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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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3 rules:
1. Never trust a dealer - any dealer. I don't care what anyone says. I've seen a number of "honest" ones mislead trusting customers.
2. Always have a gun you're considering sent to a 'smith who is an expert in them (not some hobby 'smith). Pay this 'smith to inspect the gun. Pay him some more to teach you what he is inspecting. If you need help finding a good 'smith, ask here.
3. Always insist on a 3-day inspection with full refund for any reason.
OWD
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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The best way to do it is to start hanging around your local gun clubs and start asking questions. Usually there will be someone there to help you and show you up close what guns should be like. Jimmy: Thanks for the suggestion about local gun club members being a good resource. Do you mean a gun club that is shotgun oriented (i.e. sporting clays, trap, skeet, etc) or a local chapter of SCI? I live in the metro Phoenix area and I am not aware of any shotgun oriented clubs; however, I've never really looked for one. I'll try to find and plug into such a resource. Take care;
Last edited by Jeff Welker; 11/03/09 09:33 AM.
Jeff Welker
Raconteur · Gadabout · Daydreamer · Bon Vivant · Romantic · Stargazer
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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You have the advantage in buying a gun for a project in you do not need to be too concerned with the amount of finish a gun has remaining. Most sellers will rightly expect top dollar for a high condition gun with most of its original finish remaining. A real nice condition Fox Sterlingworth 16 may have a asking price north of 2K while a gun that is in solid mechanical condition with little remaining finish will struggle to make 1K.
Look for a gun with good barrels and one that is on face. Do not buy one with lots of dents and dings in the metal, heavy pitting either inside the barrels or on the surface. Honest wear is fine and should be expected. Anything can be fixed but do not buy a money pit if you can avoid it. Have a good gunsmith look over your gun if possible when you get your choices down to one or two candidates.
If you post pictures of you guns here many can point out most of the potential flaws. Do not rush the purchase. There are thousands of Sterlingworths and more of them are well used than pristine. Which means your potential pool of guns to use is much larger than some one who just wants a high condition gun for a collection or as a nice shooter.
In your travels, while looking for your gun, do not pass on a few extras if you come across them. If you come across a set of barrels for a 16 or 20, that are in decent shape, buy them. Both the 16 and 20 are on the same frame. Having a second set of barrels can make a gun much more versatile. Fitting a set of barrels is not that hard to do. For ends are easier to find than barrels.
Search the net. You can look at more guns in a few hours on the internet than you will see in years in person. Plus gun found on the net are easy to link to here for a quick second opinion. KY Jon; Great comments and suggestions - very helpful. Thanks;
Jeff Welker
Raconteur · Gadabout · Daydreamer · Bon Vivant · Romantic · Stargazer
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2005
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Jeff:
I live here as well and I think the Rio Salado club out your way shoots trap & skeet. I know for sure you can shoot at Ben Avery.
Jim
The 2nd Amendment IS an unalienable right.
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Joined: Oct 2009
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 41 |
3 rules:
1. Never trust a dealer - any dealer. I don't care what anyone says. I've seen a number of "honest" ones mislead trusting customers.
2. Always have a gun you're considering sent to a 'smith who is an expert in them (not some hobby 'smith). Pay this 'smith to inspect the gun. Pay him some more to teach you what he is inspecting. If you need help finding a good 'smith, ask here.
3. Always insist on a 3-day inspection with full refund for any reason.
OWD OWD: OK, I'm asking - I need help finding a good gunsmith in the metro Phoenix area that is qualified to help me evaluate potential Fox purchases. Using the 3-day inspection period, I need someone that is experienced in this field. Any assistance you can provide in finding such an individual would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you;
Jeff Welker
Raconteur · Gadabout · Daydreamer · Bon Vivant · Romantic · Stargazer
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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The first thing you should do is take the McIntosh book into the bathroom with you and keep it there. Every visit to the can will mean one less page in the book. When you have used up all the pages, you'll be a lot smarter.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2006
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Jeff, In the past I have insisted from sellers that the gunsmith's inspection is not part of the three days grace given after purchase. If the seller doesn't comply I don't buy.
There is an old saw: "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you read". Live by this.
And since you can only believe half of it,read everything you can. Good Luck, Justin
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2006
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I would say, buy a junker, take it apart, find it's problems, then avoid those in the future. Having a smith show you the error of your ways is priceless.
For a project gun, good mechanicals and decent barrels are all you need anyway. No reason to pay for high condition.
Out there doing it best I can.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,758 Likes: 460 |
Unfortunately Jeff the closest doublegun specialist smiths to Phoenix are Freddie Brunner in Escondido, CA 442-738-8413 or Steve Bertram in Boulder, CO 303-938-1996. Dan Lammers (DL Precision) does great work but his interest is high grade target guns; he has worked on several vintage SBTs for me.
Last edited by Drew Hause; 11/03/09 10:48 AM.
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,246 Likes: 163 |
Since you live in Phoenix, the Glendale Cabelas is in your area. Cabelas has system-wide a number of 16 ga Sterlingworths. Pick the best two and see if they will ship them to Glendale to be checked out. Buy yourself a Skeets bore gauge from Midway or Brownells, and using the tips from this thread give them a once over. It's not all that difficult once you know what to look for. And remember, make the purchase with your head, not your heart. I've done that and regretted it $$$.
Ed
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