My first new shotgun was an SKB model 150 12ga. That was back in 1971, purchased at a Navy Rod & Gun Club in Rota, Spain for $162. It was something of a coin toss between the sxs and a Winchester 101 20ga. But I'd discovered good bird hunting in Morocco, and was reading George Bird Evans and other classic writers, thanks to the Outdoor Life Book Club. Those military rod and gun clubs offered great prices on guns. They were also where I first shot clay targets. Trap first, then skeet. I narrowly escaped becoming an OU guy, having ordered one of the Beretta BL series guns, but it arrived with a cracked forend, and hunting season was rapidly approaching. SxS have dominated with me, mostly of the classic variety but with some others new, like the SKB 150. We were fortunate to have decent quality guns from Japan back then. Unfortunate that we're no longer receiving sxs from Japan. Solid quality, both BSS as well as SKB . . . not to mention the fancier Winchester 23 and the Parker Repros.
