See this week’s 5 doubles you don’t want to miss …

The most extraordinary Fox Shotgun upgrade Extant - A Grade Special Made for W.H. Gough with nearly a dozen Gold Inlays- Truly Exceptional!!!
The most extraordinary Fox Shotgun upgrade Extant – A Grade Special Made for W.H. Gough with nearly a dozen Gold Inlays- Truly Exceptional!!!

The most extraordinary Fox Shotgun upgrade Extant – A Grade Special Made for W.H. Gough with nearly a dozen Gold Inlays- Truly Exceptional!!!: Easily the most extraordinary and exceptional A.H. Fox shotgun we know of is serial number 6500, made for W.H. Gough.  This gun, an exact duplicate of the the original is truly the epitome of the gun makers art.  This gun, also serial number 6500, made with 30″ Krupp fluid steel barrels that have a fully hand engraved top rib and floral scroll wedges at the muzzle ends as well as gold inlays and 3″ floral scroll wedges at the breech.  The gun has a splinter forend, capped ball grip, gold plated double triggers, auto ejectors, and auto safety.  The gun is completely and fully engraved in exact duplication of serial number 6500 with full Gough floral scroll throughout the frame.  Gold “SAFE” in front of safety as well as gold inscription on top rib which reads “Built Expressly for W.H. Gough by A.H. Fox Gun Co, Philadelphia, PA”. This gun was made with extraordinary European Walnut stocks which are fabulously carved in leafy and floral patterns.  The butt terminates with a 1/2″ full leather covered pad.  Ball grip with incredible horn and gold cap.  The quality of the workmanship on this gun cannot be overstated. This gun is truly a display of what can be done, when no expense is spared in the art of gunmaking.  The gold inlays speak for themselves and the beauty of this gun cannot be overstated. If you are someone who is only satisfied by “the very best” look no further.  The cost of the work on this gun would far exceed $100k if done today, and the original gun is not obtainable at 2 or 3x that amount. This gun is offered at $64,500 plus shipping and insurance to your FFL. Price: $64,500

ABBIATICO & SALVINELLI SELF COCKING EJECTOR HAMMER GUN 28 GAUGE
ABBIATICO & SALVINELLI SELF COCKING EJECTOR HAMMER GUN 28 GAUGE

ABBIATICO & SALVINELLI SELF COCKING EJECTOR HAMMER GUN 28 GAUGE: SEVERIN ENGRAVED, #143, 26″ 002 AND 003 2 3/4″, SINGLE TRIGGER, EJECTORS, SPLINTER FOREARM, ENGLISH GRIP, CHECKERED BUTT, NEW TEST FIRED ONLY, 5LBS 2 OZ, 1 3/4″ DAH, 1 5/16″ DAC, 14 5/16″ LOP. Price: $35,000

CASED J. PURDEY & SONS BEST QUALITY EJECTOR SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK 12 GA. SHOTGUN MANUFACTURED IN 1912
CASED J. PURDEY & SONS BEST QUALITY EJECTOR SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK 12 GA. SHOTGUN MANUFACTURED IN 1912

CASED J. PURDEY & SONS BEST QUALITY EJECTOR SELF-OPENING SIDELOCK 12 GA. SHOTGUN MANUFACTURED IN 1912: 30”, 1 1/4oz. Sir Joseph Whitworth barrels with original 2 ¾” chambers choked Improved Cylinder and Modified. Double triggers. Extra grade engraving with Purdey’s classic relief chiseled “LEAF” motif fences. A number “2” gun of a set with top lever engraved in a floral circular cartouche “2”. Fancy walnut stock with solid pad (14”pull, 1 ½”,2 ½” drop, ¼”cast off) with silver “2” inlaid at heel and a silver monogram plate. Matching forend. Weight 7 pounds, 7 ounces. All matching and original with barrels re-proofed and refinished in Britain. Excellent condition with much original color case hardening. Mounts and screws with considerable original blue. Barrel with all the blue. Engraving and barrel address in top condition with the latter as sharp as can be attesting to the quality of the finishing. Perfect working order and excellent bright bores. Original Purdey best grade oak and leather luggage case with label with original serial number label for a similar gun a few hundred numbers away originally owned by the same person who ordered this gun. Direct from estate of the descendant of the original owner of both this gun and it’s case. Price: $18,500

Ithaca NID magnum field grade 10ga 3.5in
Ithaca NID magnum field grade 10ga 3.5in

Ithaca NID magnum field grade 10ga 3.5in: Very nice late gun with border engraving and nice stock wood. Original condition gun never refinished. Great vintage Duck, Goose or Turkey gun. Serial Number: 500616, Barrel Length: 32″, Ejectors: yes, Condition: very good, Triggers: double, Stock Comb: 1 1/2″, Stock Heel: 2 1/2″, LOP: 14 5/8″, Weight: 11lbs 4oz, Choke Left: full, Choke Right: full. Price: $4,500

BROWNING SUPERPOSD SUPERLIGHT OU SHOTGUN 20 GAUGE
BROWNING SUPERPOSD SUPERLIGHT OU SHOTGUN 20 GAUGE

BROWNING SUPERPOSD SUPERLIGHT OU SHOTGUN 20 GAUGE: 1972 Belgium mfg. 26.5 inch IC and Mod. Long tang. 13 1/8 LOP Pachmayr White Line pad. 97%. Excellent bores. Price: $2,895

What kind of Fox shotgun is worth $159,000? This one …

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN

The gun you see here is one of the legends of American gunmaking. The FE was Fox’s finest shotgun. Few of them were built, and just six of those were twenty gauges. Morphy Auctions sold it this spring for $159,900 ($130,000+ buyer’s premium)!

