I inherited a late teens 12 gauge sterlingworth. It has ejectors but the springs(?) are worn and won’t eject spent shells. Other than that the gun is beautiful (aside from original owner doing a good job at engraving his name on the trigger guard)Anyone near NC that can recommend a competent gunsmith to fix them? Are ejectors rare? Thanks in advance and also thanks for having me in the group!

Gunter Pfrommer
2954 Hopkins Road
Rocky Mount, VA 24151
540 484-5555

Thank you sir

Ejectors are not rare on Fox guns, Porkskins. Foxes have good ejectors, too. The fact that it won't eject the spent hulls does not mean the springs are weak, necessarily.

Welcome on your first postings

What Stanton has said is spot on. I would suggest trying a box of Win AA or Rem Premier or STS
These have brass heads and not coated steel heads.

Might make a large difference

Mike

p.s. where in NC, my daughter lives in Boone

Thanks for the recommendation guys, I’ll def give it a shot the next time I take it out!

The springs could have been removed.

Bill Graham at Nice Old Doubles is another great option......

I live in Winston Salem currently but lived in Boone for a while and if my wife and I stay in NC when we retire, Boone is where I’d like to end up. I absolutely loved living up there, I was in my early 20’s and staying on party street of the college, good times!!

I just sent him an email, I think they may be closer than the other recommendations, thank you sir

Change of subject, but any of you that live in NC, where’s a good place to go bird hunt? I got into dove a few years ago and it’s quickly become my favorite type of hunting but finding a good field has become quite the task. Game land hasn’t been great but about my only option. Also, I’d like to give every other bird a shot at hunting. The only other one I’ve tried is Turkey but I wanna shoot at moving targets!

Question on your problem. Do the ejectors work if you dry fire and gun and open the action? If they don't then I'd expect the ejector springs have been removed. Also FWIW, while not rare, ejectors in Sterlingworths are the not the norm. Only 10 percent of the Sterlingworths sold had ejectors. Just to confirm you have ejectors, does your gun have an escutcheon on the bottom on the forearm. Ejector guns did.

Yes the ejectors “work” if I dry fire. I’m going to try the diff brand of shells suggested before I pay to take it anywhere. I’ve only shot lower powered stuff because that’s what my dad advised, rst I think but don’t hold me to that

Something else to check ....... see if your chambers are rough from corrosion or shell contaminant buildup. When I shot high volume in Argentina my chambers would get plastic residue built up to the point that it would make for weak, even no, ejection. A few brisk passes with an oversized chamber brush would restore perfect ejection.

AND I would put this on the sides of the shell heads to season the chamber


https://www.homedepot.com/p/DANCO-0...N2ZZunhrohoCHGYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mike, I'd be cautious about grease migration past the primers into the powder. Maybe application on just a few shells, but only as you indicated on the sides of the hulls. While not the same as a oil based lubricant, it might not be inert regarding gun powder. I am aware of incidents involving application of lubricants on brass rounds that messed up a lot of ammo. Gil

Fortunately this is one is in pretty dang good shape. Bores and chambers are free of any rust or pitting. Has a good amount of the case hardening remaining and the only thing I can find wrong aside from the ejectors is the original owners name engraved on the trigger guard

An old saltwater fisherman showed me a photo of a nice catch of sea trout and redfish. "Sonny, did you catch them at Eagle's Nest?" "No, at Cat's Neck." "Where's that?" "About 14" from his butthole.". Don't expect a heads up on someone's bird hunting spot on a public forum, other than a preserve, if they have a lick of sense. Gil

In the following, I'm assuming that when you say the 'Ejectors work when the gun is dry fired'..that means they snap when the gun is opened,
But, that you do not have any fired cases or snap caps in the chambers.


This is all about the timing of the Ejectors release..so it may not even apply.

The Ejectors may be releasing a bit early. When that happens, you hear them snap, but the rim of the fired hull is not totally clear of the standing breech.
So the bottom edge of the fired hull strikes the top edge of the standing breech upon ejection and goes no where. It pops right back into the chamber.

Opening the gun very slowly after dryfiring with a snap cap or fired hull in place you can sometimes actually see the early release of the ejector and the hull strike the standing breech instead of launching over it.

Put the bbl's in a padded vise helps and gun horizontal when you do this helps even more as you can use 2 hands to slowly and with control open the breech by lowing the action and watch the (dry) fired hull being lifted and then ejected,,and at what point.

If that is the problem, the Ejector can be made to release a bit later by adjusting the Ejector Sear in the forend.
It takes a very tiny amt of change to effect what you need.

>
Another problem of why the Ejector snaps too early may be a weak Ejector / Ejector Sear engagement ,
These two parts have a squared 'sear engagement' much like a trigger mechanism.
If one or both parts is worn or has been worked over in attempts to change or somehow improve the Ejector timing, that Engagement my be less than secure.
If it was a trigger,,some would use the term ' hair trigger' to describe it

The parts are hardened, Case Hardened usually. Don't try bending the Ejector Sear.
But if the engagement is weak, the angle off...just like with a trigger, it doesn't take as much pressure to release it.
So when the gun is opened the Ejector Sear is push out of enagement with the Ejector (Kicker) too quickly and the early release of the Ejector occurs.

Might not be the problem,,but a couple things to check for

In the old days, 0000 steel wool wrapped around a copper cleaning brush with a splash of oil, secured to a aluminum cleaning rod section and put in a drill and spun, just to clean up the chamber area. I'll bet its dirty with old grease and dried powder and rough as a old corn cob.

I have no first hand info on where to hunt birds in NC other then checking out some game preserves for stocked quail. But, if you can find some areas that were logged in the Smokies over a decade ago that area might lend itself to some Ruffed Grouse shooting. Unless your Sterly has 3 or 4 weight barrels though, I would hate to carry a 12 all day for that though....

A good double gunsmith that can fix your ejectors can take care of that trigger guard graffiti.

Regarding the bird hunting part of your post, consider woodcock. Lots of great habitat on public land in NC and VA. Specifically, I have had a lot of fun hunting them at the Butner Game Lands near Durham, as well as closer to my home in Halifax County VA. They are in season now in both states, I think for the rest of January in NC and through January 21 in VA. You need a dog to hunt them effectively enough to make it enjoyable. If you would like to discuss it or maybe get together and hunt, send me a PM with your email address and/or phone number.