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By Ralph Stuart
Photograph by Chris Siefken

There’s just something right about carrying a side-by-side shotgun in the uplands. Perhaps it’s the light weight, the shallow action, the ease with which the gun comes to the shoulder and points. Or maybe it’s just a sense of tradition—of toting a gun that looks and feels like the one your grandfather carried. The SKB Model 200 Field is a Turkish-made side-by-side that is just as much at home in the grouse woods as on the sporting clays course. We couldn’t help feeling nostalgic as we put a 20-bore version through the paces.

We took the 200 Field to the range, where it did a fine job busting targets with a variety of loads: everything from 2½” No. 9s to 2¾” No. 6s. The gun, which weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces on our postal scale, swung well on long targets and did a good job absorbing recoil. There were no mechanical malfunctions, and hulls were ejected with vigor. The round knob and beavertail forend felt just right in the hands, and we definitely could see cradling the 200 Field in the North Woods or on the Western prairies. Price: $2,100.

The stock is oil-finished Turkish walnut, with a Prince of Wales grip and semi-beavertail forend with Deeley latch. Ours had very nice figure and well-executed hand checkering on the butt, grip and forend. Measurements were: 14½” length of pull, 1-3/8″ drop at comb, 2-1/8″ drop at heel.

The non-selective single trigger is mechanical, so the left (second) barrel will fire even if the right one does not. The pulls on our gun were heavy, averaging 8 pounds for the right barrel and 9 for the left, but they were crisp with no creep. The safety is manual, so it must be engaged after reloading (not ideal for a field gun).

The rounded triggerplate action is sized for the gauge (12, 28 and .410 are also available) and has an attractive scalloped back and vivid bison-bone-and-charcoal case hardening. In addition to sparse scrollwork on the action, fences, trigger guard, safety, toplever and forend iron, “SKB” appears in gold on the action bottom.

Chrome-lined 28″ barrels (26″ or 30″ are options on the 20-gauge) have 3″ chambers, ejectors and a raised solid rib with a machined matte surface and white front bead. The gun comes with five flush-mounted screw chokes (Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified and Full) and a tapered wrench that grips using friction. With no identifying notches in the choke ends, you cannot tell which constrictions are in without removing them.

Looks nice but with a 14.5 inch length of pull it’s not designed for me.

SKB is made in Turkey now..........Travesty.

Beautiful shotgun

I have a couple of Ithaca SKB SxS's and they are fine pieces. Used to be pretty inexpensive too.

I am quite pleased with my Turkish made Dickinson. I was able to pick up a two-barrel set in .28 and .410. They are simple, light weight, and beautifully made hunting guns.

6 lbs 7 oz is a little heavy for 20ga IMHO.

The Charles Daly 520 is listed at 5.6 lbs.
https://www.charlesdaly.com/product.php?id=165

I've been curious about the Turkish sxs shotguns. The Yildiz at Academy had a lot of slop in the action. That is, I could wiggle the barrel when the action was open.

The Dickinson looks nice!

Weight is subjective to balance. I will take a few extra ounces on a gun that balances well over a light gun that is butt heavy

But will you take an extra 13.4 ounces?

I like a light and quick side by side for upland hunting. That said, fit and balance are also important.

Real nice looking.

Turkey makes some very nice doubles, and they're priced far below Italian and Jap guns of the same quality.

I came close to buying that exact package when Cabelas was offering them pretty cheap. They look to be very well made pieces.

I bought mine here at CDNN.

It was CDNN not Cabelas. Let's plan a wild upland bird hunt...

Fantastic little gun. Well made.

Ditto. As you know, Ed!

Recall that the "old" SKB SXS guns were made in Japan under the Ithaca brand, so they've got a distinctly USA look and feel to them. The new Turkish model seems very similar. A lot pricier, though.

I'm in

Turkish guns are damned decent.. I bought one of the tri star hunters and it has held up through 3 cases of magnum steel. And still locks up rock solid.


The Dickinson's are fantastic shotguns.

It does look nice indeed!

I've recently bought a couple of Turkish made CZ Drake shotguns (O/U) in 12 ga and 20 ga. These are very well-made, tight-fitted guns. They point nicely and pattern well. For the price, you can't beat them. Bought the 12 for my stepson's 18th birthday and the 20 for my wife to try. FWIW, I like to have a "loaner" gun for guests to use when we go to the gun range or to the game farm, and the 20 ga Drake is about as good a choice for that as you could ask for.

It looks nice, but I agree with those who feel that nearly 6 1/2 lbs is a bit heavy for a 20 ga bird gun.



I'd prefer it with double triggers, to allow instant selection of the barrel, though if you are going to have a single trigger I do prefer the mechanical reset. I'd want to get the trigger pulls down to something more reasonable though.

I think that the author of this review is talking rubbish about the safety. I personally would not have a field gun which automatically activated the safety when reloading, and have paid to have that "feature" deactivated on one gun I own. If I want the gun to be on safe I'll put it there. I sure don't want to throw two shells into the chamber for a quick opportunity only to find that the designer of my gun thinks I can't close it without needing the safety on.

They are nice, I had a 410

I have one of the Jap made Ithaca SKB SXS in a 20. Paid $250 for it new back in the early 70's and they had a semi auto at the same price. I wish I had bought that one too.

I was able to shoot one of the dickinson 20 Ga. Sxs today. A straight gripped gun with 30 inch bbls. I don't think I could sit down and come up with a better swinging grouse and woodcock gun.