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Forums10
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,438
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,438 |
As a long time Fox owner and shooter I think the following is a fair assessment of the gun; It,IMO of course, was the finest gun for the money at the time. There's no way it can compare with the handmade masterpieces coming out of Great Britian during that period no was it intended to do so. Jim
The 2nd Amendment IS an unalienable right.
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,250
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,250 |
"But only the Birmingham guns were of any note." Wish Pete woulda put this as his first sentence of his rave-up, I could have stopped right then and there. Must have a thing against London guns, or...............!
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 803
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 803 |
Well, here is my breakdown on the American guns.
LC Smith: Simple design and virtually never shoot loose. Best engraving in higher models than any other. Lefever comes a close second in engraving. Like most sidelocks, the LC tends to crack behind the lock plate. Single trigger LC's have even less wood and less strength. As in all guns, the earlier, the better made. Pre-1913 guns are best. The post 1913 guns are available in two weights but neither is as light as I would prefer. The pre 1913 guns are often available in very light weights which are a superb joy to take upland. Tend to crack behind the tangs like other boxlocks.
Lefever: not to be confused with the butt-ugly Ithica-Lefever (Nitro Special). Another fine gun in higher grades. Has the great design feature of a simple screw which tightens action back on face. Beautiful engraving and unbelievable checkering in higher grades. Design had many iterations and difficult to change parts back and forth. Rather more complicated design. Many guns in fine handling weights.
Fox: In a way, it is a box-lock LC. It was often available in lighter upland weights which is a bonus and has led to folks like MM saying kind things about it. Except for the early guns, the Fox had the worst engraving of any American gun.
Ithica: Available in many types with the Flues being rather weak, and the latter NID being strong. Basically, it was meant to be a cheap gun but with more higher grades available. Frankly, it was a boxy, buttugly gun but quite a good shooter. The higher grades had excellent checkering. NID was long lasting.
Parker: The Parker had one feature which really put it above the others. It was available in many more frame sizes than the others which allowed it to be more ergodynamic for more people. I personally love the 0 frame size for 20 & 16 gauges, but to each his own. Decent checkering and engraving but not a match to LC or Lefever. For some reason, they made the drop extremely deep as a rule.
There were also imported guns such as the Chas Daly Lindner and Sauers. Fine guns.
There were also the imported Brit guns (mainly shotguns only since the Brits never understood rifles), but only the Birmingham guns were of any note. ergodynamic?
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,144 Likes: 202
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,144 Likes: 202 |
PJ, I can't answer your question because, as I mentioned, I have never been able to figure out who bought them. OK, you might have it, they may be bow tie guys. By the way, it's not a wagon, it's a ragtop. Boy, that $100,000 plus would have paid for a Cobra Repro, also with wood sides.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,164 Likes: 2
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,164 Likes: 2 |
“No Fox gun--indeed, no American gun---has ever approached the perfection of a London best nor the finest products of the various European trades, but by the same token, no boxlock action built anywhere exceeds the simplicity or reliability or sheer mechanical excellence of a Fox. No British or European boxlock is any better, and no American gun can even come close---not Parker nor Ithaca nor the Winchester 21 nor even Uncle Dan Lefever’s great Automatic Hammerless.” All true. What's the problem?
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. - Albert Einstein
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,350
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,350 |
Yes, Fin2, so far no evidence to refute:
" no boxlock action built anywhere exceeds the simplicity or reliability or sheer mechanical excellence of a Fox."
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 293
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 293 |
Why would only a "Birmingham gun be of note". I just got a C. Hunt SxS? The action is marked "Birmingham & London", so I guess I have all my bases covered.
Regards,
Max
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,468
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,468 |
hehehe
bait for crossedchisels
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,826 Likes: 12
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,826 Likes: 12 |
IMO the Remingtons were the best- but then they never get any mention.Paul
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 41
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 41 |
I can buy a Westley Richards A&D boxlock non-ejector for less than a Fox Sterlingworth…which one would you rather have? Don’t get me wrong, I love Fox’s, but they’re not the same gun as a Westley Richards.
Vintage and Double Gun Loony
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