Here is the link to the old thread you can pick it up where we left off…. a lot has happened since I asked for the opinion on the B grade checkering pattern, took a few liberties… hope the Fox guys approve of where things are going!
http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=255244&page=1The big Fox is close to being finished, the wood work is done so now I need to concentrate on all the other messed up areas in need of repair, mostly cosmetic stuff and a bit of ejector work.
The bottom of the action, the trigger plate and guard are full of little dents, probably as a result of the previous butchering/restocking. Also the removal of the brazed tang extensions left a few scars but overall it is a great old Fox….and it shoots like a cannon, I put it all together and tried it out for function on some clays this past weekend, had a couple of boxes of old 1 1/8 oz AA handicap trap loads in 7 ˝’s saved up for it, it reduced a few incomers to fine dust but the most fun was putting a ridiculous amount of lead on the high tower and crushing the targets to tiny little pieces at 50 + yards….now that was something.
New slightly oversized guard screws made
All dents struck off as well as the border engraving….will need to re-engrave. It was at this point that I realized the direction I needed to take, the work was turning out too nice to allow any of the old wood to go back on
To my way of thinking, a big straight grip gun like this looks better if the lines and proportions are correct, so I decided to make a new fore end.
A graded Fox ejector for end takes as much time to get perfect as a stock does….especially one this long and slender which also involved the re-setting of the latch at a different angle….lots of work there
I settled for a long and slender semi beavertail…I think it looks great and feels even better on the hand
After a lot of meticulous shaping, flat sanding and many hand rubbed coats of oil…she’s starting to look like something