I the first Savage Larry was talking about and pictures of the one they wanted him to buy. NOBODY that knows anything about sxs or checkering would have touched that gun with a 10 foot pole. Damned by faint or in this case no praise is what happened. But then I've always felt you could get custom wood and tart up a Japanese SKB and have the same thing for a LOT less than an RBL by ay other name.