RBL CSMC

[jefferyconnor]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting one of these, what are your experiences and recommendations? I kind of lost track, but what year did Galazon start making these? Does anyone ever actually order a base gun for $3,750? There certainly aren't any of those listed second hand.

[John Dallas]

I got in early (SN 198) with long exhibition Turkish stock and "case coloring". I love the gun,and got in at the lower introduction price

[jefferyconnor]

Thanks for the reply, what year was that?

[John Dallas]

Frankly, I don't remember. Whenever they were introduced. I'm guessing roughly 10-12 years ago

[Garry L Gordon]

I'm not sure what year it was, but I pre-ordered an RBL 28 gauge. I ordered upgraded wood, case hardening and longer barrels. It's a well made gun, but I don't really shoot it that much. When I ordered it, it only came with M/F choking, but subsequently you could choose the chokes.

[Robert Rambler]

I was a sponsor and paid upfront before production started. Ordered #260
on 9/29/05. received it sometime between then and 11/26/06 when I sent it back to have a broken ejector repaired. Its been a reliable, fun to shoot gun.

[jefferyconnor]

Thanks everyone! Does anyone happen to own a Professional slug gun, I had asked about this in the Galazon catalog thread and thought to ask again, as I'm especially wondering how well the regulation barrel band works.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I'll pass along my experience with the RBL. I bought it new from existing inventory late in the production run. It is a 20 with 28" barrels, BT forend, and single trigger. As most guns I own it was purpose bought for late season grouse when it is too cold for me to manage my preferred double triggers with heavy gloves. I like the gun. It is well built, balances well despite being a bit light for my tastes at 6-6, and has functioned flawlessly. I do not care much for the self opener feature but have left it in place to retain what little bit of weight it adds.

Now for the nuts and bolts. I kicks with standard 7/8 oz loads. No problem hunting but anything more than 25 shots on the clays range and I've had enough. As a result, I load 3/4 oz loads for it when shooting clays which has tamed it down considerably.

The big downside was that I did not shoot it well at all. And I could not figure out why when the stock dimensions match my Parker repros that I do shoot well. My Robert Louis laser indicated it was pointing very low, but why. I fiddled with it quite a bit and it was not until I checked the pitch and found it significantly different from all of my other guns. So, I shimmed the butt plate to match my other guns and, viola, it put the gun right on target. I will add here that I also checked barrel regulation and found this gun to be one of the best regulated of those I own. I had the stock cut to change the pitch and it is now a shooter for sure.

An interesting side note is that a friend of mine received one from his wife as a birthday present and he also had trouble shooting it. We checked his pitch and found it matched my gun exactly. We shimmed his butt plate with the same results. He was reluctant to cut the stock so opted for a wedge spacer instead. He now shoots the gun quite well but also complains about the recoil.

A note about the RBL double triggers. My friends gun has two triggers and I found that the distance between the triggers is much more than my Parkers. So much so that I believe it would be usable with heavy gloves. However, getting that space comes at a cost which is pushing the front trigger further forward. I have short fingers and find it difficult to reach the front trigger without a hand position change. My friend whose hands are much larger has no issue whatsoever.

So there are my two cents worth of RBL wisdom.

[Garry L Gordon]

Boy, Gary, you should write gun reviews! Pitch is an often neglected stock dimension, as is checking the regulation of barrels.

[Dave Noreen]

I ordered my Launch Edition 12/28/2005 and got it 10/3/2007. Straight grip, slim forearm, double triggers, case color, 4x walnut. Weighs 6 pounds 3 ounces, exactly the same as my favorite 1913 vintage 28-inch Krupp barrel Ansley H. Fox A-grade 20-gauge. I got into the RBLs to because of the cryogenically treated barrels with the tuf-coat bores so I'd have guns to shoot whatever the government forces on us. I got them all.

Not long after I got my RBL-16 I was hunting out in the Channeled Scablands. I was watching Skitso on point and not my footing and took a tumble. I fell into a big clump of grass, but the RBL wasn't so lucky. Got a couple 25 cent piece size gouges in the wood ahead of the checkering and some scratches in the bluing on the barrels. I'm sure that if I'd have been carrying one of my vintage doubles those would have been dents. So, the RBL-16 has become my go to hunting gun where non-tox is needed. I've also shot a lot of skeet with it. I also love to shoot skeet with my RBL-410. Far and asway the best balanced .410-bore double I've handled at a fraction of an ounce over five pounds. My smaller RBLs --

91491

The RBL-16 --

91492

The original RBL-12 I got, was exactly as I'd ordered, but it was just way too heavy, eight pounds fifteen ounces. So, I took it with me back to the 2010 Vintage Cup at Pintail Pointe. I talked with Lou at the CSMC booth about it. He said to leave it with him and he'd see what he could do. In early December I was on my way to shoot sporting clays at Double Barrel Ranch when I got a call from CSMC saying my gun had been shipped to the FFL I had on file with them. A few days later I took possession of an RBL-12 built on the smaller RBL-16 frame that weighs a fraction of an ounce over seven pounds with 30-inch barrels.

[jefferyconnor]

Gary -- Thanks for the review! I used a Kick-EEZ pitch wedge on a NID 20 that was bruising my son's face. You reduced pitch to correct undershooting, right?

Researcher -- Thanks for the pictures, those are beautiful guns, the middle one has that nice blonde wood that seems uncommon in American walnut.

[Gary Laudermilch]

Yes, the gun was shooting low. I can never remember which way is positive or negative. I had to shim the top of the butt plate out. I used washers behind the plate one at a time until I got the desired result.

