AH Fox “Finest Gun in the World” - AH Fox Collectors Association Inc.
Transcription
AH Fox “Finest Gun in the World” - AH Fox Collectors Association Inc.
A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” A.H. Fox Collectors Association, Inc. Volume Three, Issue 2 Messa ge from the Executive Director Fall 2010 By Craig Lar ter, Executive Dir ector Life is good for the Fox gun enthusiast! This spring, the famous and mysterious Bo Whoop appears and is sold at public auction. The gun generated much discussion on our internet forum (http:// www.foxcollectors.com/ My%20Forum/phpBB3/) and was the subject of two great AHFCA Newsletter articles. Now James Julia Auction announces the most famous and valuable of all Fox guns, Teddy Roosevelt’s FE, it will be sold at the October 2010 sale. In addition, Julia will be selling the F.J. Barthmaier Fox Special SN 121. Wow! Frank’s creativity and fine efforts. We had a fine display at the Hausman’s shoot inside the main tent. Many members stopped by to chat and bring in many very nice guns from private collections rarely seen in public. Don Kaas brought in a wonderful high condition Becker Fox. I would like to thank Paul Plunkett and Bill Jolliff for manning the booth during the HH shoot. This event is a must for any Fox nut. I hope everyone has made plans to attend the Vintagers September 23rd-26th and participate in our third Ansley H. Fox Championship shoot The highlight of September 24th-25th. Our the last six months was Annual Meeting is schedthe Bo Whoop Trophy uled for 5:00pm Friday shoot at the Great North- September 24th at the Pineast Side x Side Classic tail Point Club House, all at Hausman’s Hidden member are invited. Hollow. Frank Srebro Frank Srebro has (Silvers) has included a negotiated a special room full report on the event rate at the Days Inn in in this Newsletter. The Easton MD; the phone Bo Whoop event just number is 410-822-4600. keeps building thanks to We will have a booth at the Vintagers and encourage members to bring Fox guns from their collection for display. Please Contact Steve Cambria (Tool man) at [email protected] or 860-490-2992 if you plan to bring a gun for display. Steve is coordinating the didates, Dave Noreen and Vintager’s display booth. Craig Larter have been declared winners by deWe have added a new feature to the Fox Fo- fault. rum Members Only Section; Good shooting, Card of the Month. Dave good collecting and enjoy Noreen our Club Historian, the upcoming hunting seaNewsletter Editor, and son. Board Member will be posting a factory record from an Inside This Issue interesting, unusual or historically important Fox gun Philadelphia Arms 2 each month. If you are a Co. member and have not regis7 tered as a forum member I Early Engravers — would encourage you to do Mr. X, Y and Z so. This new feature is just another reason to participate President Roosevelt’s 10 on the Fox Forum. We had two openings for the Board of Directors and only two candidates; as a result the Board decided mailing ballots to members was an unnecessary expense. The two can- Bo-Whoop 13 Long Range Shoot Just an Old Fox 14 Advertisers 15 Page 2 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Fox Family History —Par t Five— Philadelphia Arms Co. By the year 1902 Ansley had a new double gun in mind and filed a patent application on January 17, 1902, for a Breech Loading Firearm. In that Ansley was still a professional shooter for Winchester there may have been a conflict brewing here. What the application covered was a barrel extension bolting mechanism and a bolt release trip. The system looks for all the world to me like the bolting used on Tobin guns, but I’ve certainly never found a connection. let last month by the Philadelphia Arms Company for a new factory building to be erected at the corner of Windrim avenue and Eighteenth street, Wayne Junction, Pa. The plant is to be of brick, two stories high, 178 feet long and with a width of 84 feet.” Probably in some attempt to secure more capital, Philadelphia Arms Company was reincorporated in Pennsylvania on October 27, 1903. Directors and subscribers to shares were as follows: Ansley H. Fox, With his patent application, Ansley began the 201 shares; Philip F. duPont, 100 shares; C. William quest to assemble capital. On November 5, 1902, An- Haywood, 99 shares; Douglas S. Daudt and Harry H. sley H. Fox, Alfred P. Shannon, C. William Haywood, Fox, one share each. Henry F. Kingsbury, and one other whose signature Philadelphia Arms Co., Inc. is listed at 18th c was illegible incorporated Philadelphia Arms ComWindrim in the Philadelphia City directory for 1904. pany under the laws of the state of New Jersey. When Ansley H. Fox was president, P.F. duPont was viceAnsley’s patent No. 714,688 was granted on Decem- president and secretary, and C. William Haywood was ber 2, 1902, it was assigned to Philadelphia Arms treasurer. Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a corporaThe new factory was completed and sample tion of New Jersey. This patent did not turn out to be guns were ready to be shown to the trade by February used in the gun Philadelphia Arms Company finally 1904. The report in Shooting & Fishing stated “Grade produced. A has genuine Krupp fluid steel barrels, full choke A patent application that covers the lock bored, concave matted rib, double bolt extension, spimechanism of the Philadelphia Arms Company gun ral top lever spring and spiral main springs, imported was filed on May 1, 1903. Perhaps to avoid any con- English walnut stock, pistol grip. It is nicely checkflict with Winchester, this patent application was filed ered and finished throughout, has an automatic safety, under the name of Ansley’s younger brother Harry and is neatly engraved.” “This gun is the invention of Hunter Fox. Harry, born September 28, 1880, was A.H. Fox, of Philadelphia, who is well known to the listed as a student, living at home with their father Ad- public, having previously been connected with the dison in the 1903 Baltimore City directory. Harry Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and the DuPont Powlater followed Addison into the medical profession. der Co.” The gun shown in the article has the profile Max Wirsing, also of Baltimore, filed a patent of a VH-Grade Parker Bros. with the rotary bolt of a application for an Ejector Mechanism for Firearms on L.C. Smith. The name A.H. Fox is engraved on the June 18, 1903. The patent attorney for all three of side. The article went on to state “Deliveries of these these patent applications was Jas. L. Skidmore, and guns will not begin until July next, when they will be Ansley H. Fox and Harry H. Fox were the witnesses ready for shipment at the rate of fifteen guns per day.” listed at the end of Max Wirsing’s specifications about Beginning in March 1904 I find various sniphis ejector mechanism. pets in the sporting press of Mr. Douglas S. Daudt A brief note in the magazine The Sporting making the rounds of shoots and dealers as a missionGoods Dealer, for September 1903, stated “Bids were ary for Philadelphia Arms Co. and their Fox gun. A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 3 as president and general manager of that company, and have equipped a factory of my own, where I will manufacture a new double barrel, hammerless shotgun. This new gun embodies many valuable improvements and samples will be ready for the trade in January next. Yours respectfully, Ansley H. Fox The next day, December 29, 1904, Ansley filed a patent application for a barrel locking device for breakdown guns, which covered the bolting of the Philadelphia Arms Company gun. When it was granted as Patent No. 796,119 on August 1, 1905, it was assigned to the A.H. Fox Gun Company. The patents applied for by Harry H. Fox and Max Wirsing were both granted on August 16, 1904, No. 767,557 to Harry and No. 767,621 to Max. Both patents were assigned to Philadelphia Arms Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the court documents covering the receivership of Baltimore Arms Company, I found that on November 22, and December 6, 1904, Ansley H. Fox bought a great deal of the machinery and fixtures of the Baltimore Arms Company for cash at their receivers sale. Barely three weeks later, on December 28, 1904, Ansley sent the following letter to the trade – GENTLEMEN: -- Please announce through your columns that I am no longer connected in any way with the Philadelphia Arms Company, of this city. I have resigned my position Page 4 Getting back to Philadelphia Arms Company, for the next seven months, through July 1905, ads for “The A.H. Fox Gun” Philadelphia Arms Co., Makers, Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A. appeared in many of the hunting and shooting periodicals. All the ads I’ve found show either the list price $50 Grade “A” or the $100 Grade “C”. The ads state “We manufacture seven different grades, ranging in price from $50 to $500 list.” A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” pocket-size that pictures the Grade A on the cover, and a 6- by 9-inch art catalogue dated 1905 that pictures a straight-gripped Grade E on the cover. I have never had an opportunity to examine the 1904 catalogue, but the 1905 catalogue is a beauty. The Grades A through E are pictured and described while the Grade F and H are only described. All grades were available in 12gauge only and weights 7 ¼ to 8 pounds. Genuine Krupp Steel barrels 28-, 30-, or 32-inches in length were available in all grades, the option of Damascus barrels was offered on Grade C and higher, and Genuine Whitworth barrels were also an option for the Grade H. Nowhere do I see chamber lengths mentioned but page 14 gives a number of specified loads for 12-gauge shells and all state for 2 ¾ inch shell. The few Philadelphia Arms Guns I’ve run a chamber gauge in have been either 2 5/8 inch or 2 7/8 inch, which I believe means they were intended for 2 ¾ inch and 3-inch shells, respectively. The list prices for the various grade guns were – Grade A $50, Grade B $75, Grade C $100, Grade D $150, Grade E $200, Grade F $300 and Grade H $500. According to the catalogue, Grade A came with a pistol grip while for Grade B and above the choice of straight