The package was waiting at 5 when the shop opened. Very securely packaged, 22lbs worth, and in perfect condition. It's a beautiful shotgun, and although not put on a scale seems less than the advertised 6lbs, with its straight stock, splinter FE and single trigger. The case coloring is somewhat subdued as is the engraving, but not disappointing, and the exhibition black walnut spectacular, as is the flawless checkering. I installed the full & mod choke tubes, and am taken by the amazing invisibleness of the tubes both from the absence of bulge on the outside of the barrels, and looking down the muzzle.
By 6PM I had called my first bird and ran 21 with 7/8oz of 7 1/2's, feeling a better score could have been produced had there not been the need to keep fiddling with the auto safety. In my haste to get going, failed to take the Past inserts for the jacket, so took a little pounding from the butt plate, but none to the face.
The RBL got very favorable comments both from the group at the gun store, and trap shooters at my club alike; some thinking it a custom ordered gun and suggesting pricing considerably more than actual. Interestingly, almost none had knowledge of CSMC, but I assure you Tony's website's gonna get a lot of hits from those groups today.
To our friends who are waiting for shipment, keep the faith, #110 was ordered on 26 Sept,'05, and although I would loved to have taken delivery the next day, this beautiful treasure is worth the wait, and I think, a terrific value to boot.
Some may request photos be posted, but there’s been plenty already, and I’m not going to do any better than the ones you’ve already seen, so won’t gobble up our host’s bandwidth with photos no different than already posted by others.