16ga.com ~ View topic - Finished restocking my 16ga Fox Sterlingworth

Member Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Idaho

I reassembled my Fox 16 GA today. The stock work is done other than the checkering, which will be done this winter after bird season closes. I had a couple of heart stoppers while putting it back together. The first was, I couldn't get the right bbl to fire, I took it apart but couldn't see anything wrong, put it back together again, still couldn't fire the right bbl, took it apart and removed the left and right sear, under the right sear was a small ledge that was from sealing the stock with glass, dremal to the rescue. I turned the stock over to put it back together again, forgetting the trip spring was not contained by the screw, as I turned it over I saw something fall to the floor, trip spring, if you have ever had one of these apart, you know how small it is, I sat there for a moment, afraid to move and step on it, off to my right on the gray colored floor sat the spring, if it had gone the other way it would be lost for ever. It's back together now and all systems are go.

I would like to thank some of those who gave me advice and instructions, Mike Campbell, Dave Furman, Lenard Lemke, Thanks guys.

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

I learned the hard way too.Always sweep the floor under the bench before disassembling a Fox, it makes the spring search sooo much easier. Very Happy

Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 185 Location: Boulder,Colorado

Grousehunter, that stock is beautiful !! WOW.! what a great looking Fox. what finish did you put one the stock ? I can't imagine how difficult that job was to do, but well worth your time and effort. I was just reading that the average cost to restock a SxS ( not counting the blank cost) is about $3 Grand. If I could do a job like you did, I'd go get a 16 ga. Sterlingworth next week.

Congratulations on a job well done !

Thunderstick

Member Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Idaho

Thunderstick, The finish is hand rubbed Lin-Speed oil. I only have 6 coats on it and will finish the other coats after bird season, along with the checkering. I payed 275.00 for the blank and did all the work myself, this was the first time i had tried to build a stock from scratch.

This was what I started with

I used a band saw to cut out the shape

I clamped the wood in a vise and started the inletting

Semi finished stock

The stock before Assembly

Done

The way I looked at it was, it's just wood, if I screw it up it will make very expensive fire wood

Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 50 Location: CO

Thanks for the pictorial; I've been working on an English style stock for my Citori to replace the POW grip. I purchased the wood pre-children (5 years ago) and between work, family, hunting and home improvement projects, I'm lucky if I can dedicate a few hours a year to the project. I've got my sights set low as far as a time-line is concerned, I'm hoping to have it complete for my retirement in 30 years.

grousehunter that is one beautiful piece of wood! I have recently purchased three walnut blanks with the intention of restocking a 1915 Parker Trojan, but the gunsmithing that the gun needs makes the whole project probably cost prohibitive. I will save the blanks for another project. Did you do all of the rough shaping of the wood yourself, or did you have one of the stock making companies use their equipment to shape it first? The finished product is certainly worth all the time you put into it. You should be proud.

Member Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 36 Location: Idaho

browningarms, I did all the work myself. This was something that I have wanted to do for a long time, last year I fell on my Fox while chukar hunting. The stock was already to short and had two much drop at the heal, just shy of 3 inches. Seemed like the right time to build a new one, I shopped around and liked the stock blank, payed way to much, and when it came I just looked at it for a month or so, decided it was just wood and went to work. This winter I am going to do the checkering on it, I left the stock a little proud so if I mess up on the checkering I can take it down and back to the way it is.