Ithaca SxS- Mfg by SKB

loan shark

Walked in to my local gun store and in walks a guy who wants to put up a Model 100 Ithaca side by side 20 ga. on trade that was made by a company called SKB. The gun was in great shape with a very smooth action but what everyone kept talking about was that it was an SKB model. I,being the SxS nut, bought the thing for $650 and after taking it out and shooting it, fell in love with it. My question is what was the big deal about it being an SKB model? I think I overpaid for it if you can believe the Blue Book but where can you get a nice SxS for under $1,000 these days?

laxcoach

You paid a resonable price for it--$650 is what they have brought at auction on GB in recent months. As to the SKB "stigma", they are well-make pieces and your purchase will increase in value over the years.

nord

I live not 30 miles from Ithaca. I know many of the former Ithaca employees and I have a pretty good feel for their products.Hereabouts the SKB is looked upon as the "poor cousin" of the Ithaca family. This isn't to say that they're not well made or that there's anything wrong with the SKB. In fact, quite the opposite! Their problem is that they aren't a domestic gun and that they were never accepted like the very Belgian A-5 with the domestic Browning name.Did you pay too much? I guess I'd have to say that as long as you're happy, then you didn't. Would I part with $600.00 for a SKB? Not on your life! For the same money I can have a nice classic Ithaca, Smith, or Fox. And for just a few dollars more I can purchase a Ruger Red Label. And I mention Ruger for a reason... I purchased one of their fine products a few years ago and wrote them in regard to a question I had. Not only did I get a prompt answer, I got a personal letter (not one of those "fill in the blanks forms") thanking me for choosing Ruger above the competition.It's sort of neat to realize that they know me and they know my gun. While I realize this is just a database, I also know that my grandson could contact them 50 years in the future and someone at Ruger would probably be related to the man that finished my gun. The same thing is/was true for Ithaca. Before the Ithaca operation closed I took two of my Elcee's to their custom shop for restoration as they were the closest thing left to Hunter Arms. These were both common field guns and I had little expectation other than assuming they'd do a good job.Imagine my surprise and pleasure as I went back to get the guns when I was ushered into the custom shop and introduced to the specialy workers there. They took me on a tour and pointed out different pieces of equipment that had come from Hunter Arms. More than likely both of my guns had passed over those machines. Further, one of the older gentlemen there introduced himself and shared with me that he was personally acquainted with the man that had fitted both of my guns in the 1930's. He showed me the "marks" left by individuals as signatures of their work. Think about what I've said and if it's at all important. This is something that can never happen with the likes of SKB. It doesn't change the quality or shooting of the gun... But the difference may be incalculable.