Category: All About Guns
Fox Sterlingworth shotguns are regarded as the best of all the economy-grade American side-by-sides.
The first time I read about a Fox Sterlingworth shotgun was in the pages of Galen Winter’s book The Best of the Major. It made an impression, and when I spotted the worn 16-gauge shotgun featured here on the used-gun rack of my favorite local gunshop, I knew immediately it was coming home with me.
A.H. Fox began making fine shotguns in the very early 1900s, touting them as the best side-by-side guns in the world. While they didn’t legitimately compete with the finest English guns, they were indeed some of the nicest—and most reliable—ever made in America.
Early versions were called “graded” guns, as in A Grade, B Grade, and C Grade. This referred to the quality and quantity of engraving, the quality of the wood, and so forth. In 1910 Fox introduced the Sterlingworth for economy-minded shooters. These guns featured basically the same action and barrels as all the upper-crust Fox guns but had only a minimalist border engraved and were fitted with standard-grade walnut stocks. They had less-costly extractors rather than ejectors, although ejectors were available for a substantial additional price.
Early Sterlingworths featured a black grip cap. Later, after Savage acquired the Fox company around 1930, the grip cap was abandoned. Several different versions eventually wore the Sterlingworth label, but most commonly, barrels were available in 26-, 28-, and 30-inch lengths, in 12, 20, and 16 gauges. Typically, they were choked in some combination of Full, Modified, or Cylinder.
Sterlingworths are regarded today by many experts to be the best of all the “economy” American side-by-sides.
Mechanicals
Featuring a box lock with internal hammers, Fox’s action is known for reliability. Action lockup is achieved via a rotary fastener activated by a top lever.
When the action is opened, the one-piece extractor is cammed rearward and draws any shotshells in the chambers—whether fired or fresh—about a quarter-inch out. Spent hulls may be plucked out and pocketed—one reason some avid shotgunners actually preferred the extractor over ejectors.
Thumbing the top lever to the right unlocks the action and mechanically moves the tang safety to the “Safe” position. As the action is opened, the dual internal hammers are cocked.
The Sterlingworth has a trigger for each barrel. The front trigger fires the right barrel; the rear trigger fires the left barrel.
Being an economy-grade side-by-side, the Sterlingworth has a simple tension latch to retain the forearm in place. To its credit, the latch comprises a roller-equipped plunger and coil spring and is arguably the best of its type.
Provenance
Dating 16-gauge Sterlingworths is problematic, but according to my research, my gun was manufactured in 1935. It has 26-inch barrels, and the pistol grip is the cheaper-looking late type without the grip cap. The finish is mostly gone and the gun has extensive signs of hard use, but it still locks up tight and fires with absolute reliability. Mechanically, it appears to be perfect.
As witnessed by the small circles of erosion around both firing pin holes in the standing breech, I can tell it has been fired a lot. The exterior has areas of significant rust, well past the freckling and pitting stages and into the scaling stage; however, the polished bores glow beautifully, without a spec of corrosion, indicating that however hard the previous owner or owners may have worked the gun in the field, they kept the bores clean and well oiled.
Rangetime
With just a trace of trepidation, I fired the Sterlingworth the first time with a box of Browning 16-gauge target loads. It digested the shotshells without hiccup, handled so naturally, and was so pleasant to fire that I couldn’t stop shooting it.
According to informal patterning on a snow bank, both barrels put shot clouds directly atop point of aim. The right barrel appears to have an IC or Skeet type of choke; the left barrel patterns like a Modified choke. It’s perfect for fast-moving upland game in tight cover. The gun’s stock has 2.75 inches of drop and about 0.20 inch of cast. American guns of this era were intended for all-around use on game, and the bit more drop in the stock helps center the pattern on the point of aim—an advantage for ducks dropping in on decoys.
In addition to placing shot clouds right where I looked, the shotgun mounted smoothly, balanced nicely, and had a surprisingly responsive swing. Trigger pull was beautifully crisp, and as a result the pull weight feels lighter than it is. By my Lyman digital trigger gauge, the front trigger breaks at 4 pounds, 14 ounces and the rear at 5 pounds, 4 ounces.
Weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces, the gun carries beautifully even for long treks through upland country, yet by virtue of its 16-gauge bores, it punches above its weight class.
I don’t know that I’d want to fire a lot of full-octane high-brass 16-gauge shotshells through this svelte Fox Sterlingworth, but a few over the course of an afternoon pursuing chukars would be just fine. This gun offers solid, reliable performance and a feel and liveliness that far surpasses expectations. It is an incredible value, given its low cost, and is arguably the best value in vintage American side-by-sides.
Fox Sterlingworth Shotgun
- Type: Side-by-side
- Gauge: 16
- Cartridge Capacity: 2
- Barrels: 26 in.
- Overall Length: 42.25 in.
- Weight, Empty: 6.3 lbs.
- Stock: Walnut
- Length of Pull: 14.25 in. (to front trigger)
- Finish: Blued barrels and action, oil-finished wood
- Sights: Bead front
- Safety: Two-position, automatic
- Trigger: Front: 4.88-lb. pull; rear: 5.25-lb. pull (as tested)
- Manufacturer: Savage Arms Corp., savagearms.com
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Nah the deer just dropped dead because it was his time. Come on gang, talk about click bait! Grumpy
California just put the Glock 43X CA on its handgun roster, giving Golden State Glock fans something many of us thought we might never see again: a genuinely new Glock option.
Table of contents
- California Just Put the Glock 43X CA on the Roster
- Glock Comes Back to California, and Almost Nobody Saw It Coming
- Then Hell Froze Over: The Glock 43X CA Appeared
- How California Lawsuits Opened the Door for New Pistols
- Why the Glock 43X CA Makes So Much Sense for California
- Glock USA Is Staying Quiet About the 43X CA
- Glock 43X CA Specifications and Roster Details
- The Big Unknowns: MOS, Production, and What Comes Next
- Could the Glock 43X CA Signal Changes Beyond California?
- Glock 43X CA Pros and Questions Still Hanging in the Air
- What Happens Next for the Glock 43X CA?
- Related Reads from GunsAmerica Digest
California Just Put the Glock 43X CA on the Roster
Breaking News:
On Tuesday evening, September 29th, 2026, California gun owners were surprised to see a new gun on California’s Roster of Approved Handguns. The Glock 43X, a 10-round micro-compact model from their slimline models, was added.
This means the pistol passed lab drop testing and likely met the state’s requirements for a loaded chamber indicator and magazine disconnect safety. More details will follow on the pistol itself in the coming weeks. There is no specific timeline for its appearance on gun store shelves.
There has not been a new Glock model added to the California Roster since 2006-2008, making the Glock 43X CA the first new Glock added in almost twenty years.
Glock Comes Back to California, and Almost Nobody Saw It Coming
When California’s new restrictions hit Glock in 2026, those of us in the public heard rumors, but nothing from the company, and certainly nothing from our DOJ. California created a new class of machinegun-convertible pistols. If the gun had a cruciform trigger bar and could readily accept an available switch with only the use of household tools, it was pretty much out. We were already limited to Gen 3 guns, as those were the designs we had grandfathered in from back in the day.
Glock brought the “V” series, but due to the state’s layers of laws regarding what guns could be sold here in California, any new design would have to have a magazine disconnect and a loaded chamber indicator, something that Glock had seemed very reticent to do. What happened was the predictable price spike on anything Glock, where I saw Glock 19 Gen 3s selling for $1000 or more.
To be fair, I was very hard on Glock when it appeared they had abandoned the Golden State. Many believed it would be a cold day in hell before we ever saw a Glock of any sort again. We all started looking for options outside of Glock.
Then Hell Froze Over: The Glock 43X CA Appeared
Well, then…hell froze over. We looked at our DOJ website on September 29th, and holy smoke! There, on our screens, was a newly approved gun for the California handgun roster. Not just another Gen 3 or a Gen 3V, no. It was the Glock 43X-CA edition.
I won’t lie, when I saw the rumor, I raced to my computer to see it, because I never believed we would ever see a new version of our Glock on our approved roster. Beyond that, the Glock 43X is one of the more sought-after designs here for the new CCW crowd. It’s also very convenient that the gun is a standard 10-round pistol, which is the legal limit for magazines in the state.
