doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Experience with Connecticut Shotgun RBLs

Vol,
Sounds like you found a good one, I would like to see a pic of it if you would. I am really interested in one of the small frame 12's. The one I did find was 7# 4oz. and was not set up like I would want.

How was the over weight 16 set up?

Chief

You can order one from Galazans. Delivery in 2-3 months

This is news to me. I thought CSM no longer made RBL's and was only selling remaining inventory.
JR

I have a couple of the 20ga RBLs I use for hunting and am real happy with them. I would have gone for a 16ga from CSMC, but the weight scared me off.

If CSMC has put 12ga barrels on a 16ga frame (as mentioned by Vol423), anyone have any experience with CSMC putting 16ga barrels on a 20ga frame? I don't know if CSMC would do such a thing, but if they did that could be a real nice game gun.

The "extra" weight of the 16 ga. RBL is in the stock. The frame is small enough that the 29" barrels weigh less than 3 lbs. The replaceable pad system adds weight, but the stock is also pretty thick -- the straight grip on mine appears to be about the same thickness as the butt. I ordered mine with splinter and no pad system, and with a Galazan pad and 14-7/8" LOP it weighs 6-3/4 lbs. This is just what I like for pheasants using 1-1/8" loads. They bored some wood from the stock, but one easily could bore out more to get to around 6-1/2 lbs. I'm guessing Chief's gun had lots of wood bored out, and maybe has a shorter LOP and buttplate?

Jay

Not any extra wood bored out, 14 1/4" LOP to a butt plate. I also compared my barrel set to another 16ga barrel set (both 29") and mine was a couple oz. lighter for some reason. The delivery weight was 6# 3.5 oz. I don't care for ejectors so removed the springs and strikers. Those came to about an ounce. The pad system is heavy, heck any rubber pad is heavy 4 to 6 0z. usually. The RBL 12 and 16 ga stocks are generous too. Luck of the draw!

I also was unaware that a new light RBL 12 was still available. I thought only the clays model, (a horse) and the Professional slug gun were still able to be ordered.

I am not aware that there was ever a 16ga. to 20ga gun. I wouldn't get too worked up though, check the weights of the RBL 20's. Nobody ever mentions this but a 6.5+# 20 isn't all that special. I know there are some out there right around 6# but most hover around the 6-4 to 6-8 area.

I contend that you could by the RBL 16, get out the rasp, ditch the pad system, shorten up the barrels a bit and get it to at least 6.5#. Maybe less.

Chief

I received the order confirmation today from Galazans for a 12ga on a16ga frame, standard wood, straight grip, splinter, coin finish, reversed double triggers and choke tubes. It will have a solid game rib. I asked them to select wood to make it as light as possible and to tell me the weight before finishing so that I could opt for 26 inch barrels if it isn't light enough.

It sounds like CSMC is still building RBLs. That does not seem entirely consistent with what they are saying on their website:



While I support CSMC's efforts to produce quality double-barrel guns in the US, some of their marketing statements seem misleading to me. The A10 has been in production for several years, which would indicate that there should be no new RBL Reserves being made or offered for sale. Clearly, that is not the case, however - they are still releasing new RBL Reserves on their website and apparently are still building them to order.

CSMC makes nice guns, too bad they can't be a little more straight-forward with their marketing.

Vol423, the above from your earlier post describes a "light" RBL 12 ga. that's the same as the one you're ordering from CSMC -- right down to the unusual coin finish and reversed double triggers. I'm curious as to why you're ordering new instead of buying the one you found. And I'm with Doverham in being puzzled that CSMC still will build a new RBL 12 -- and especially with coin finish, which I recall as an option only on the 20 ga. Launch Edition.

Jay

Doverham,
I suppose it is a case of "that was then, this is now."
JR