Fox FE Grade
- Category
- Shotgun
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1914
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Fox FE Grade is a premium side-by-side boxlock double-barrel shotgun and the top-of-the-line offering from the A.H. Fox Gun Company of Philadelphia. Denoting the F Grade fitted with automatic ejectors, the FE Grade combined a robust hammerless boxlock action with exhibition-grade Circassian walnut, elaborate hand engraving with game-scene vignettes, and gold inlay. Chambered most commonly in 12 gauge with double triggers and 30-inch barrels, it represented the pinnacle of American double-gun craftsmanship in the early 20th century.
Ansley H. Fox billed his guns as 'The Finest Gun in the World.' The FE Grade earned that reputation when Theodore Roosevelt carried one on his post-presidency African safari, and a Fox FE later became the most expensive American shotgun ever sold at auction.
The FE was the highest standard grade in the Fox line, priced far above the working-class B and C grades. A gauge-agnostic offering, it was also produced in 16 and 20 gauge. The most celebrated example was presented to President Theodore Roosevelt for his 1909-1910 African safari; it sold at auction in 2010 for $862,500.
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
- 1914 to 1945
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Overall length
- 1194 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Internal hammer
- Trigger
- Double trigger
- Capacity
- 2
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 400 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2560 J
- 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.
Boxlock action
Automatic ejectors
Double barrel side by side
Hand engraved receiver
Premium grade walnut stock
Gold inlay
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 | 1194 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| 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 Fox FE Grade
How much does the Fox FE Grade weigh?
The Fox FE Grade weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Fox FE Grade?
The Fox FE Grade is chambered in 12 Gauge.
How many rounds does the Fox FE Grade hold?
The Fox FE Grade holds 2 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Fox FE Grade?
The Fox FE Grade is 1194 mm (47.0 in) long overall, with a 762 mm (30.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Fox FE Grade?
The Fox FE Grade is made by A.H. Fox Gun Company (United States). It was designed by Ansley Herman Fox.
When was the Fox FE Grade introduced?
The Fox FE Grade was introduced in 1914 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Fox FE Grade operate?
The Fox FE Grade uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is internal hammer.
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.
In service
- Theodore Roosevelt
- 1909
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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-fe-grade' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fox-fe-grade", "name": "Fox FE 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": 1914, "barrel_length_mm": 762, "weight_empty_g": 3400, "action_type": "break_action"}