doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Where did all the RBL's go!

Well, no argument about the preference, but you just can't get a Repro in 28 ga with 30" barrels, and if you could the asking price would be twice what the RBL sells for. I have a Repro 28 with DT/splinter/straight grip/28" barrels and I will probably shoot my 30" RBL more than the Repro. I have had my eye out for years for a 20 ga Repro with DT/splinter/straight grip/28" barrels and have not seen one that comes close to the $2860 (PIF) I spent on my RBL 20 in that configuration with 3X wood. So, my preference for the Repro will continue to be somewhat hypothetical.

Exactly, Replacement. Everyone talks about this gun or that gun they would rather have over an RBL, but no one ever mentions that 95% of "this or that gun" is never in a configuration that is desirable or has dimensions that work, much less being able to pick up the phone and order it today.
JR

Not to nitpick JR, but the early CSMC prices lists I have show that when the CSMC Fox CE 20-ga. was first introduced in Sept. 1993 the starting price was $5650, by Sept. 1995 they were up to $7200, by July 1996 they had risen to $9500 and now today they're at $14,500...hindsight is 20/20, but we all should've have bought a couple when they first introduced!

Either that, or else put your $5650 in the stock market in 1993 and pulled it out before it took a nosedive.

I bought a 12 ga RBL that was to be a day to day duck/clays gun when I didn't want to use my 21. Its a great gun, made with nice features and quality that no other recently made American made gun can match.

I actually called a few weeks ago and said that I regretted not getting the best wood that I possibly could buy on it and would they be willing to upgrade? Not only did they say they would but offered to do it for what it would have cost to do it the day I ordered. Try to find another gun company that would do that.

I have considered buying one of the 20 or 28 ga guns as they come available on the used market. Been watching a few on the gun sites. Hope the price does go down as I will buy both if I find decent deals on them.

John,
I acknowledge that the RBL is a decent gun and for the guys that have them, great for them. I had actually ordered a 20g RBL loaded at about $4k. I cancelled when I saw a friend's gun in person. His gun was an early one and had some cosmetic issues. But later guns seemed to settle down in their issues. Still, I just a week ago, picked up the phone and ordered a 28g Parker repro for $4.5k. in near new condition. It has dimensions that fit me. I didn't spend months, weeks, or even days, shopping it. I found it in a matter of about an hour on the net. I figure that's firsthand recent experience which is close enough in price for me to make a comparison . During the hour or so of shopping for a repro, I saw a lot of them for sale. Some in unfired condition. Some cheaper than my 20g RBL order. Some not. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other... I just prefer something else.

But, Chuck, isn't your "new" Repro a single trigger with a beavertail? Just try finding an as new DT with splinter and straight grip and long barrels with tight chokes that haven't been messed with by some effete eastern grouse hunter. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Hi Chuck. I ordered a 12 bore and the the 2X walnut stock is unbelieveably gorgeous. Checkering is good on the stock, but black on the forend. Not too much of a distraction. However, I have had two issues that I had to send the gun back for. The ejector malfunctioned after the first time out. After it was fixed I took it out and the filler in between the barrels at the muzzle fell out. After those two experiences, I have been cool on any more CSMC products.

From a quick search of the internet:

The 20ga Parker Reproductions I have seen in the $4000 - $4500 range all have very plain wood, especially when compared to an RBL Launch of similar price. Also the 20ga Parker Reproductions I have seen have all been much heavier than an RBL Launch.

The price difference for similar Parker Repros and RBLs becomes even more extreme when looking at the 28ga versions of each.

(I didn't do a comparison between the 16ga nor the 12ga guns)

No doubt the Parker Repro is a great gun. Further, aesthetics is personal choice and a man likes what he likes. Consequently, I can understand when someone says they like the Repro better than the RBL. However, I would suggest that it is not fair to say that a $4000 Repro is a better or better-looking gun than a $4000 RBL, at least as far as the 20ga and 28ga guns are concerned. A $4000 Repro will be a very plain jane gun, a $4000 RBL will have very nice wood. A plain jane RBL would cost roughly $1500 less than its Repro equivalent (for a PIF gun at the introductory price). Not to mention that the RBL could be ordered with any number of options, and is a brand new gun still supported by its manufactuere for now and into the foreseeable future. IMHO, anyone looking for a good SxS for hunting purposes really blew it if they passed on ordering an RBL Launch or 28ga.

My semi-matched pair of RBL Launch guns:





FWIW & JMHO,

--shinbone

I have alot of experience with the SKB sxs's. They are tough and reliable. The RBL is very much the same design and I expect it to give the same if not better service. I am very pleased with mine. I had been looking for years for a reasonably priced 3" double that could shoot all the non tox shot being invented. I could not find one with the configuration of my RBL 32",BTFE,ejectors,double triggers and PG stock. I did own a Parker Repo 12 that I had to send back twice because of ejector falure,it had about 5000 rounds thrue it when I sold it. I will agree that the Parker is a more handsome gun but I bought the RBL to use and use hard. The Parker is somewhat complex and some of the parts are inherently weak. I think the nitride finnish that they put on the working parts will make a diffrence in longevity. When I ordered mine I overheard Lou tell a guy that it would be at least 4 years before they make any more RBL's