doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Can someone tell me about this Fox?

It looks beautiful but not knowing much about American doubles I'm wondering what effect the restoration has on value.

AR15 http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_162/1042358_WTS_Fox_Sterlingworth_16ga_Custom_reduced.html

It's about double the price of a very good original Sterlingworth.

Twice the price of a nice original Sterlingworth yes, but then original Sterlingworths don't have nice wood & checketing like the gun pictured & usually have a shorter L.O.P. & more drop than most modern shooters want.

Dave Vandenbrant does very, very nice work so if the stock dimensions are correct for you & you are looking for a very handsome Fox shooter as opposed to an original Fox Sterlingworth to collect it would be difficult to duplicate for that price assuming that everything has been done correctly.

Isn't the Sterlingworth frame and internals the same as the higher grades?

I've owned an original Sterlingworth for over 40 years and it's always been a nice reliable gun for me. Having said that; for this kind of money I'd be looking for a nice vintage British sidelock double or a higher grade Fox of recent manufacture.
Jim

Correct, exactly the same.......the same hammers, springs, internal small parts etc. in all of them........I've had most of the different graded Foxes and many, many Sterlingworths apart for restoration.........I've seen no difference.....

Purchaser's of graded guns paid extra for engraving and wood and the "so called" Chromox barrel steel.....which blues/blacks the same as the Sterlingworth compressed barrel steel.......I think the name Chromox and Compressed Steel were just sales name recognition tools , you know like whitewall tires and a radio.........

The Sterlingworth 16 pictured has an excessive price tag on it IMO.....similar very nice Sterlingworths sell in restored condition with very good original refinished wood for $2500-$3000.00 on the internet sites usually........

There are a few minty original uncut Grade A Fox 16 Philly guns in the $4500.00 range on Guns International as a comparison........

With ejectors and upgraded to 'C' or maybe an 'X' it'd sell for the listed price I'd think. Maybe you'd have to bait it with a gold bird or dog on the bottom..

Nice wood. The forend looks long to me,,might just be the photo angle.
Checkered wood butt?

So little you can tell from one picture.
..what else will $6K buy in a 16 or 20 ga SxS

..what else will $6K buy in a 16 or 20 ga SxS [/quote]


A lot.

A lot. [/quote]

You answered the question correctly I believe..

A "similar" Sterlingworth likely does not exist. That is not a commodity item, like an original SW or even a restored SW. It is a purely custom American SxS based on a SW platform.

Therefore, as a one-of-a-kind custom gun, it is worth whatever the seller and buyer agree upon. The way I would value such a gun is to decide 1) it is perfect for me and I would like to own it or one just like it. Then 2) what would it cost me to reproduce it? And 3) does the cost to own it represent a bargain with respect to the cost to duplicate it?

In this case, having employed celebrity craftsmen, the owner is probably justified in claiming "no expense was spared." IMO, if all the work was commissioned from professionals, the gun could possibly be duplicated for the asking price, but with all the risk, angst and possibly frustration of a 2-year+ project.

Without passing personal judgement on the individual gun, the fact is, one person thought it was a worthwhile project. I don't see anything distasteful or out of the mainstream about it and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get $5K out of it.