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SKB. Mechanical or inertial?


Hoss

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Just got a SKB 200E. It’s been “cowboyized” by a reputable smith. Triggers are still inertial. It fires my fairly light 7/8 oz loads with no issues. What is the main advantage to mechanical trigger, other than not having to worry about trigger reset, which does not seem to be an issue? 

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If you want to shoot extremely light loads the mechanical trigger will activate the inertial connector more reliably.  If you are comfortable using shot charges at least one ounce or heavier, the inertial connector should not be an issue.  
 

If it were my gun I would use it as is until it misbehaves.  Guns are snowflakes:  each one is unique.  
 

Based on owning an SKB 100 and SKB 200, and some experimentation.

 

Good luck.

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2 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

If barrel #1 fails to fire, no option to try barrel #2. 

Most seasoned competitors will whack the butt with their palm / or against a convent prop if there a failure to reset after FIRING #1 barrel. If #1 fails to fire, flip the lever and recock :)

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9 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

If barrel #1 fails to fire, no option to try barrel #2. 

200E has a barrel selector switch in the trigger. You could switch barrels that way and try again. 

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My 100's have the barrel selector on the trigger as well.  But it takes a few seconds to make that change.  My SKBs have been converted to mechanical, or whatever magic Fast Eddie achieves.  

 

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1 hour ago, Captain Clark said:

Most seasoned competitors will whack the butt with their palm / or against a convent prop if there a failure to reset after FIRING #1 barrel. If #1 fails to fire, flip the lever and recock :)

 

1 hour ago, Major BS Walker Regulator said:

200E has a barrel selector switch in the trigger. You could switch barrels that way and try again. 

 

All of which uses up valuable time first recognizing that you have a problem and then performing the corrective procedure.

 

How many shooters actually do this?

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7 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

 

All of which uses up valuable time first recognizing that you have a problem and then performing the corrective procedure.

 

How many shooters actually do this?

The ones that are prepared for the unexpected when it happens! It’s akin to practicing a reload for a jacked out round, or going around again looking for that elusive 5th round. Sooner or later it happens, even to those that practice walking on water:)

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10 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Another down side is you cannot shoot Outlaw with an inertial trigger.

I actually tested this. No issues. I did hold it firmly. Again, using 7/8 oz loads, low power. Never Chronoed them ( don’t want to shoot my chronograph!) but I would guess <1100 FPS as they feel milder than Featherlights. 
 

I'm leaning towards having the conversion done.  

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3 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I actually tested this. No issues. I did hold it firmly. Again, using 7/8 oz loads, low power. Never Chronoed them ( don’t want to shoot my chronograph!) but I would guess <1100 FPS as they feel milder than Featherlights. 
 

I'm leaning towards having the conversion done.  

I have had it done on several SKBs and found even mechanical not 100% in all done, one works as should.  I believe all the top SKB smith's method allows for going back to original if not pleased.  (If I can reverse then I'd suggest many who are least bit familiar with their sg can do it.)   Mine reverse back to inertia has been a simple moving of the mechanical's spring/wire.  The rare times I have needed to change barrels in a stage I usually fail to remember to slap butt.  If bad round you are more than likely will have to reload anyway.  I try to just be efficient in shucking/reloading.

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Mechanical is mainly necessary for light black powder loads.  Johnny Meadows explained to me that the recoil impulse of black powder is not sharp enough to always reliably trip/reset the inertia trigger.  Both of my SKBs have been converted to mechanical.  Another advantage to mechanical is if you happen to only load one shell for a SG make up and you forget which barrel is first you can quickly go "click BANG" vs the inertia will require a whack on the butt to fire.   Of course this situation can easily be avoided by always loading 2 shells.

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Inertia SKB triggers properly set up will reliably fire the Lightest CAS Loads and will also reliably fire from the Hip ........ aka Outlaw

It's just a matter of proper set up & it's pretty simple to do.

 

Here's the trick.........

Remove the inertia weight and pin that holds it in place, polish them where they contact so the weight can freely move unimpaired.

Here is the tricky part.... you need a lighter tension spring for the weight, it's hard to find the correct one but they are out there, you just have to search......

You can trim 2 or 3 coils off the standard spring...... but it's touchy and you don't want to trim  too much.

 

Or simply take it to a Smith that knows how to do it...... 'bout a 15 min job.

 

Oh.... I shoot Light BP Loads all the time in my SKB's and never ..... well at least 99.999% ... have any problem in firing.

If I do have an issue it's my fault & not the guns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15 hours ago, Ripsaw said:

My 100's have the barrel selector on the trigger as well.  But it takes a few seconds to make that change.  My SKBs have been converted to mechanical, or whatever magic Fast Eddie achieves.  

 

I think Eddie adds a wire or something, but leaves the inertial untouched. 

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16 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

If barrel #1 fails to fire, no option to try barrel #2. 

