ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
Thanks for that detailed explanation. A great example of how the Japanese drew inspiration from a bit of this and that. Love that low-profile look.
SKB over/under guns in general, model 500 in particular
- Thread starter Chilly807
- Start date
Thanks for that detailed explanation. A great example of how the Japanese drew inspiration from a bit of this and that. Love that low-profile look.
I got some pics, finally.
Had a conversation with Ron Sharpe in Ontario yesterday, he filled in a lot of the blanks. SKB went bankrupt in 1980, came out in 1985 under new ownership, ergo New SKB Arms. The guns they produced over the next few years were a compilation of new parts and leftover parts from before the bankruptcy. Mine is one of those, apparently there weren't many imported to Canada in that era. The screw chokes are indeed factory, one of the few 500's built with them. The receiver style is one SKB tried for a bit, then rejected because of strength issues. He said he's never seen one blown up, but they went back to the old style with the side bosses nonetheless. If I have any of that wrong, it's on me, not Ron, he and I chatted for almost half an hour, and my note-taking isn't the best. Great guy, very knowledgeable about SKB.
Outside of the box, I'm thinking that SKB sold some of these guns to Weatherby under the Orion name, in various grades. I'm guessing mine is one of the "lower" grades due to the minimal engraving and less than splashy walnut stock.
Having said that, I quite like the gun appearance. To me, less is sometimes more.
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Had a conversation with Ron Sharpe in Ontario yesterday, he filled in a lot of the blanks. SKB went bankrupt in 1980, came out in 1985 under new ownership, ergo New SKB Arms. The guns they produced over the next few years were a compilation of new parts and leftover parts from before the bankruptcy. Mine is one of those, apparently there weren't many imported to Canada in that era. The screw chokes are indeed factory, one of the few 500's built with them. The receiver style is one SKB tried for a bit, then rejected because of strength issues. He said he's never seen one blown up, but they went back to the old style with the side bosses nonetheless. If I have any of that wrong, it's on me, not Ron, he and I chatted for almost half an hour, and my note-taking isn't the best. Great guy, very knowledgeable about SKB.
Outside of the box, I'm thinking that SKB sold some of these guns to Weatherby under the Orion name, in various grades. I'm guessing mine is one of the "lower" grades due to the minimal engraving and less than splashy walnut stock.
Having said that, I quite like the gun appearance. To me, less is sometimes more.
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My thoughts exactly, and the feel is the best part. To me, some of the older Citoris feel slightly "top-heavy", whereas this gun and the new 725 Citoris have the center of gravity directly between your hands. In fact, if I had to draw comparisons, I think this gun feels remarkably like the 725 field or sporting Citori. Same balance, same quickness to the shoulder and same point of aim for me at least. The SKB I have has 28" barrels, it was the shortest I would have considered since I plan to use this as my backup clay gun and for hunting. A 26" would have been a hard sell, I'm finding I need longer barrels to get a smooth swing, the extra inertia helps me stay on target. If I miss a couple birds in the woods because of it, that's life.
