Finally, a question about a gun that I can answer. My son shoots trap for the SCTP (or at least did last year and if we can get our act together he will shoot for AIM and/or SCTP this year as well). My promise to him was that if remained in the sport longer than a year then I would buy him his own 12 gauge. All last year he shot the team's donated 20 gauge and started putting together better and better scores.
With his birthday and 1 year anniversary approaching it was time for Dad to pay the piper. So, I began the hunt. You know the hunt. The hunt for his "ideal" gun. I hit all the forums. I hit all the shops. We borrowed and had him shoot lots of different kinds and models of 12 gauge. We tried semi-autos. We tried Over and Unders. We tried uni-barrels designed specifically for Trap. We tried Brownings, Winchesters, Barrettas...even a Kolar (glad Addison did not break the gun). Yep, we did the BT-99 and the BT-100. Meanwhile, Dad (read as me) was off looking for best value and not wanting to spend an arm and a led on an 11 year old. Go figure.
Finally, George Brown (for the shooters that know him), always supportive of the youth, let Addison try his own SKB 85-TSS. That was what he liked. No, that was what he loved. George, of course, has his jazzed up a bit with a Gracoil-LP and a Kick Eze just to make like difficult for Dad (read as moi). We continued to try other guns (Energy Select, Citori XT, several excellent guns that everyone on these forums will recommend), but Addison kept coming back to the SKB.
I bugged Addison's coach. I would on some days call the Mckinney's three times a day at the height of the search. Finally, on confirmation we drove out to where I knew he could shoot another SKB 85-TSS and had him try the 5-stand with one. Yes, I know it is not trap, but I wanted him to try a stock 85-TSS again before I shelled out the cash.
Yep, this is still the gun. So, I got him an 18 month old used SKB 85-TSS that was in good condition but not excellent condition. It had been originally used in one of the NFL promotional player shoot offs and then purchased at auction by a sporting clays shooting school (Deep River). It had had several hundred shells through it. I paid $1300 and was happy with the purchase.
Addison shot a few five-stands with the gun and then went to an ATA registered shoot at Rocky Mount. It was a horrible day for shooting (heavy rain) and a real mess. As expected, his scored dropped to almost half of what he had been shooting with the Beretta 20 gauge 391. Halfway through the handicap event he walked off with a flaring migraine.
George was at the shoot and looked at his length of pull and the cheapo 3 dram loads that I had bought him and prescribed cutting the stock back and getting him some proper shells. He was not getting into the gun and the gun was kicking like a mule. After we left Addison was very clear on what he wanted. He wanted a gun like George's. He needed and wanted a recoil reducer and George has agreed.
So, over the world over we searched for someone that could cut back the stock a full 2 inches and install a Gracoil-LP recoil reducer and adjustable butt plate and a Kick Eze pad. Finally, I got that done and Addison immediately took the the gun and loves it.
It took some tweeks, but the gun now fits him properly. I got a LP version and had 3 different widths of butt pads made so that he could continue to grow into a full man with that gun and its add ons if he chooses.
The SKB 85-TSS is a nice gun. It shoots well and has light recoil. It comes stock with an adjustable comb, which is really very helpful for correcting the POI. It does not have a complex mechanical innard, but is likely best worked on by SKB. SKB has a very no nonsense warranty. They will fix it. They will fix it right. They will fix it fast.
You will need to shop around locally for a gunsmith that can do your annual. Not all will work on the SKB.
Your resale value will not be as high as some of the other more expensive guns or popular guns. You will likely not find as good a gun for the value...but I would look at Weatherby while you are at it, just in case.
For the record, I found and purchased my own SKB Model 605 Trap Combo a few months after I bought Addisons. My next post will describe my personal experiences with a different SKB model.
The bottom line is try someone's gun as close as possible to those you are considering. Experience builds confidence in owning your decision. After your purchase be willing to step up to making whatever adjustments that are required to make the gun fit you. Get help from people that know how to do this. Stock guns do not fit. They feel like they do and you will be able to hit targets, but you will always be a little off. Every AA shooter will tell you to make the gun fit.
The next bit of advice is to own the gun. That is treat it and learn it as if you are going to own it for 20 or 50 years.