That is just not true! That button on the trigger is the barrel selector, if #1 does not fire push or pull the button over depending on what barrel you have it set to fire first. V.D.

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17 hours ago, Hoss said:

Just got a SKB 200E. It’s been “cowboyized” by a reputable smith. Triggers are still inertial. It fires my fairly light 7/8 oz loads with no issues. What is the main advantage to mechanical trigger, other than not having to worry about trigger reset, which does not seem to be an issue? 

I have been shooting my SKB for over ten years with inertial trigger and it has only failed to fire one time. V.D.

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3 hours ago, July Smith said:

Mechanical is mainly necessary for light black powder loads.  Johnny Meadows explained to me that the recoil impulse of black powder is not sharp enough to always reliably trip/reset the inertia trigger.  Both of my SKBs have been converted to mechanical.  Another advantage to mechanical is if you happen to only load one shell for a SG make up and you forget which barrel is first you can quickly go "click BANG" vs the inertia will require a whack on the butt to fire.   Of course this situation can easily be avoided by always loading 2 shells.

You should never whack the butt on anything to fire it! That's what the barrel selector is for! V.D.

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I have 2 SKB 100s, both done by Johnny Meadows. 1 mechanical and 1 inertia. Never had an issue with either shooting Winchester AA LNLR with 26 gm of shot. 

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Mechanical by fast Eddie!!!! Hands down

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1 hour ago, Von Dutch, SASS # 7995 said:

You should never whack the butt on anything to fire it! That's what the barrel selector is for! V.D.

While I believe you are correct, what one does do and what one should do are often different.  I personally have never seen anyone change the selector mid stage.  In fact in SASS, Trap, Skeet, and Sport Clays I have never seen anyone fiddle with the selector mid shooting on either a SxS or O/U. 

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On 12/8/2020 at 1:07 PM, July Smith said:

While I believe you are correct, what one does do and what one should do are often different.  I personally have never seen anyone change the selector mid stage.  In fact in SASS, Trap, Skeet, and Sport Clays I have never seen anyone fiddle with the selector mid shooting on either a SxS or O/U. 

Well you don't have to fiddle with the selector unless you fire the first barrel and it failed to switch to the second barrel then you can push the selector over to fire the second barrel! Takes a split second I had to do it once. If you slam the butt on something to switch it takes longer and you can break the butt stock, witch is very costly to replace.  Butt it's not my gun so it's no sweat of my estabulla! just wanted to say to slam the butt on something to change barrels is just plain stupid. V.D.

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3 hours ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I think Eddie adds a wire or something, but leaves the inertial untouched. 

yes

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My mechanical SKB was done by the late Goatneck Clem, which knew his stuff on SKBs ! A great guy and talented! It was always a pleasure to be around him.... RIP Fred till we meet again :mellow:

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Hey Hoss, 

 

Nice shooting with you last year at Comancheria Days last year, had a fun time on the posse, great match. I have 2 SKB's one is set up with mechanical triggers no problems, if you remember I shot one at Comancheria Days last year, a number of times it was not cocking the barrels, I would have to reopen it and close it to get it to fire. It also had been set-up with mechanical triggers. I had that gun switched back to inertia triggers and the cocking issue when away. I sold the gun last year and had another one set-up from scratch by Persimmond Dam with inertia triggers, been shooting it for the last 10 moths no issues. I would stay with the inertia triggers. 

JMHO.

 

TB

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Interesting..I have the 200E converted to mechanical trigger, works great & never had a problem, I use light loads...I have been told  not use the safety/ barrel change  , in fact mine is locked in & can't be moved, not that I've ever needed to touch it..do gunsmiths do the switch fom inertia to mechanical different ways, I'm thinking not..your thoughts !

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BTW,

I have been using Federal Low Noise, Low Recoil, AA12FL8s in all of the SKB's no issues with inertia trigger system. 

 

TB

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Different Gunsmiths do the mechanical triggers differently. I have personally seen three different ones.

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Mine wears a Johnny Meadows conversion. Love it.

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On 12/9/2020 at 4:06 PM, Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118 said:

Hey Hoss, 

 

Nice shooting with you last year at Comancheria Days last year, had a fun time on the posse, great match. I have 2 SKB's one is set up with mechanical triggers no problems, if you remember I shot one at Comancheria Days last year, a number of times it was not cocking the barrels, I would have to reopen it and close it to get it to fire. It also had been set-up with mechanical triggers. I had that gun switched back to inertia triggers and the cocking issue when away. I sold the gun last year and had another one set-up from scratch by Persimmond Dam with inertia triggers, been shooting it for the last 10 moths no issues. I would stay with the inertia triggers. 

JMHO.

 

TB

Enjoyed shooting with you too Bill!

im leans towards leaving well enough alone and sticking with inertial trigger. 

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Hoss, 

I think that will work fine for you, heck you can always have it converted to mechanical triggers if you find a need to do that. Never had a problem with the inertia trigger system during a match.

 

TB

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