[Dave Noreen]

Researcher -- Thanks for the pictures, those are beautiful guns, the middle one has that nice blonde wood that seems uncommon in American walnut.

I took the Turkish option that was offered on the 28-gauges.

[jefferyconnor]

Researcher, well that explains the honey colored wood. Most pictures I've seen of European walnut don't seem to show feather figure, but black stripes. American walnut can be blonde at times, or at least I've owned guns with lighter wood. Nice stock, anyway!

[jefferyconnor]

Yes, the gun was shooting low. I can never remember which way is positive or negative. I had to shim the top of the butt plate out. I used washers behind the plate one at a time until I got the desired result.

I could have this wrong, yet I consider more pitch with the barrels further away from the wall when measuring. I kind of think that can make the gun mount higher plus slide up under recoil.

[Stephen Hodges]

I love my RBL 12 gauge gun. Went to Connecticut Shotgun was measured for it, picked out an exhibition piece of wood, wood finish, fitted it with double triggers, a heel and toe plate checkered in between, and all built on a 16 gauge frame. 6.8 Lbs. 28" barrels with choke tubes.

[jefferyconnor]

Wow! Thanks, Steve. Really nice gun with the heel and toe plates. That reddish wood with feathered figure is so cool. Is that Claro or American walnut?

[jefferyconnor]

I ordered my Launch Edition 12/28/2005 and got it 10/3/2007. Straight grip, slim forearm, double triggers, case color, 4x walnut. Weighs 6 pounds 3 ounces, exactly the same as my favorite 1913 vintage 28-inch Krupp barrel Ansley H. Fox A-grade 20-gauge. I got into the RBLs to because of the cryogenically treated barrels with the tuf-coat bores so I'd have guns to shoot whatever the government forces on us. I got them all.

Not long after I got my RBL-16 I was hunting out in the Channeled Scablands. I was watching Skitso on point and not my footing and took a tumble. I fell into a big clump of grass, but the RBL wasn't so lucky. Got a couple 25 cent piece size gouges in the wood ahead of the checkering and some scratches in the bluing on the barrels. I'm sure that if I'd have been carrying one of my vintage doubles those would have been dents. So, the RBL-16 has become my go to hunting gun where non-tox is needed. I've also shot a lot of skeet with it. I also love to shoot skeet with my RBL-410. Far and asway the best balanced .410-bore double I've handled at a fraction of an ounce over five pounds. My smaller RBLs --

91491

The RBL-16 --

91492

The original RBL-12 I got, was exactly as I'd ordered, but it was just way too heavy, eight pounds fifteen ounces. So, I took it with me back to the 2010 Vintage Cup at Pintail Pointe. I talked with Lou at the CSMC booth about it. He said to leave it with him and he'd see what he could do. In early December I was on my way to shoot sporting clays at Double Barrel Ranch when I got a call from CSMC saying my gun had been shipped to the FFL I had on file with them. A few days later I took possession of an RBL-12 built on the smaller RBL-16 frame that weighs a fraction of an ounce over seven pounds with 30-inch barrels.
What is that third gun? Would you mind posting a picture of the stock? I just took a closer look and that wood has incredible figure, as good as it gets for black walnut. Did you make any special requests to get that wood? I'm assuming that's their exhibition level upgrade.

[Kurt Sauers]

I love my RBL 12 gauge gun. Went to Connecticut Shotgun was measured for it, picked out an exhibition piece of wood, wood finish, fitted it with double triggers, a heel and toe plate checkered in between, and all built on a 16 gauge frame. 6.8 Lbs. 28" barrels with choke tubes.

I asked for the same thing andthey said they can't get it under 7.

[Stephen Hodges]

I asked for the same thing andthey said they can't get it under 7.

Wow, prices have gone up a bit in four years. Mine was not cheap but not that much.

[Kurt Sauers]

Wow, prices have gone up a bit in four years. Mine was not cheap but not that much.

Guess I should have been more clear. They said it was impossible to build one under 7 lbs. I even copied your original thread when you bought it and they said nope can't do it. and it was for a 12 on a 16 frame. I don't remember what the quote was, but they next day they called me and said it would be 1000 more than yesterday. It was a great place to look around but all 3 times I tried to deal with them was like banging my head against the wall. And stupid me ,is considering trying to order a 20 rbl now

[Bob Jurewicz]

Kurt,
There are a lot of slightly used RBLs of all gauges out there for sale at various times. If you are aware of the specs you need, be patient, the right one at the right price will turn up. I bought a beautiy of a 16 GA from a member of this board a while back and I just love the gun and its perfect for me.
Bob Jurewicz.

[Kurt Sauers]

I've been looking, mostly GI, but most of them are new from csmc

[Stephen Hodges]

Guess I should have been more clear. They said it was impossible to build one under 7 lbs. I even copied your original thread when you bought it and they said nope can't do it. and it was for a 12 on a 16 frame. I don't remember what the quote was, but they next day they called me and said it would be 1000 more than yesterday. It was a great place to look around but all 3 times I tried to deal with them was like banging my head against the wall. And stupid me ,is considering trying to order a 20 rbl now

Kurt, this seem weird but in there defense no particular weight was discussed when I had my gun built. I only requested it as light as possible so they told me they would build it on a 16 gauge frame. But it is 6.8 Lbs as shipped by them.

[Kurt Sauers]

I asked if they could just get it around your 6 and a half pounds. I didn't want to order one and then have it be around 7 lbs. because that's more than I want to carry. With all the blanks they have there you would think they could find a light enough one to make it work