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SKB 885...Now What Did I do!

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9.2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  rbertalotto  
R
#1 ·
I walked into my local gun shop looking for an inexpensive replacement for my 40 year old Charles Daly, Miroku 12g Trap Gun......Wanted to spend $1000-$1200. The CZ Premier Target had my attention but the wood on the one they had looked like birch with near no grain.....On the consignment rack was an SKB 885 with a price tag of $2800....but upon closer inspection it came with a second Uni-barrel, 8 chokes (5 from Briley), a few snap caps and a super heavy duty fitted Americase. It also has an adjustable fitted GraCoil recoil reduction recoil pad. The gun appears in unused condition. not a mark anywhere on it!

But $2800 was too rich for my wallet.

As the salesman was putting it back in the rack, the other salesman said that the seller was in need of money and he dropped the price to $1500!!!!

I'm not sure what I bought as I have no experience with SKB other than I shoot Cowboy Action and the SKB 200 is the GO TO SxS shotgun for that event. I have two of them.

So, asking the experts...How did I do?
 
T
#2 ·
You can search for prior SKB 885 posts and/or contact a poster on here "Ulysses" who seams to know a lot about SKB shotguns. I think that yours is a 1990-2000 era one made in Japan. Considered very good guns for the money!

I just bought a NIB, unfired "Safe Queen" Weatherby Orion (1985-1990 era) made in Japan by SKB, with Win/Browning Invector screw-in chokes. I bought some Carlsen extended chokes (IM, M, LM, and IC) for it. Cleaned the manufacturing lube off, oiled and lubed. First time shooting it (100 rounds) at Sporting clays, it mounted, tracked, and recoiled kind of like a hybrid of my Browning and a Beretta BL-3 I shot some. I was grinning all the way home.

JB
 
#3 ·
Personally, I've never liked the looks of the SKB's with that hockey-stick lump on the side of the receiver. That said, the 885 is easily the best looking, and usually has the best figured wood, of any SKB of that vintage. I shot one of my friends for about 10 weeks while I was looking for a suitable Citori and it was a good gun. I wouldn't have given $1500 just because I don't want/need another 12 gauge. That said, I think you got more than your money's worth on the deal.
 
#4 ·
Sounds like you got quite a good buy. Taken individually, those items add up to a lot more than you paid for it. I assume that this "Uni-barrel" is a single barrel that is for trap use. If in good shape, that alone is worth perhaps $600 or so.

The adjustable Gracoil recoil device is worth another $500 or so when new.

An Americase is worth maybe $300???? Don't know, but it's easy enough to look up what a new one costs.

Extended choke tubes are worth $30 to $50 each.

So, adding all these up, it looks like you got the gun for FREE! Free is very good! :D

And on top of all that, the SKB 885 is an excellent gun... and pretty too. Congrats. You did good! {hs#

Pictures would be appreciated.
 
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#7 ·
Super nice! Got a Monte Carlo comb too! And the single barrel appears to be about 34" in length. Great setup for a trap shooter, or the O/U can be used for any of the clay shooting sports. Looks like a "Safe Queen".

That gun doesn't look like it has ever been out of the case. Not even a small nick or ding anywhere! You got a steal!
 
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L
#8 ·
Congratulations on your new shotgun. I owned several SKB (Japan) side by sides back in the day, but never an O/U for some reason. I shot a couple of SKB trap guns like yours (don't remember the model numbers) which belonged to other shooters and I liked them. I always had a soft spot for SKBs as did my brother and they were highly popular in our area/region when they were newly available.

I need another shotgun like an additional hole in the head, but had I been given the opportunity to buy that as new SKB for $1500 I would have done it in a heartbeat, if only for nostalgia sake alone.

OP, may you shoot your new shotgun in good health.
 
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