 said:
If you can afford it have the Fox re done. They are a well made shotgun and will give years of enjoyment when fixed up. There are not too many guys around that can do that sort of work anymore so waiting may land you in the with the Winchester Model 12 guys who can find no one to work on their beloved shotguns.

Darryl
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Don't need to work on them if they never break down:)... I would buy new ,save the old girl until it can be done right my .02 RD
 
Done right, this is what it can look like:







Takes a lot more money to buy a new gun today of equivalent quality than it does to properly restore one. Not that the market will value the restored one the same but I don't care....won't be selling this one. It goes to the range and it goes turkey hunting with me. The restoration was done about 15 years ago. It still looks as good. One day it will belong to my son. Been in the family and been used for 112 years. I hope it gets used for another 112 years.
 
madtrapper143 said:
If you can afford it have the Fox re done. They are a well made shotgun and will give years of enjoyment when fixed up. There are not too many guys around that can do that sort of work anymore so waiting may land you in the with the Winchester Model 12 guys who can find no one to work on their beloved shotguns.

Darryl
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You're right, there aren't a ton of qualified smiths to do good, quality work on old SxS, but they are out there and they are easy to find, thanks to the internet.

Chris Dawe of Nfld comes immediately to mind. But there are others. Stelios Crysychou, Claudio Opecek, Martin Hagn and there are more. The problem is that people take their vintage SxS to smiths who AREN'T qualified. They just happen to be nearby. And those guys don't say no. So you get shoddy work with shortcuts taken and that can make it seem like no one knows how to work on them properly.
 
What a ton of great replies you guys have given me. The pictures of the restored fox have swayed my mind to the restoration path and I will just use the specific non toxic shot on the gun when I go for waterfowl. Thank all of you so much for your thoughts! As I am only 28 years old, I'd like to go into my hunting prime with that gun and when the little ones come around, I'd like to have my grandfather's gun to show them.
 
Heck, I still have the 12 G barn gun one of my grandfathers used to scare crows out of the cornfield. The fore end is held on by black hockey tape, probably because the lump broke off at some point and was brazed back on, and the firing pin and a screw or two actually fell out and were lost when a cousin had it, but it's still my grandfather's gun.

EDIT: I'm told this gun was probably originally owned by my great-grandfather and inherited with the farm. So maybe just as well the firing pin is missing.
 
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canvasback said:
Done right, this is what it can look like:







Takes a lot more money to buy a new gun today of equivalent quality than it does to properly restore one. Not that the market will value the restored one the same but I don't care....won't be selling this one. It goes to the range and it goes turkey hunting with me. The restoration was done about 15 years ago. It still looks as good. One day it will belong to my son. Been in the family and been used for 112 years. I hope it gets used for another 112 years.
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Wow what an absolutely beautiful gun, can I ask what gunsmith you went too? I have yet to find a smith that I know who works on these types of guns regularly.
 
Brodie34 said:
Wow what an absolutely beautiful gun, can I ask what gunsmith you went too? I have yet to find a smith that I know who works on these types of guns regularly.
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That restoration was done by a combination of people. The basic metal work and repair to the doubling was done by Stelios Chrysychou of SC Gunworks in Keswick, ON. The wood work was done by Peter ???? who worked with Stel. Peter is now long retired. And the redo of the CCH (colour case hardening) that give the action those colours was done by Claudio Opacek, also in ON.

I think you are in BC. Don't know where. You might consider talking to Stuart Newby who is/was a very good, English trained smith. If you are sending the gun out of province, I'd pick Chris Dawe or Claudio Opacek. Chris will likely be faster. But be forwarned......time is measured in half years and years for good work to be done.

You really want smiths who ONLY work on these kinds of guns. Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions regarding getting the right smith and knowing what you want done.
 
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