Fox FE, page from 1939 Savage Fox Catalog. Gun cost $525.
Fox FE, page from 1939 Savage Fox Catalog. Gun cost $525.

Brand new in 1939, a twenty-gauge FE cost $525 — about the same as a Parker AHE and half what Abercrombie & Fitch wanted for a new Purdey. A Fox Sterlingworth with ejectors cost $57.75.

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN

LOT 2237: FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN: Perhaps the most exciting discovery in American Sporting shotgun collecting in the past 20 years, and offered for sale publicly for the first time since new is the very last A.H. Fox FE Grade 20 Bore presented here. In total, there are believed to have been just six FE Grade 20 bore guns made, three in Philadelphia, and three by Savage Arms after their takeover of the A.H. Fox Gun Company.

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN

Several of the other FE Grade 20 bore guns are known to collectors and this gun, previously rumored but not before offered publicly, has recently surfaced in Colorado where its current owner consigned it with our firm. The gun was made with #3 weight 28″ Chromox barrels which have a low profile raised ventilated matted rib with twin ivory beads. Barrels with chain border at muzzles and hand engraved “CHROMOX FLUID STEEL” / SAVAGE ARMS CORP., UTICA, N.Y. U.S.A.” on tops. Barrels also engraved with 2 – 3/4″ wedge of engraving at breech ends with gold lightning bolts – the signature on a FE Grade Fox! Made with beavertail forend which is finely checkered in point and tear drop pattern and also carved in fleur-de-lis towards action. The case hardened Deeley release is fully engraved as is forend iron, which is also hand engraved with serial number and simple scroll on the inside. Action is full coverage engraved, signed by W.H. Gough twice, once in front of the nickel plated trigger “ENG. BY W.H.G.” and once on the right side of the action on top of the game scene “Gough”.

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN

Action with gold inlaid stars on hinge pin, gold inlaid setter on right, pointer on left, all surrounded by perfectly executed shaded floral scroll. Top lever and top tang are fully engraved and “SAFE” in gold in front of engraved safety button. One large quail and five chicks are found on the bottom ahead of the trigger plate in game scene. Trigger plate is fully engraved in floral scroll pattern. Trigger guard is fully engraved in floral scroll and gold inlaid “E.A. GRIM MD” on bow and serial number in gold on tang. Beautifully figured fiddleback European Walnut buttstock is of capped pistol grip configuration and terminates with its original skeleton buttplate which is case hardened and fully engraved. The butt is beautifully checkered in fleur-de-lis through the wrist with ribbands and checkered side panels with fleur-de-lis pattern. Housed in a beautiful Huey oak and leather case no. 194 made for this gun. Made with single selective trigger, auto ejectors and auto safety. According to the factory records, this gun was ordered new by Dr. E.A. Grim in the exact same configuration and nearly exact same condition as today.

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN

The gun was special ordered with the skeleton buttplate, large forend, ventilated rib, gold name on trigger guard single trigger, and two ivory beads. Of note, the gun was requested to be proofed with black powder loads for 2 – 3/4″ chambers – a very late black powder proofing! According to our consignor, Dr. Grim died before taking possession of the gun. His widow then gave the gun to his physician partner who had it until the time of his passing in the 1970s. From there the gun was sold to a private collector in Colorado until being consigned to our firm earlier this year. CONDITION: Extremely fine and near mint. It would be hard to imagine a gun of this age and quality remaining in a finer state of preservation than this gun. It retains virtually all of its bold original barrel blue and case colors with almost no sign of any wear at all. The gun appears to have been test fired only with only the very faintest of shell ring on the right side of the standing breech. There are a couple of very minor handling marks and impressions in the stock but it is overall near mint. The case is very good with some rubs and scratches in the leather and outer straps are missing. Simply put, when it comes to Fox shotguns, truly there are none finer than this offering. This gun is suited for the most discriminating buyer of sporting arms and is a treasure in American Gun collecting and American Gun Art at its highest form. JSL Accessories: Case Barrel Length: 28″ Barrel Wall Thickness: (L) .023 (R) .026 Chamber: 2 – 3/4″ Choke: (L) .014 (R) .028 Drop at Comb: 1 – 11/16″ Drop at Heel: 3″ FFL Status: Curio & Relic Gauge: 20 Bore Internal Bore Diameter: (BOTH) .625 Length of Pull: 13 – 1/2″ From rear position single selective trigger Manufacturer: A.H. Fox Model: FE Grade SxS Serial Number: 203760 Weight: 6 lbs 6 oz. SOLD FOR: $159,900

FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN
FRESH TO MARKET AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED TRULY INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE 20g A.H. FOX FE-GRADE SXS SHOTGUN