Hi Gang:

I found this "bargin" on Gunbroker.com. item number 115970895. For a person who is looking for a Sterly in 20 ga., this may be the gun for you. LOL

Take a look at it and let us know your thoughts.


Franchi

Surely that cannot be a bargain. I don't claim to know much about these, but that looks way high priced and the wood inletting looks old and worn and oil softened, while the forearm checking looks like it was cut yesterday.

Not for me.

Brent

Looks like the fellow operating the belt sander on the barrels slipped and almost took the extension rib clean off. Nice $300 parts gun.

They just sold one at Greg Martin today for $1,100. I was going to bid on it but got caught up in a meeting. Anyway it is lot 327 if anyone cares to look. http://catalog.gregmartinauctions.com:80...94109&-find

Looks like someone refinished a fairly early Utica gun and remarked it as a Philadelphia gun. The highest serial number Philadelphia era 20-gauge Sterlingworth I've recorded is 262,867, but I have recorded Savage guns as low as 259,354 which was a 30-inch 20-gauge, a slow mover for sales back in the day.

You don't see that engraved Fox Proof on Sterlingworths!! That is only see on XE-Grades and higher. And, they left the Savage-Era Fox-Sterlingworth on the sides of the frame. But, other then that she's cherry!! Not!

I'd bet it barrels originally read like the bottom set here --

http://www.foxcollectors.com/barrel_stamps.htm

Researcher,

I'm having trouble underdstanding why you think the barrels are fraudulent. Other than the "engraved" proof mark (maybe it isn't?), and the fact this would represent the highest numbered Philly barrels you've seen, why couldn't they just be a leftover set of Philly Sterlingworth barrels with an unusual proof mark, numbered and assembled at Utica?

Otherwise, are you suggesting that someone took a set of Savage era XE barrels (engraved Fox proof), fit a Sterlingworth latch lug, and then roll stamped the Philly address and Sterlingworth on them? Who would fake a SW?

Could it be the only mystery is the Fox proof? I only have one Utica gun, and it's the only Fox I've seen without any Fox proof at all on the barrel flats and "16ga" stamped on the watertable.

I have to agree with Mike. If all you have is an SW what are you trying to fake? If the gun was now an XE, I could understand what was being faked.

My feeling is that in refinishing, someone attempted to make an early Utica gun look like a Philadelphia gun. For years perople have said that Philadelphia guns are worth more then Utica guns. In well over 40 years of looking at these guns I've not seen the large lettering on top of the barrels on any but Utica guns. Never seen the Fox-Sterlingworth stamped on the side of the frame except on Utica guns.

And, recently we've seen a nice smallbore CE-Grade making the rounds, that a member formerly owned and it was marked Utica, but now it is marked on top of the left barrel A.H. Fox Gun Co. Phila., Pa. Which isn't the "correct" marking to co with its Chromox Steel barrel marking on the right barrel.

Maybe I'm getting skeptical in my dotage!

A lot of times it pays to be skeptical, especially as greedy and selfish as people are nowadays. Besides, I've been that way since pup-age, and I don't see no reason to change in my codger-age.

Apparently, their ability to fake markings is much better than their ability to properly restore a shotgun. Haven't I heard that a famous Fox mechanic (Mitzi Bieler?) marked barrels whatever way he chose? For many years, NOS Fox barrels and parts were readily available. The Greg Martin gun, with its ruined buttstock and probably nearly ruined floorplate, would only be useful for an upgrade project.

With all the other suspect quirks, I think the barrels have been cut.. MDC

I agree. The bottom markings look engraved and they got the "E" wrong. Note the consistent high position of the middle post on the top barrel comparred to the bottom.

The spec says extractor, but if so it's got an ejector forend.