or pistol grip was offered. On all grades an automatic safety was standard. In both the catalogue and the magazine ads, the Philadelphia Arms Co. seemed to make a big deal out of the fact that they made the “A.H. Fox Guns.” Only three of their guns that I’ve examined with two- and very low three- digit serial numbers are engraved “A.H. FOX” on the sides of the receiver. All the later guns with three- and four-digit serial numbers I’ve seen are engraved “FOX” on the sides of the receiver. By mid-December 1905, when Ansley’s new A.H. Fox Gun Company began advertising, they made a strong point that they made the “Ansley H. Fox gun” and that only the genuine article had the full name Ansley H. Fox engraved on the sides of the receiver. The magazine ads both state “Write for illustrated and descriptive catalogue.” I know of two Philadelphia Arms Company catalogues, a 1904 At the shoot at Carlisle, PA. on 28 March 1905, former Democratic County Chairman from York County, Mr. Allen M. Seitz, wowed the crowd by killing all five birds in each of the three races and going 19 straight with his new gun just put out by the Philadelphia Arms Co. In the April 15, 1905, issue of Sporting Life, it was announced that Mr. D.S. Daubt of Philadelphia Page 5 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Arms Co. had been elected president and manager of the company at the annual meeting. “His rise from traveling representative to president and manager has been a rapid advancement, due to his ability and thorough knowledge of the business as well as his personal efforts with the trade. His friends may congratulate him on his success.” In the May 13, 1905, issue of Sporting Life, in the notes following the report of the 1905 Pennsylvania State Shoot was the following “C.W. Haywood of the Philadelphia Arms Co. showed a line of Fox guns which attracted much notice.“ Back in the winter of 1990, The Double Gun Journal, Volume Two, Issue 1, presented a photo essay by J. Douglas Tinsley of C. William Haywood’s Grade E Philadelphia Arms Company Fox double. After July 1905, the Philadelphia Arms Company ads cease. The October 28, 1905, issue of Sporting Life carried the following note “D.S. Daudt, formerly of South Bethlehem, Pa., but recently connected with Philadelphia Arms Co., is now residing at Plainfield, N.J., and has taken up his old trade of contracting stone mason.” Philadelphia Arms Company is still listed in the 1906 Philadelphia City directory with P.F. duPont vice-president and secretary, and C. William Haywood treasurer. The December 1, 1906, issue of The Sportsmen’s Review carried a brief article stating that on the 29th of last month the A.H. Fox Gun Company had purchased the complete plant of Philadelphia Arms Company. Grade B Grade C Grade D Grade A, Photo by Ed Muderlak We need your articles and input for future issues of the newsletter. Send your submissions to [email protected] or call me at (509) 5706042. Page 6 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” E-Grade Philadelphia Arms Co. Fox made for the company’s Vice-President and Secretary P. F. duPont Page 7 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Early Engravers — Mr. X, Y, and Z By Craig Larter As I have written before my favorite Fox guns are the middle grades, especially the pre 1913 guns. Engraving variations during the early period makes for interesting collecting and insight into gun production at the AH Fox Gun Company. This story ends with the arrival of William H. Gough at the AH Fox Gun Company to take over responsibility for the engraving department in late 1910 or early 1911. The transition to the second generation’s floral engraving patterns began about 1911 or 1912, but my focus is on the engravers pre-Gough, the so called early style. Based on my review of the factory records and observations recorded by Dave Noreen AHFCA Historian, we know the highest recorded serial number early style guns are 20xxx A Grade, 19xxx B Grade, and 20xxx C Grade. We also know from counting the existing records for the early style guns and extrapolating for the missing records (the first 10,000 records are missing) there were approximately 17,100 A Grades, 2160 B Grades, 1540 C Grades, 170 D Grades, and 15 F Grades manufactured. From my observations there is much more engraving variation from gun to gun in the early style engraving period. These distinct styles are most evident in the higher grade guns. It seems as if the engraving standards were not as well defined pre-Gough. Could it be that the early engravers worked as outside contractors or was the early management more open to individual artistic expression? We will probably never know, but my guess is that some engravers worked as contractors to the newly formed AH Fox Gun Company as a way to keep down costs during the early years. Because these engravers worked outside the factory they may have had more liberty to personalize the engraving patterns. Since I do not know the real names of the early engravers I will name them Mr. X, Mr. Y, and Mr. Z. Mr. X The first engraver I will cover is Mr. X. From my