Fox Sterlingworth 12ga, anybody hunt them?

Troy Fields

Well-known member
I recently acquired via a trade deal, a 1926 (by serial number research) 12ga Fox Sterlingworth Dbl. The barrels are stamped "Sterlingworth Fluid Compressed Steel". My only real plan for the gun is to shoot lead through it for upland and hares but does anyone own one and still hunt it? Any concerns shooting today's lead loads? Waterfowl loads?

Thanks all.

Troy
 
I hunt with a few Foxes as do several friends

That is a late Philadelphia gun. Very likely 2 5/8 chambers
You didn't say what the barrel length is 28 is common as is 30
The chokes (if not altered) will be mod full if 28. Could be full full if 30

Light lead loads are fine
Do not shoot steel. The Kent and rio lTM and Bismuth loads are stiff for that gun, RST makes a low pressure Bismuth load or you can reload for it
 
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Thanks Rick.

the barrel is 28"

I'm told, by the previous owner, that the bores are Improved and Light Modified?

I am thinking of getting some RST 2-1/2" 1oz loads for it. Do you have any experience with these?

Thanks again.
 
Troy Fields said:
Thanks Rick.

I am thinking of getting some RST 2-1/2" 1oz loads for it. Do you have any experience with these?

Thanks again.

More than a little- my group shoots clays nearly every week, as well as hunting with our doubles,
So we all buy them by the case, good shells and good people to deal with. Give them a call
 
Troy,
I have a L.C. Smith 20ga. My buddies shoot Ithaca Flues, Fox Sterlingworth, Lefever Nitro Special and a Fulton.
We all use the RST loads. Nice shells. They do on occasion use modern loads with no ill effect.

Zane
 
Thanks Zane. I have a 1923, 20ga Lefever Nitro Special (family heirloom) as well, looks like another call to RST...

Thanks a lot guys!
 
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Troy, Tap on the Fox Collectors Ass. . We have a open part where nonmembers can use. There is more info. there than you can use in a lifetime. I have gunning with a A. H. Fox for more years than a few. Yes rst is the way to go. One more thing if you have not ,pleas do have it checked by a good double smith. Enjoy good gunning. Respectfully, Fritz
 
Do you have any problem wing shooting these old double guns with the extreme drop at heel most factory stocks exhibit? I,ve got a couple old doubles and although I don,t intend to shoot them I,m not sure I could with their stock dimensions.
 
Hey Troy, Most smiths know very little of vintage sxs pieces . Here are a few you can trust . Tony Galazan , Dan Rossiter & Dewey Vicknair. . All can will have a web . Good luck, Respectfully Fritz.
 
I have a fox sterlingworth 20 , use for partridge and woodcock. Also an L C Smith 20 ( Ideal grade) not too fancy and a 12 ga Lefever nitro special, may try it with some rst waterfowl loads; according to the serial # it was made in 1927--28! Haven't checked how old the first two are; its on my list! They were all used a lot by my dad and and a close friend of his and mine. The 20 s are imp cly and mod; I'm guessing the 12 in mod/full. Ive got a buddy with a choke gauge so I'll ck them all again. the barrels could have been altered; my dads used to shoot very tight and I think he had it opened up, but thats a 40 yr old memory! I think the 20 s chokes are printed on the barrels, but don't see that on the 12.
 
Sandy Allen said:
I have a fox sterlingworth 20 , use for partridge and woodcock. Also an L C Smith 20 ( Ideal grade) not too fancy and a 12 ga Lefever nitro special, may try it with some rst waterfowl loads; according to the serial # it was made in 1927--28! Haven't checked how old the first two are; its on my list! They were all used a lot by my dad and and a close friend of his and mine. The 20 s are imp cly and mod; I'm guessing the 12 in mod/full. Ive got a buddy with a choke gauge so I'll ck them all again. the barrels could have been altered; my dads used to shoot very tight and I think he had it opened up, but thats a 40 yr old memory! I think the 20 s chokes are printed on the barrels, but don't see that on the 12.

just an FYI the numbers on the underside of Fox barrels is the weight range indicator - not the chokes -

LC Smith did not mark chokes as far as I know- none of those i have owned were.

Ithaca did mark chokes with a code- but i do not believe they carried that to the LeFever Nitros

the Lefever is a solid gun - if it is in good condition it will digest those RST loads without issue
 
to Rick L. Thanks for the info about the choke markings. I haven't looked at any choke markings on the 20 s recently. I may have assumed they imp/mod because of how they were used by my dad and his friend. I'll get them out soon and ck them, My buddy who has quite a few doubles will visiting soon and will bring his choke gauges with him. I loved upland hunting, but have switched mostly to ducks for the last 20 yrs, for 2 reasons-- the lack of grouse and woodcock locally and the fact that age is taking its toll on my walking ability! But I still hunt deer , and if the birds were here I'd make the effort, just not the 10 miles a day that I used to take for granted. The problem is too many birthdays--I've had 74! My friend says that some guns, especially imported doubles, are not marked correctly, and even with gauges guns don't always shoot the same way, and that different shells also cause variation in how they pattern. We see this obviously with steel shot and different wads, especially spreader loads.
 
well used, but well cared for - it deserves to be hunted

the "3" indicates these are the next to the lightest set of barrels - do not read that as thin or unsafe - it just has to do with the balance of the gun,
many waterfowl hunters looked for heavier guns and barrels can add a lot of weight - the wood is not

the lightest sets were marked with a 4 - the standard frame Foxes went up to 1 as a weight ( the HE "Super Fox came out as 0 weights)
 
Thanks Rick. It shall be hunted. I own very few safe queens. This will primarily be a Rangeley gun, grouse and hares.
 
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