A.H. Fox A-Grade
A.H. Fox Gun Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1906
Also known as: Fox A-Grade, A.H. Fox A Grade, Fox A Grade Double
Overview
The A.H. Fox A-Grade is the base model of the A.H. Fox Gun Company's graded line of hammerless boxlock side-by-side shotguns, built in Philadelphia from 1906. A very solid boxlock with internal hammers, it locked the barrels into battery using a barrel extension combined with a horizontal-axis rotary fastener. Chambered initially in 12 gauge with select walnut stocks, double triggers and barrels of 26 to 32 inches, it earned a reputation for strength and balance, with Ansley Fox marketing his guns as 'The Finest Gun in the World.'
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1175 mm (46.26") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Action
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Side By Side, Hammerless Boxlock, Double Trigger, Barrel Extension Lock, Optional Automatic Ejectors, Fluid Steel Barrels
Variants
- A.H. Fox B-Grade — Upgraded Grade
- A.H. Fox XE-Grade — High Grade
- A.H. Fox FE-Grade — Top Grade
Production
Production years: 1906-1942
Per-grade production totals not published in available sources; Savage continued Fox production after the 1929 acquisition until the early 1940s.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ansley H. Fox
Discontinued: 1942
Notes
The A-Grade was the entry point of the lettered grades (A, B, C, D, F, and later the higher AE/BE/XE/FE/HE/DE/CE grades), priced at $50 in 1907 versus $500 for the F grade; automatic ejectors added $15. Each higher grade added finer wood, more elaborate engraving and fancier checkering. 16 and 20 gauges were introduced in 1912; single selective triggers became available from 1914. The A.H. Fox Gun Company was acquired by Savage Arms in November 1929, with Fox production continuing at Utica, New York until the early 1940s. Weight and overall length are typical-range approximations for a 12-gauge with 30-inch barrels; exact A-Grade figures are not published in the fetched sources.
Background
Ansley H. Fox marketed his guns as 'The Finest Gun in the World.' His most famous customer, Theodore Roosevelt, carried a custom 12-gauge FE-grade Fox on his 1909-1910 African safari and wrote to Fox that it was 'the most beautiful gun I have ever seen.' That Roosevelt Fox later sold at auction for a record $862,500 in 2010. Ironically, Ansley Fox himself was pushed out of the company that bore his name around 1912 to pursue an automobile venture.