doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Fox Sterlingworth lettering

I noticed the unusual lettering on this Sterlingworth. It almost looks like hand engraving, don't recall seeing it before.

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12422170

That gun, by serial number is 1929-1930. Fox was sold in November 1929. I suspect the lettering is in fact hand engraved as the die stamp might have not been made by the time that gun was made. Call that gun a transition gun if you like. I have seen several guns with both Phily and Savage markings as parts on hand were used up in the transition.

I've seen the big lettering on the barrels of early Utica guns before, but can't recall ever seeing those big letters on the sides of the frame. Actually very nice looking lettering. Much better than some struck with beyond worn out roll-stamps!!

It looks rolled to me. The F Is very heavy at the bottom as are most of the first half of the lettering.

Chuck, I agree it looks rolled on to me also. Over the last 40 or so years I've seen a few Sterlingworths but don't recall ever seeing one with this marking. You would think that there are more out there.

Those are hand cut/engraved lettering. There are small variations in depth to hand cut letters too.
Especially in a factory setting where only a few minutes may be allowed per piece for that. Apprentice skill level workers usually got the call on such pieces & parts to keep the labor cost as low as possible on the entry level priced gun.

Hand cut. He did the right side on Friday after a week's practice. Still hungover on Monday when he did the left side.

Definitely engraved. Notice tiny differences from one side to the other especially the top half of the S.

So a transition gun perhaps. Made while the roll stamp was not ready. The barrels have been roll stamped.

Interesting that the "engraver" made exactly the same errors on both sides of the gun. Check the upper loop shape of the "R"s, the tails on the "T", the overly wide base of the "F", the tight spacing of the "LIN" and the extra spacing of the "G" from the previous letter. If you go to the auction site and click on one picture of the side, you get an enlarged picture, then you can scroll back and forth between the adjacent picture of the side while enlarged. Change your browser setting to 150% or 200%. It becomes obvious both sides are made from the same stamp.

Rollmarks and stamps are created by actual engraving...either by machine (today) or by hand in the past. I agree, the lettering on that gun reflects hand cut letters...as cut on a stamp/rollmark.