Just picked one up from Mark Beasland. I'd never seen an SKB like this one, and neither had Mark. Wouldn't have known much about it were it not for an ad in a 1960 Shooters Bible I recalled having seen. Mine matches up nicely to that ad. The standard gun came with double triggers and extractors, and sold for $400 in 1960. (Mine has ejectors--$50 option.) The ad specifies "custom-made to customer's specifications"--and it needed to be, given the price. (In the same book, a Sauer Royal sold for $280, and a Bernardelli Holland Sidelock for $450.) Profuse game scene and scroll engraving on the receiver, as well as deeply engraved fences with game birds. Wood is much nicer and checkering a lot finer than on the Ithaca imports. Weight with 28" barrels is under 6 1/2, which makes it half a pound lighter than my 28" Ithaca SKB 150. Mine sports a beavertail forend (somewhat trimmer than that on my Ithaca 150), as does the gun shown in the ad--but it could have been ordered with a splinter. Chokes are marked IC/F. Stamped SKB Royal Deluxe on the water table. I've seen a few SKB Royals previously,some with double triggers, but they were plainer guns and I'd always assumed they were made for the European market. This one has pretty much standard "American" features from that time period.
Sorry I don't do photos. Back when I did a couple articles on SKB's for Shooting Sportsman several years ago, I'd never heard of any SKB's imported to the States prior to Ithaca's involvement. And given the price, I doubt many of the Royal Deluxes were sold. Should make a great pheasant gun.
