SKB over/under guns in general, model 500 in particular
- Thread starter Chilly807
- Start date
gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
I bought a 505 for my dad a couple of years ago. It was well enough made but it kicked like a mule so it went down the road.
Very good quality Japanese made guns no longer in production. I have owned and reccomended to others 500 and 600's and still use a 20 ga. 600. Chrome lined barrels, low profile receivers. Model numbers ending in 05 or 85 had choke tubes. parts are still available in Canada and the US.
The SKB name has been bought and new guns produced in Turkey have nothing in common with the Japanese produced guns.
The SKB name has been bought and new guns produced in Turkey have nothing in common with the Japanese produced guns.
I guess I'd be smart to pick up a few of the most likely parts to fail, firing pins, extractors, etc. Mine is a 500 with choke tubes, definitely not a safe queen
I've had my 20 ga. for more than 20 years using it for Skeet and Grouse hunting with no problems, I'm not too concerned on having spare parts. However From what I have read over the years is the hammer springs are the most likely to fail if anything.
If you have a "500" with choke tubes, they have been added to the gun. Factory installed tube were introduced with the 505, 605 etc.
That's what I thought.. The muzzles look to be flared at the the choke portion, which is why I thought it was a factory job. Unless someone has switched barrels, which I'm not sure is even possible. If they did, it's a hell of a good job.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
The receiver is based on the Merkel. The Japanese really knew how to mass produce quality copies (throwing in a few of their own variations) of good guns.
While the SKB's have the receiver bolsters sculpted in a very similar style and use a modified Kersten lockup, I don't think it would be accurate to say the receiver is based on the Merkel design. The Merkel uses a full width hinge pin ala the Browning Supers and Citori. This results in a "tall" receiver profile. Also like the Brownings, the Merkel receivers I have seen are pierced for recoil lugs fitting thru. The SKB uses trunnions like Berettas resulting in a "low" profile. The SKB is far closer to the Beretta DT-10,-11 in design than the Merkel.
Many manufacturers swaged/flared the last few inches to accomodate choke tubes as did some early aftermarket installations before thin wall tubes became available. The aftermarket tubes needing swaging of the barrel would not be applicable to doubles as it would mean seperating the barrels, ribs etc and re-soldering it all together again.
That leads me to believe your choke tubes are factory installed to the barrels.
Does the serial numbers On the barrel set match the receiver and fore-end iron ?
Possibly a transition gun before the 505 ?
What is marked on the gun, ie; SKB made for Ithica, Mitsoui (?) or just SKB ?
All serial numbers match, and the barrel set is marked "Model 500- Made by New SKB Arms, Japan"
Receiver is silver colored with minimal engraving. I'll try to get a couple pictures over the next few days, I'm starting to wonder just what it is that I have, if it's something unusual or not.
Huh...
Every 500 I have seen has fixed chokes, a blued receiver and at least 3 different engraving patterns mostly very sparse but at least one style close to the 600 models. The "05" ala 505, 605, etc were/are supposedly the first SKB's with factory choke tubes. As far as I can reason is that since the numbers all match, that it must be a transition gun between the regular 500 and the successor model 505.
Pictures would be nice to see.
My 20 ga. 600
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Excellent guns, They are a better value than the Citoris that I have owned. I had a 20 ga. that was sold to a friend and I recently picked up a 12 ga. I was told by Briley that they could put in their thin wall tubes and it would then be compatible with steel shot. I am planning to do that.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Full agreement with Longwalker and Planemaker. I've had my Model 500 in 20 gauge for just under a decade now. It's a fine upland gun. It's taken a small mountain of rabbits and some ruffies. Last time I brought it into the hunting fields I put up a covey of sharptails. And two of them ended up in my larder.
Nice looking gun, planemaker. I'm hoping to get pics up tomorrow, it's a mystery gun! According to SKB, they don't have records of my serial number, theirs start at NS76000 in 1986, mine is NS59487, or something like it.. The screw chokes and flared muzzles say it's newer, but the serial numbers match and say it's old.. It doesn't have the "elbows" on the upper rear sides of the receiver either, like the 500 & 600's I've seen online. Barrel markings say it's a 500. Confusion reigns!
gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
The receiver on my dad's 505 was silver. Is the last 0 on your 500 stamped clearly?
Yeah, it's plain as day, 500. I double checked, it wouldn't be the first time I thought I saw what I expected to see and was mistaken. I might try contacting the previous owner and try to get some history on the gun. From what I've read here there are some things that just don't make sense.
Might be getting somewhere now.. Just on a hunch I looked at some Weatherbys online, mine looks a LOT like an Orion. It might be that SKB released some late production 500's that were actually the same as the Orion before Weatherby bought the exclusive rights to the Orion model..
