doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 32" Sterlingworth..

Ken, a very nice Sterlingworth. I have a 32" SW that is close to your serial number. Mine is F&F with .038" chokes in both barrels. Drop at heel is about 2-5/8", a little less that the factory spec of 2-3/4". It comes up really well. I bought it intending to make a sporting clays gun but it's just too nice to take apart, perfect screws, perfect bores, lots of cc remaining, probably 95% varnish. Much better that I thought it would be when I spotted it on a web site. They are great guns. Mine is reserved for waterfowl and fox hunting. Congrats on your find Silvers

Hey, Silvers, you can't leave us hanging like that. What do you mean you can't take it apart for a sporting gun but you can take it waterfowl hunting? I have read some confusing posts on this site, but that woke me up from a sound sleep.

Silvers,

I can sure understand your intent to make a sporting gun out of the Fox. Mine is much more lively than the 32" HE that I had.
The chokes are similar to your gun. I haven't measured the drop but I could use a LOT less! I've always shot high comb guns and struggle with anything that has even normal drop. That won't stop me from shooting it though.


Regards,
Ken

Eightbore, nothing confusing about it at all. It's not about taking the 32" SW out in duck weather or having it bounce around a boat. I use all my guns; I'm not a museum curator. It's strictly about the economics of making up another Fox sporting clays gun, starting out with a cheaper one that's in lesser condition than the 32" SW I have.

I don't recall seeing you write about sporting clays, so maybe you don't understand what it would take to make up a dedicated Fox sporting gun. If I were to re-do my 32" SW for sporting I would open the chokes to about .025" each, lengthen the chambers, get somewhat longer cones for modern wads, have a new buttstock made with my dimensions, also a new forearm made that is longer and fuller. Then... since the stock and checkering would look new, I'd probably have the barrels re-blued. Doesn't make sense to do that to an unmolested SW, since I already have two decent Foxes already set up for the courses. In case you're wondering here's what one looks like. Silvers

A nice looking race gun, for sure. Since I'm not making my living shooting NSCA, my side by side sporting guns are pretty much the way they were made. I'm setting up a Smith sporting gun right now and my biggest expense has been a piece of stick on sanding disc on each side of the grip area (the checkering is a bit worn). One barrel is already .025 and I think I'll leave the other side at .033. It's a 32" vent rib ejector gun. I have high hopes for its future. I may shoot a few ducks with it too. By the way, Silvers, you won't catch me writing about SC much. I shot USSCA and NSCA from the start, have a very low NSCA number. I gave up the registered birds very early in NSCA history, early nineties. I had a good time, got my A card, but when prime registered birds came close to a buck a bird, I found it hard to find a regular travelling companion. I would go back, but I think its too late.

Ken,

Pretty nuice looking old beater!! What does a 32-inch barrel 12-gauge weigh with 2-weight barrels? My 32-inch 12-gauge XE-Grade with 1-weight barrels goes a fraction of an ounce over 8 pounds.

Dave

Dave, my 32" SW with #2 barrels weighs 7-9. Silvers

My 32" SW,with #2's, #106031 weighed 7-11. I expect to finish it at 8 to 8-4.