How California Lawsuits Opened the Door for New Pistols
It should be noted that it’s because of lawsuits like Boland v. Bonta and California firearms rights people like Reno May that we are getting the new pistols in. These lawsuits, championed by the California Rifle and Pistol Association, have forced the state to halt the requirement that all handguns be equipped with Microstamping technology to be added to the Roster of handguns certified for sale.
Per most people who know the industry here, the new Glock 43X CA will likely have the California-required mag disconnect safety and loaded chamber indicator. If that concerns you, remember, before this thing ever made it to the California DOJ, it had to go through Glock’s own testing. Those complaining that the new systems incorporated are somehow going to compromise the safety of the gun, I think, will discover this is not the case.
Why the Glock 43X CA Makes So Much Sense for California
If the state wanted to pick a Glock to approve that could make as many people happy as possible, from the gun control crowd to the gun owners crowd, this was strategically a brilliant move. There is already rumor and scuttlebutt about what California’s move means and whether it signals room for additional Glock models.
I already have a standard model of the 43X. It’s a great CCW weapon, complete with the Glock reputation for reliability. While not as ergonomic as my S&Ws, the slimline Glocks fit nicely in the hand without the blocky feeling.
That is part of why the Glock 43X CA makes so much sense here. California’s growing CCW crowd gets a slimline Glock configuration that many shooters already know, while the standard 10-round format fits neatly into the state’s magazine limit. After years of watching the roster dictate what Californians could choose from, seeing the 43X-CA show up feels like a much bigger deal than one more model number on a government webpage.
Glock USA Is Staying Quiet About the 43X CA
I have reached out to Glock USA for information, but they are being tight-lipped for now, although I suspect they are being inundated by media calls regarding the new 43X-CA. Hopefully, once they get back to me, I can update you all.
Currently, as I’m writing this, the list price is in the $600 range from the big box stores. There are scant details on the pistol, such as whether it will be an MOS setup or not, nor whether this will be a gun made in Austria or Smyrna, Georgia. We will keep you posted as this develops.
Glock 43X CA Specifications and Roster Details
| Model | Glock 43X CA |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 9MM |
| Barrel Length | 3.41″ |
| Capacity | 10 rounds |
| California Roster Date | 09/29/2026 |
| Current Price Context | List price is in the $600 range from the big box stores |
The Big Unknowns: MOS, Production, and What Comes Next
We still don’t know if the Glock 43X CA will be an MOS setup or not, and we don’t yet know whether the California version will come from Austria or Smyrna, Georgia. Those aren’t small details for Glock buyers, especially with optics-ready carry pistols being so common now, but at this point they remain exactly that: unknowns.
What we do know is that a genuinely new Glock has landed on California’s Roster of Approved Handguns after an almost twenty-year drought. That alone is excellent news for California Glock fans. While hopes are high that other Glocks will be added to our Roster of Approved Handguns, potential future models or timing are unknown.
Could the Glock 43X CA Signal Changes Beyond California?
How will this affect you if you’re in a state that banned Glocks? The answer to that is unknown, but you can bet they’re watching this.
California has often been a test case for what manufacturers will redesign, certify, or simply decide isn’t worth the trouble. If Glock has really built a California-specific 43X that satisfies the state’s current requirements, shooters elsewhere will naturally be watching to see whether the same approach opens doors in other restrictive states.
Glock 43X CA Pros and Questions Still Hanging in the Air
- Pros: A new Glock option for California buyers, slimline 43X format, standard 10-round configuration, strong CCW appeal, and Glock’s established reputation for reliability.
- Cons: No specific shelf date yet, MOS status is unknown, production location is unknown, and full California-specific feature details have not yet been released.
What Happens Next for the Glock 43X CA?
For now, the biggest story is simply that the Glock 43X CA exists on California’s roster at all. A few months ago, plenty of us would have bet against seeing a new Glock configuration make it onto that list. Now it’s there in black and white.
We will continue to monitor this and keep you all posted as Glock USA releases more information, stores begin talking about availability, and we learn exactly what separates the California version from the standard Glock 43X.