observations Mr. X engraved most of the graded guns during the early period. His engraving style is easy to identify. The easiest way to identify Mr. X’s work is to focus on his dogs and birds. Here is a typical sample of Mr. X’s dogs. As you can see the setters have an easily identifiable style. Look at the way the head and muzzles is cut with the long muzzle, the feathers on the legs, the lifted left paw, and the background and fore ground style. Mr. X also cut his lines relatively deep, and the style of the circle surrounding the dog is the same from gun to gun. Below is an example from an early D cut by Mr. X, notice the style of the dogs are the same even though the D was cut with two dogs. A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 8 Mr. X’s birds are also very easy to identify and have some very distinguishable characteristics. Mr. X’s Woodcock have “beetle heads” as shown on C grade at left and D grade at right. Mr. X’s quail are always cut with one quail in the feeding position, one in the upright position and they are very fat as shown below on this early D grade. Mr. Y The second engraver I will cover is Mr. Y. From my observations Mr. Y work seems to be most prevalent in the 18,000 to 20000 serial number range. This was a period of high output at the AH Fox Gun Company. Mr. Y engraved the pointer on the bottom of the C Grade on the left and setter on the C Grade on the right. Page 9 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Mr. Y always cut the plants the same under the belly and legs of the dogs. The lines surrounding the dogs are also cut relatively shallow. Also, Mr. Y cut the outer circle in a zigzag pattern similar to that found on a Sterlingworth frame. Mr. Y’s dogs seem more anatomically correct compared to Mr. X. Mr. Y’s birds are also more anatomically correct and look more like the Gough era guns. Here is an example of Mr. Y’s woodcock. The difference between the engravers is very evident and their style is consistent from gun to gun. Here is an example of Mr. Y’s quail. Mr. Z Mr. Z’s work is the best in my opinion and rarest from my observations. Here are two examples of Mr. Z’s dogs. Mr. Z’s pointer (right) and setter (left) are very well done but the eye is misplaced in both examples. Mr. Z used game birds in flight in the background and the plant material surrounding the dogs is unmistakable. A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 10 Mr. Z’s game birds are very well done but I have only observed woodcock, an example is shown below. To date I have observed three engravers, I would bet more will come to light. If you have a pre Gough Fox engraved by another engraver please take pictures and e-mail them to me at [email protected] or better yet bring it to our booth at the Vintagers in September. Good shooting and collecting. President Theodore Roosevelt’s Fox Double As many of you likely already know, the Teddy Roosevelt F-Grade Ansley H. Fox double is coming up for Auction at Julia’s this fall. So, for those of you who haven’t seen it on the AHFCA Web Site, we are including the production card for the gun in this issue. The gun was begun as one of two exhibition guns, but when the order came in from Mrs. Roosevelt, Ansley diverted 13292. The mate, FE-Grade 13291, has been pictured many times over the last 25 years, including the dust jackets of two of Michael McIntosh’s books. Page 11 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 12 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 13 Bo-Whoop Long Range Shoot by “Fox Events” The A H Fox Collectors Association’s third annual BoWhoop Long Range Competition was held on June 4 thru 6 at the Great Northeast SxS event held at the Hidden Hollow Sporting Clays club in PA. Set up for long range birds, and needing plenty of choke, the program called for a simo pair of "teals" - one outgoing bird quartering from the left - and a crossing/ dropping teal from the right. A quick shooter could engage both targets within 45 yards or so before the second bird dropped under a covering tree branch. All told we had 96 shooters participate in the competition. Most of our shooters participated on Friday and Saturday and they were favoured with ideal weather, clear skies and little wind. The weather on Sunday morning was a mix or rain and fluky wind gusts, which limited participation to a few avid diehards who had their eyes on the trophies and purses. Don Nickerson of NY prevailed as our 2010 Long Range Competition champion. Don bested all challengers, taking 8 of 10 really tough targets while fielding a 12 gauge 32-inch LC Smith Specialty Grade Double Trap gun. Don received the First Place score purse. Fox Director Frank Srebro presenting HOA Purse to Don Nickerson Our 2010 Bo-Whoop Trophy winner and second place score winner was George Griscom of NJ who took 6 of 10 targets using a 12 gauge 28-inch Fox Sterlingworth field gun. George was awarded the Bo-Whoop trophy in addition to the Runner-Up score purse. Fox Exec Director Craig Larter congratulating George Griscom, 2010 Bo-Whoop Champion, while Frank Srebro assists Some very