A.H. Fox DE-Grade
- Category
- Shotgun
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1906
About
What it is, and why it matters
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.
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.
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.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- A.H. Fox Gun Company
- Category
- Shotgun
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1906 to 1942
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Overall length
- 1175 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Double trigger
- Capacity
- 2
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Case hardened
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 40 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
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
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 622 12 Gauge shotguns | 3.40 kg | 3.29 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 570 12 Gauge shotguns | 1175 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 650 12 Gauge shotguns | 762 mm | 711 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 647 12 Gauge shotguns | 2 | 3 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the A.H. Fox DE-Grade
How much does the A.H. Fox DE-Grade weigh?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the A.H. Fox DE-Grade?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade is chambered in 12 Gauge.
How many rounds does the A.H. Fox DE-Grade hold?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade holds 2 rounds.
How long is the A.H. Fox DE-Grade?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade is 1175 mm (46.3 in) long overall, with a 762 mm (30.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the A.H. Fox DE-Grade?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade is made by A.H. Fox Gun Company (United States). It was designed by Ansley H. Fox.
When was the A.H. Fox DE-Grade introduced?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade was introduced in 1906 and discontinued in 1942.
How does the A.H. Fox DE-Grade operate?
The A.H. Fox DE-Grade uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/fox-de-grade' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fox-de-grade", "name": "A.H. Fox DE-Grade", "manufacturer": { "id": "ah-fox", "name": "A.H. Fox Gun Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1906, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "77fe5356c0fd9f21e4a87f128cceccbca32bc3fda6c10065bf78c49a2a765015" }, "category": { "id": "shotgun", "name": "Shotgun", "description": "Smoothbore firearms designed to fire shot or slugs" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1906, "barrel_length_mm": 762, "weight_empty_g": 3400, "action_type": "break_action"}