clance
Member
This posting was inspired by the post concerning Gander Mountain.
The first part of September, I was saved from making a terrible mistake by one of the experts at Cabelas' Gun Library. I was in need of a little cash as a couple of bills that I wasn't planning for materialize. Looking over my finances I realize that I was going to be short.
To me my guns are not only a source of fun and pride but also a emergency source of fast cash if necessary. So I thought over which of my pieces in my limited collection that I could get close to what I was going to be short by without surrendering a number of them to get there. Out came my 1933 Utica Fox Sterlingworth 20ga. 28" barrel, chokes Cyl/Mod at about 70%.
Having to drive to Detroit Airport anyway, it's a short detour to drop down to Cabelas in Dundee. I had heard that Cabelas' Library was one of the fairest in pricing especially on classic firearms. The few times I have taken guns in to either sell/trade them at the local shops they want to pay scrap metal prices for yours, yet charge you manufactures suggested (which everyone knows is "pie in the sky" pricing) for theirs'. That is why I sell mostly on line nowadays and buy used if I think it's a great deal (example: Savage Model 220A, 20ga. 28" barrel, choke Full at 95 + % for $70
). But needing cash relatively fast, I couldn't wait the weeks while my Fox sit online waiting for someone to decide to bid on it for the price I needed or sell it for less then it's worth.
Anyway, after entering Cabelas I had to check the Fox at the door and was escorted back to the Library. While at the front I commented that it appear that I wasn't the only one thinking about trading/selling my firearm that day? Normally when I have walked into Cabelas there is only one individual greeting/manning the entrance and on that day there was 3 with tables setup to handle the inflow of firearms. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling good about my position but how many individuals were going to be trading/selling an American classic in a much sought after gauge?
Once back in the Library there was a couple individuals before me trying to see what Cabelas' experts was willing to give them. Waiting my turn, a half a hour later the expert started looking over my Fox. If Cabelas didn't want to buy my Fox due to the numerous classic SxSs they already had in the rack yet not seeming to be able to move, I could understand. But to try and talk down and mislead me was just to much.
The Fox Sterlingworth was a field grade gun and while fit and finish is above the norm for most field grade guns, they still have some of the characteristics associated with them. Starters according to the expert was that the barrels had been reblued.
While I knew that the bottom rib had been repaired when a sling swivel had been removed. You can see a very faint outline of the patch as well as the slight difference in bluing in the area where the smith touch up the repair area that can only be seen when moving the barrels in the light. In my opinion as a layman, an excellent repair job for a localized touch up!
The evidence that the expert sighted was the slight wripples running down both the barrels. While I might agree that this was the case had the wripples ended prior to the ribs (buffing wheel) but they don't, they run all the way to them and are uniform down the length of both barrels. There is no indication that the top rib or bottom show any contact with a buffing wheel as one would think would be the case as well. Lettering on the top of both barrels at the mono block is sharp with no indication of rounding of the edge of the lettering. Seeing that these barrels are extruded (Fluid Compressed Steel) and on a field grade gun that was made during the height of the Great Depression. I for one would think, one should expect to see some indication of forming?
The next thing that made me question the expert is his so call attempt to "ring the barrels." As the expert pointed out the barrels should ring like a tuning fork, continuing for some time before falling silent. Attempting to hold the barrels on the tip of his finger at the hinge point (entertaining as he try not to drop my barrels infront of me
), he thump each barrel with the back of a knuckle with a resounding thud. At that he explain that they should sound like tuning forks and that I shouldn't shoot anything except short brass. My guess is that he thought the barrels fractured. When I got the Fox home later that day I decided to test this myself and instead of trying to balance the barrels on the tip of my finger (didn't have an audience) I used some string to suspend the barrels then rap them each with the back of a knuckle to hear a beautiful low pitch ringing that carry for some time. So much for having to use short brass!
He did point out that the barrel were slightly lose when he put them on the receiver, which I knew. But according to him the barrels need to be reface to the action? I was told by a couple of smiths and local experts that this wouldn't be an issue seeing that when the forearm is on that it locks up tight and there is no play (by the way the break lever is right of center). The cause is for the play is just that the pin is slightly wore and that unless I plan on shooting the Fox without the forearm there shouldn't be a problem. Eventually I plan on having the Fox gone over by a restorer to bring it up mechanically then set out to a engraver and stockmaker to upgrade it which should takecare of all the issue real or factious.
Any way, I decided to find another way to take care of this immediate financial issue and extend my thanks to this so-call expert at Cabelas' either due to his incompetence or his deceit for me not making a decision that I would have regretted for years to come.
