I'm currently looking at a SKB 280, 12 ga choked IC and MOD. The reason, as if one needs a reason, for buying this gun is to have a sturdy s/s all purpose gun for pheasants, prairie grouse and perhaps the occasional waterfowl. Other than the single trigger which I can live with and the gawdawful front bead, your thoughts?

Steve

I have an SKB 200E, 385 and 100. I think they are very good guns for the money. I have more expensive side by sides with more nicely figured wood and hand cut engraving but when it comes to a good shooter I love my SKBs. Sometimes I look for bad weather days just as an excuse to shoot them over some of my other guns. I should mention that my fitted guns have very similar dimensions as the factory SKBs minus the cast off. I have not shot a 280 but I am sure the quality is there. James

If it's IC/M, it probably has 26" barrels. Some would suggest longer would be better on a gun for open country upland birds and waterfowl. The other issue with waterfowl, if you're going to shoot steel, is the gun's 2 3/4" chambers which limit your ammunition choices. And some people don't like the combination of a generous beavertail and a straight grip. But SKB's are solid guns, and it will certainly fill your "sturdy" requirement.

Mr. Brown,
Actually the barrel length is 28", don't have my hands on the gun yet but possibly the chokes have been opened up, I can live with that. As to the waterfowling, I know I'm limited to 2 3/4" but have a couple other dedicated waterfowl guns for serious stuff so that isn't a concern. I suspect the SKB is tough enough to take stout loads, I handload steel and can load up some killer 2 3/4" 1 oz. loads for decoying and the occasional upland hunt that requires nontox. Of course there is always the option of nice shot and tungsten matrix if I feel the need and can stand the tariff.


Steve

Steve,

They are 'h' for stout good guns. Model pref is a personal thing, but from the model 100 up all are very well made & should not have any issues w/your intended use. You might wish to consider pulling the stock & sealing the head and giving the locks a clean & lube, but otherwise I see nothing to find worrisome. BTW, I believe those bbls. were chrome lined originally, so give the choke work a good inspection to insure it wasn't a butcher job.

I'm in complete agreement w/James' assessment.

Best, tw

Great gun, I have had one for years and they are dependable and stout.

I agree the SKB line of SXS are good solid guns able to handle stout loads. The raybar type site is ugly but servicable. I personally think they are a little too heavy and I am giving one of my nephews a 20 ga and another one a 28 ga. nothing really wrong with them. I just have to many shotguns.

I have one in 20 ga., and it's not much more than 6 lbs. The little platform that the raybar sight is perched on will screw right off, very easy to substitute a simple bead.

Jay

Just took possession of a 20 ga. SKB (Ithaca) 280E, bought at auction. Weight is 6# 6.5 oz. with 28" barrels. My grandson broke it in Saturday afternoon (literally, as it is an unfired gun, ANAICT), between rains, at the clays course. He shot it admirably, breaking some very long and difficult birds, most notable going 4/5 on a high, going away bird off a tower.

I shot the gun a couple times and found it very shootable. Good trigger, excellent ejectors timed well. What's not to like about it, except the Raybar front "sight"?

I was very impressed, overall.

SRH

They are great guns and hard to beat for the money. A good alternative would be a Miroku-made Charles Daly 500.

...and, of course, the Miroku Browning SxS. I have 3 20ga BSS guns that I shoot regularly and a 12g BSS that was my first sxs, which is the only reason it's still in my safe. I put the BSS and SKB guns in the same catagory.

I don't see a lot of difference in terms of reliability between the BSS and the SKB. Maybe a little edge to the BSS with its mechanical trigger. But the main difference between the two is that the SKB's are significantly lighter.

Hi:

What is different between teh SKB Ithaca 200E and the SKB 280? I thought that the 280 had choke tubes and the 200E had fixed chokes.

I have a 200E in 12 gage and one in 20 gage. I use these for pheasant hunting over a pointer. For some reason, I can shoot them very well and I do very well at skeet with the 20 gage. Mine both have the silver receivers that I think look much better than the blued versions.

The 20 gage has a 25" I.C. and Mod. barrels and the 12 has 28" Mod. and Full barrels. Perhaps I should get choke tubes put into the 12.

All in all, they are good solid guns! If one wants a good SXS for not a lot of money, look for a SKB Ithaca.

Stay well my friends,

Franchi

Hi:

I just did a search on the SKB 200E vs. the SKB 280 and I found the 280 has a straight stock whereas the 200E has a pistol grip stock.

The 200E that has the screw in chokes is called the 385.

Stay well my friends,

Franchi

I shot a 20 ga 280 in the early 70s and with the 25 inch barrels and open chokes it was a deadly bird gun! Bobby