Skb m3

[jirushi]

I was in Japan to do research for my Sharp book.
Thanks to my friends Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Iwata, it was a great week.
We visited the old Sharp factory site, the later Sharp Chiba site, and various gun shops.
At Sakagami gun shop, I spotted this SKB M3. The gun shop is across the road from the SKB factory, which closed around 2008.
It was interesting to walk inside the building; gun parts and empty shotgun cartridges all over the place.

The SKB seems to be a BSA Standard Pattern copy. I bought it, and gave it to Mr. Shimizu as a thank you for all his work for my book (over the last 5 years).
It has a peep sight, and scope rails on top of the trigger block. Looks to be well made, but my experience with Japanese prewar BSA copies is that the tap area is difficult to make as well as the original from Birmingham.

Cheers, Louis

[costalotpanther]

Amazing!

[Unframed Dave]

Very nice Louis, looking forward to seeing the book.

Dave

[jirushi]

Cheers gents. It's a nice project, and I've received help from lots of people on this forum too.

[45flint]

Same time frame SKB 53, only Japanese airgun I own. Extremely well made, should have kept yours!! A chapter on SKB would have made a good appendix to your book. Maybe give some equal time to the springers from all those pumpers? Lol

[Mark D]

I was in Japan to do research for my Sharp book.
Thanks to my friends Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Iwata, it was a great week.
We visited the old Sharp factory site, the later Sharp Chiba site, and various gun shops.
At Sakagami gun shop, I spotted this SKB M3. The gun shop is across the road from the SKB factory, which closed around 2008.
It was interesting to walk inside the building; gun parts and empty shotgun cartridges all over the place.

The SKB seems to be a BSA Standard Pattern copy. I bought it, and gave it to Mr. Shimizu as a thank you for all his work for my book (over the last 5 years).
It has a peep sight, and scope rails on top of the trigger block. Looks to be well made, but my experience with Japanese prewar BSA copies is that the tap area is difficult to make as well as the original from Birmingham.

Cheers, Louis

Hi Louis

Well someone has to ask Were there really boxed Anschutz Mod 250 rifles stacked up there, or were they just empty boxes.
Looking forward to your book btw 👍

[jirushi]

@45flint, that SKB is a beauty.
I agree, the M3 would have been nice for my collection.
But I think the original BSA design cannot be equalled?

What is your view on your SKB's tap design quality? Is it nice and air tight?
Also, with the M3, I noticed that the piston's metal was a bit damaged where it makes contact with the cocking link.
Perhaps they didn't use the correct hardness. Not sure.

@Mark, I am pretty sure that those boxes were full.
At this gun shop, there were also about six Howa 55G's and two new Theoben Rapid Mk1's.

[45flint]

@45flint, that SKB is a beauty.
I agree, the M3 would have been nice for my collection.
But I think the original BSA design cannot be equalled?

What is your view on your SKB's tap design quality? Is it nice and air tight?
Also, with the M3, I noticed that the piston's metal was a bit damaged where it makes contact with the cocking link.
Perhaps they didn't use the correct hardness. Not sure.

@Mark, I am pretty sure that those boxes were full.
At this gun shop, there were also about six Howa 55G's and two new Theoben Rapid Mk1's.

The tap is very well machined not as airtight as a MK3 Webley. I agree there is nothing that takes the place of a BSA prewar. My piston linkage seems fine? To me it is a fine post war example and beautiful to look at. Not expecting that in a springer from Japan. So many poor copies.

[Mark D]

@45flint, that SKB is a beauty.
I agree, the M3 would have been nice for my collection.
But I think the original BSA design cannot be equalled?

What is your view on your SKB's tap design quality? Is it nice and air tight?
Also, with the M3, I noticed that the piston's metal was a bit damaged where it makes contact with the cocking link.
Perhaps they didn't use the correct hardness. Not sure.

@Mark, I am pretty sure that those boxes were full.
At this gun shop, there were also about six Howa 55G's and two new Theoben Rapid Mk1's.

Just checking on the flights to Japan - I might need a bigger suitcase though

[45flint]

Curious how much is a Howa 55G's over there?

[jirushi]

I am not sure Steve, they are still popular in Japan. But probably a lot cheaper than here.
Buying (air)guns in Japan is not easy though, there are strict regulations.
Export is also complicated.
I paid over 1000 euros a few years ago to get 3 rare Sharps to from Japan to Holland.