Too much for an old gun

[627PCFan]

I have a 1930s Fox SXS in 20 gauge, and was thinking about taking it into the field for teal season. The gun is in excellent shape, I use it for skeet all the time, and have fired some high end pheasant loads and slugs in it as well. The gun has basically cylinder chokes in both barrels (modern, not Damascus), so should it be safe to fire some 2 3/4 20ga Hevishot in it??

 

[Dave McCracken]

A new Fox will set you back at least $8K, and it may not be Non tox ready.

Spend a couple hundred on an 870, 500 etc. While fine guns,they can be easily replaced. A classic Fox can't be.

 

[Tom Held]

Should be no problem

I would not even bother with Hevishot. With the cylinder barrels you should be able to shoot the Winchester 20 ga normal velocity steel shot with no problem on teal or woodies this early in the season. We've got 8 guys in our duck club in Illinois and only shot steel all last season. The "exotic" shot is just too damn expensive. Tom

 

[NCsmitty]

I would be afraid of damaging that old classic with anything but lead. The barrel metal was not meant for steel shot.

NCsmitty

 

[chas08]

A new Fox will set you back at least $8K, and it may not be Non tox ready.

A reputable gunsmith in San Antonio, Tx. explained to me that a gun being Non - Tox ready insn't as big an issue as it used to be. Mainly because of the improvement in the shells themselves. Particularly, the shotcups. Scuff - throughs and swaging are non existant in todays quality shotshells. The key word here is Quality. The steel never touches the barrel any more. However it does still pass through the choke, so he recomended to not shoot it in anything tighter than modified. I hunt on ocassion with a fellow who uses a Stevens 311 for Duck and has for many years, it has seen steel at its, not so best, and it still functions fine but it's I/C-Mod. I dont know if it came that way or if he had the chokes opened. I talked with another fellow who was using a Model 12, with no ill effect, it was choked mod. So the answer lies in you. Do you want to risk it? I'm fighting the same battle with grandpa's Model 12, 16 ga. One way you can avoid the whole issue is to buy some Hevi-shot Classic Doubles ammo. It's supposed to be safe for the finest doubles, and for $30 for 10 rounds it should be.