RBL CSMC

[jeffery c]

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.

[Big D]

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

[jeffery c]

Thanks for the reply, what year was that?

[Big D]

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

[mobirdhunter]

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.

[10ga Hammer]

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.

[jeffery c]

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.

[mobirdhunter]

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

[Researcher]

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 --

RBL-20, RBL-28, RBL-410 left.jpg

The RBL-16 --

22 Nov 2013 01 Tucannon cropped 02.jpg

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.