Fox double barrel shotgun variations and prices

[kelljp]

I've had a few Fox double barrels in the past and have had the desire to get another one.
Made up my mind to get a 16 guage.
The question is why the high price difference?
I've been watching several auctions and I've seen them go from $250 to on the thousands of dollars.
Bottom line is, what's the determining factor on pricing ?

 

[rust collector]

A H Fox doubles may be 100 yrs old and were made in a variety of grades. Condition is also a big part of pricing. Savage/Stevens doubles were built to a lower price point but condition, age and volume of guns sold in that specific chambering may affect pricing. 16s were likely more common in the southeast part of the country, but of course online exposure exposes them to buyers that pay more for guns less likely to be common where they are. Your best bet is gun stores and pawn shops where they may sit for awhile because 16 gauge ammunition may be more expensive to shoot.

 

[jmr40]

The Savage/Fox guns were budget guns in their day. I'm thinking those were made in the 1950's through at least the 1970's, maybe well into the 1980's I've had a couple, including one bought new in the early 1970's. I had enough problems that I let both go.

If I had one with family history I'd keep and cherish it. Maybe even take it out and put a few rounds through it occasionally. But I wouldn't buy another, and I'd not trust one to hold up to a lot of shooting.

 

[Jim Watson]

A Fox Model B is a dressed up Stevens.
A Philadelphia Fox was one of the top American shotguns of its day.
Old time gunsmith Roy Dunlap said he had a lower rate of repair on Foxes than Parker, Smith, or Ithaca.

 

[rust collector]

My Dad's old A H Fox Sterlingworth was not fancy but killed thousands of pheasant and ducks without any issues. The top rib is a bit loose, but he suspected his kid brother of using 3" shells in it while Dad was busy in Belgium. I used to take it out at least once a season, but it had more drop in the stock than I was used to. It now resides with my kid brother. It was made around 1926 IIRC.

 

[kelljp]

My first new gun was a Fox (Savage version) that I bought when I first started working, then marriage later required me to liquidate anything of value for that first house. Now as I have progressed to the golden years, I find a strong desire to once again hunt with a double barrel.
But like my original post said the pricing is puzzling. One thing I have noticed as I've looked people either love them or hate them, very little middle ground.

 

[paul harm]

I've shot SxSs my entire life - I'm now 76. At this time I have around a dozen SxSs, all but three of them have Damascus barrels. Most are Remingtons with a couple of Parkers and a Lefever.

The Ansley Fox shotguns are the ones that cost more. The Sterling Worth was the cheapest one made. Some of his graded guns cost upwards of $500 where as the Sterling Worth was 25 dollars. Ansley was a great trap shot and gun inventor, but poor businessman. Around 1929 Savage acquired the company and they made a cheap version of the once fine gun.

 

[Speedo66]

I had a Springfield 511 for many years, it's the economy version of a Stevens/Savage 311, which are economy versions of the Fox.

That being said, it never failed to fire, extracted shells perfectly, and worked well for me hunting. Tang safety was perfect for this left hander.

None of that line are fancy, more working man's guns, but they certainly have their place in a collection as durable, yet inexpensive, SxS's.

 

[eastbank]

i will not own any doublebarrel with out this type of lock up, this one is a 1977 browning BSS 20 ga sporter that has been used by three generations of hunters and is still as tight as the day it was made. with many thousands of shells shot thru it. i believe it sold for close to 300.00 then.

 

[entropy]

That BSS isn't very sturdy, only two chopper lumps. Where's the Greener crossbolt?

I will miss my Sauer, if and when my son ever brings my truck back. He gets the SxS at that time.