Ithaca Skb 500 Serial Numbers
Looking for year manufactured. And value - Answered by a verified Firearms Expert. ***In 1941 the company reserved blocks of serial numbers for Solid Rib, Skeet and Trap models. The initial sequence of numbers for the Solid Rib was 70000 to 79999. Skeet Model numbers were 80000 - 89999, and the Trap Model numbers were 88000 to 89000.
We only have records of firearms that we actually imported. SKB Shotguns USA imported shotguns from the Japanese factory during the period 1988 to 2009. These shotguns will have our importer’s mark (G.U. Omaha, Ne.) on the left side of the barrel under the forend. In most cases, the shotguns will have a serial number prefixes of either NS, NSG, NA, and AS. We can also help with any current production guns, manufactured in Turkey that we imported. We do not have any records from other importers of SKB manufactured shotguns:.
Ithaca Skb 500 Serial Numbers
Ithaca Gun Company which imported from 1969 to 1978. Mitsui (Chicago, IL) which imported from 1981 to 1984. Weatherby which imported from 1984 to 2004 The SKB factory in Japan closed operations in late 2009.
All documents pertaining to shotgun production and exportation were turned into the Japanese government. You can contact us, with your serial number, and we will look up the date we imported the gun.
I am looking for manufacturing information on an over/under shotgun with serial number SKB CF 5156XX. My uncle passed it on to me and the only back story he has is that he bought it used in about 1981 from a guy that could no longer shoot trap and skeet.
It looks like a Field Gun, it has a blued receiver, with a little scroll work on the sides of it. I am mostly looking for the approximate year of manufacture, but a value range would be helpful too. Judging from what I have seen on the net, 400-700 dollars looks like an appropriate value range, depending on the wear and tear, but any input from members of this board would be helpful. I have looked at the SKB website, and also e-mailed them and they cannot help, something about not having any information from previous importers. Thank you in advance. IIRC, Ithaca ceased importing the SKB line in 1977. Some sources have said that SKB went into bankruptancy around 1980.
There was a period of time when the guns were not available in the States. About that time, I contacted the Japanese Trade Consul and was given the address for 'The New SKB Co.' Mitsui in Chicago picked up the line and imported it until about 1984. I don't know if Mitsui had the line before, as well as, after the SKB bankruptancy. It's my understanding that Mitsui ran afoul of the BATF and was shut down.
One rumour claimed that some Mitsui/SKB's were not marked as imports. The lack of an importer's name on your gun may lend credence to the Mitsui tale. Perhaps Walt Snyder or Ron Sharp may be able to comment further on the history of SKB in North America. Regardless of the history of your SKB, they are well built guns.
I've put many thousands of trap loads through one and it still locks up like a bank vault. Enjoy your SKB!
Montani Semper Liberi.