creditable third through eight place scores were achieved by Mike Campbell (5 targets), and by Roger Bain, Jim Kline, Craig Larter, Paul Plunkett and J D Shank (4 targets each). Our Loonie Lewis purse winners were decided by public draw and Messrs. Bain, Larter and Plunkett were picked. Craig and Paul donated their winnings to the AHFCA. We had quite a mix of long range guns participating to include 10 thru 20 gauge, with A H Fox guns predominating but a very good showing of Parkers, L C Smiths, Lefevers and Winchesters amongst others. All told the third annual Bo-Whoop Long Range Shoot was our biggest and best yet, and the event is fast becoming the premiere stand-alone SxS competition anywhere! The AHFCA offers sincere congratulations to our winners, and we extend thank you’s to all who competed in the event and who helped out at the shooting butt. Our next competition will be the Ansley H Fox Championship held on September 24 and 25 in conjunction with the Vintage Cup at Pintail Point in Maryland. We hope to see you all there! A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” Page 14 Just an Old Fox by Frank Srebro The sporting magazines constantly remind us that target shotguns are an absolute must-have for sporting clays competitions. I, like many, began sporting clays with a hunting shotgun and quickly moved into tricked out guns with every conceivable feature and gizmo to get that extra target. Would I ever show up at a sporting shoot with a classic side by side? Not on your life! Why give away targets by using the wrong gun? I thought side by sides with double triggers, game ribs and low stocks were passé for clays. Just an honest old hunting Fox with 30” tubes and moderate drop and pull to a hard rubber buttplate. Her chokes both measure X-full at 37 and 38 points of constriction. The gun is fairly light at 7-5 and she has original short chambers. Overall, hardly a target gun. Well the old Fox felt so good I decide to try her at the Championship. Small problem, I didn’t have any short shells with me so I bought some RST Lites at the tent, their blue colored hulls had 1 ounce of #7-1/2’s. Blue hulls But that was then and this is now. Over the past few years always remind me of the Peters shells I really liked when I was I’ve seen time and again that tricked out guns don’t do the shooting a kid. Ten shots at the 5-stand to be sure the new gun worked by themselves. I’ve also learned that the old timers knew a thing or and out to the course to shoot with my friends and fellow Fox Collector members, Toolman Steve and Foxfarm Don. two about making shotguns to connect with birds or targets. Yes, the vintage side by sides can be reasonably competitive against At the first station I committed the cardinal sin of modern competition shotguns. Use them for the world Fitasc cham- shooting at the long birds same as someone on the previous pionship or the NSCA Nationals with money, sponsorships and squad, not the way I knew I could break them. I missed two plaudits on the line? Nope. But for anything less imposing, why targets. After that the CE broke all but three clays on the renot? I’ve always hunted with Foxes, and lately have been using maining 9 stations, and she came in with a 45 of 50. The old them more and more both for casual practice and sporting competi- hunting Fox dunn real good. She won our Ansley H Fox trotions. And I’m having more fun shooting than ever before. My phy, and took 3rd place in the overall American Classic while modern guns are getting dusty in the safe. And seeing eyebrows stacked against some competition side by sides with high sightraised when I’m out on the course or range with a classic Fox is ing ribs and single triggers for those quick simos. This CE priceless! Often when folks ask me what I have in hand that day grade Fox is definitely a keeper but so far I haven’t come up I’ll answer “just an old Fox”. with a name for her. That’s the next challenge! Enter the Vintage Cup and the A H Fox Championship competitions. For our 2009 event I brought a nice restocked AE grade Fox, 12 gauge, 30-inch with a half pistol grip. Most all my keeper guns have names and she’s my “Blondi” that won the AH Fox Championship last year. For those interested there’s a story on her in the Spring 2009 Newsletter archive. She’s a looker with that blondish stock and barrel wedges. But over the years I’ve come to prefer the straight grip style Fox; not that they shoot better but because they look cool. While at the Vintage Cup I found and bought a nice 12 gauge CE straight grip from a table vendor. She’s serial numbered in the 21700’s – shipped from the Fox Philadelphia works in July 1914. An old CE Fox Page 15 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World” PGS GUNSMITHING SERVICES ESTABLISHED 1974 QUALITY RESTORATION AND REPAIR OF VINTAGE DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS SPECIALIZING IN A. H. FOX SHOTGUNS CUSTOM METAL SHAPING AND FINISHING ACCURATE STOCK REPRODUCTION CHECKERING RE-FITTING AND RE-JOINING RUST BLUING CUSTOM RIFLES BUILT www.PGSGUNS.com Page 16 A.H. Fox “Finest Gun in the World”