A.H. Fox DE-Grade
A.H. Fox Gun Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1906
Also known as: Fox DE-Grade, A.H. Fox DE Grade, Fox DE Grade Double
Overview
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade is a high grade of the A.H. Fox Gun Company's hammerless boxlock side-by-side shotgun, built in Philadelphia from 1906 and later at Utica, New York after Savage Arms acquired the company. Mechanically identical to the graded line's other guns, it locked the barrels into battery with a barrel extension and horizontal rotary fastener and typically came with automatic ejectors and double triggers. What set the DE apart was its finish: intricate and extensive floral scroll engraving over a punchwork background with game scenes such as pointing setters and rising game birds, highly figured walnut, and the finest diamond-pattern checkering, with optional gold inlay available at extra cost.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 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, Automatic Ejectors, Fluid Steel Barrels, Fine Scroll Engraving, Game Scene Engraving, Figured Walnut Stock, Fine Diamond Checkering
Production
Production years: 1906-1942
Per-grade production totals not published in available sources; high grades such as the DE were made in far smaller numbers than the A-Grade and Sterlingworth field guns.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ansley H. Fox
Discontinued: 1942
Notes
Within the A.H. Fox lettered hierarchy the DE was one of the upper grades, ranking above the C/CE and D grades and below the top FE and XE guns. Each higher grade added finer wood, more elaborate engraving and fancier checkering rather than any mechanical change - all grades shared the same boxlock action. Chambered principally in 12 gauge (16 and 20 gauge from 1912), with barrels typically 26 to 32 inches and single selective triggers optional from 1914. Fox Collectors Association DE-grade records list 12-gauge weights of 6.75 to 8 lb; the 3400 g figure here is a mid-range 30-inch-barrel approximation. Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company later revived the Fox name and offers a modern DE grade built to the same decorative tier.
Background
A.H. Fox sold its guns under the slogan 'The Finest Gun in the World,' and the higher lettered grades like the DE were where that boast was earned - each one a heavily engraved, figured-walnut showpiece. Theodore Roosevelt's own custom Fox, an FE-grade one step above the DE tier, was carried on his 1909-1910 African safari and later sold at auction for a record $862,500. Surviving factory-engraved DE guns remain prized by collectors of classic American doubles.