The first part of September, I was saved from making a terrible mistake by one of the experts at Cabelas' Gun Library. I was in need of a little cash as a couple of bills that I wasn't planning for materialize. Looking over my finances I realize that I was going to be short.
To me my guns are not only a source of fun and pride but also a emergency source of fast cash if necessary. So I thought over which of my pieces in my limited collection that I could get close to what I was going to be short by without surrendering a number of them to get there. Out came my 1933 Utica Fox Sterlingworth 20ga. 28" barrel, chokes Cyl/Mod at about 70%.
Having to drive to Detroit Airport anyway, it's a short detour to drop down to Cabelas in Dundee. I had heard that Cabelas' Library was one of the fairest in pricing especially on classic firearms. The few times I have taken guns in to either sell/trade them at the local shops they want to pay scrap metal prices for yours, yet charge you manufactures suggested (which everyone knows is "pie in the sky" pricing) for theirs'. That is why I sell mostly on line nowadays and buy used if I think it's a great deal (example: Savage Model 220A, 20ga. 28" barrel, choke Full at 95 + % for $70
). But needing cash relatively fast, I couldn't wait the weeks while my Fox sit online waiting for someone to decide to bid on it for the price I needed or sell it for less then it's worth.Anyway, after entering Cabelas I had to check the Fox at the door and was escorted back to the Library. While at the front I commented that it appear that I wasn't the only one thinking about trading/selling my firearm that day? Normally when I have walked into Cabelas there is only one individual greeting/manning the entrance and on that day there was 3 with tables setup to handle the inflow of firearms. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling good about my position but how many individuals were going to be trading/selling an American classic in a much sought after gauge?
Once back in the Library there was a couple individuals before me trying to see what Cabelas' experts was willing to give them. Waiting my turn, a half a hour later the expert started looking over my Fox. If Cabelas didn't want to buy my Fox due to the numerous classic SxSs they already had in the rack yet not seeming to be able to move, I could understand. But to try and talk down and mislead me was just to much.
The Fox Sterlingworth was a field grade gun and while fit and finish is above the norm for most field grade guns, they still have some of the characteristics associated with them. Starters according to the expert was that the barrels had been reblued.
While I knew that the bottom rib had been repaired when a sling swivel had been removed. You can see a very faint outline of the patch as well as the slight difference in bluing in the area where the smith touch up the repair area that can only be seen when moving the barrels in the light. In my opinion as a layman, an excellent repair job for a localized touch up!
The evidence that the expert sighted was the slight wripples running down both the barrels. While I might agree that this was the case had the wripples ended prior to the ribs (buffing wheel) but they don't, they run all the way to them and are uniform down the length of both barrels. There is no indication that the top rib or bottom show any contact with a buffing wheel as one would think would be the case as well. Lettering on the top of both barrels at the mono block is sharp with no indication of rounding of the edge of the lettering. Seeing that these barrels are extruded (Fluid Compressed Steel) and on a field grade gun that was made during the height of the Great Depression. I for one would think, one should expect to see some indication of forming?
The next thing that made me question the expert is his so call attempt to "ring the barrels." As the expert pointed out the barrels should ring like a tuning fork, continuing for some time before falling silent. Attempting to hold the barrels on the tip of his finger at the hinge point (entertaining as he try not to drop my barrels infront of me
), he thump each barrel with the back of a knuckle with a resounding thud. At that he explain that they should sound like tuning forks and that I shouldn't shoot anything except short brass. My guess is that he thought the barrels fractured. When I got the Fox home later that day I decided to test this myself and instead of trying to balance the barrels on the tip of my finger (didn't have an audience) I used some string to suspend the barrels then rap them each with the back of a knuckle to hear a beautiful low pitch ringing that carry for some time. So much for having to use short brass!He did point out that the barrel were slightly lose when he put them on the receiver, which I knew. But according to him the barrels need to be reface to the action? I was told by a couple of smiths and local experts that this wouldn't be an issue seeing that when the forearm is on that it locks up tight and there is no play (by the way the break lever is right of center). The cause is for the play is just that the pin is slightly wore and that unless I plan on shooting the Fox without the forearm there shouldn't be a problem. Eventually I plan on having the Fox gone over by a restorer to bring it up mechanically then set out to a engraver and stockmaker to upgrade it which should takecare of all the issue real or factious.
Any way, I decided to find another way to take care of this immediate financial issue and extend my thanks to this so-call expert at Cabelas' either due to his incompetence or his deceit for me not making a decision that I would have regretted for years to come.
