doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com RBl vent rib height

Could someone tell me what the vent rib is like on the 12 gauge RBL. How high is it? Does it sit level at the muzzle so you're not looking between the barrels like the game rib?
Does anyone know how much longer they're taking orders on these guns and what the time frame has been for delivery? I procrastinated on this gun thinking it would be the 20 gauge delivery problems all over again but now I'm thinking about it again if I haven't waited too long.

The vent rib on my 32-inch RBL-12 is very low and flat (side to side and breech to muzzle), and certainly not worth $450 IMHO. Also, it has a very low brass bead, barely a hemisphere above the surface of the rib. I just went down to the gun room and checked. At the breech the rib is level with the tops of the barrels. Then for about 20-inches it is above the tops of the barrels. For about the last foot the rib is decending below the tops of the barrels, and at the muzzle the rib is 3/32" below the tops of the tubes.

Last I heard if you don't placed your order this week, your out of luck.

I just got my 30" 12 gauge RBL last week. BT, SST, PG, VR, exhibition wood. When I pulled it out of the case, I thought they "forgot" to add the vent rib I ordered! It's really low; barely visible. I'm taking it out on a sporting clay/pheasant shoot New Year's Eve Day and look forward to trying it. It's also pretty heavy, especially compared to my Gold Label. Nice wood, too...

Thanks for the information. I was hoping the vent rib would be a little higher. I want to use this gun for clay targets and the valley between the barrels on the game rib is distracting to me and it doesn't sound like the vent rib is going to be much better. I do think the order time is coming to a close. I guess I'm going to have to make a decision as to whether I can live with the game rib as it doesn't sound like the vent rib is going to help much nor worth the price. I want a heavier sxs for a target gun and everything else about the RBL would be what I want except for the rib. Guess, I'll call there tomorrow and see what they have to say about order time. I do see they have some guns available for immediate delivery although at a premium price.

To my eye the best vent rib side-by-side double clay target guns are NID Ithacas and Winchester Model 21s.

This is what a vent rib should look like! I couldn't agree more with Researcher!! I don't have much experience with Winchester M-21 Vent ribs but here is an Ithaca NID Grade 3E with vent rib. There was no thought about hiding it. I know from first hand experience, the rib is what you see, not the barrels or worse, between the barrels. The NIDs had a special frame, higher on top, for the vent rib guns. Evidently, the RBL folks didn't want to go the extra cost to do this.

You mean all of you actually see the barrel when you shoot, all I see is the clay bird or live bird.
Maybe from shooting all these years I mentally don't see the barrels.
The guns I first starting shooting were o/u's and they had ventilated ribs, I do have one sxs with a vent. rib, but now I just like a sxs with no rib, looks more appealing to me.

The Model 21 also has a special frame for the vent rib barrels, like Walt describes the Ithaca NID. I think the RBL with vent rib is going to be sold at a premium on the resale market because it will be scarce. The vent rib was originally designed to cure heat wave distraction on guns used for ATA trap. The business about not seeing the barrels is a secondary feature, but important to some shooters. I kind of like them but wouldn't pay for one that sat low on the barrels. Tony even puts high vent ribs on his .410 bore guns.

I ordered mine at the Vintagers and was told 5 weeks to be delivered. I received it in 6 weeks so am very happy about that. The rib is below the top of the muzzles and the bead on mine is a very flat topped sphere. I am thinking about replacing the bead with something more visible. One thing you will notice about the barrels, at least on my 32 inchers is they are wide. They look like 10 gauge barrels. They do not appear to touch at the muzzles. This may be due to the possibility of using extended choke tubes or the way they regulate them. Mine was ordered as double triggers,PG,BTF and standard wood. I was very impressed by the wood expecting some straight grained walnut but got a nice crotch grained forend and a buttstock with alot of figure on one side. It is muzzle heavy but supposedly there is a way to adjust it in the buttstock and I will attempt to ballance it better to my likeing later. I am doing well with it on the range and in the field. Did a double on Canadiens and a single yesterday. The first day out of 3 outings that I got a shot at waterfoul. I am very happy with my RBL. It may be to late to order one so I would not delay calling. As in I would call tommorrow if you want one. I don't think it would take you that long to get it since they want to end this project and shift to the A10.

Well, I decided to pass on the RBL- at least for now. Neither the vent or game rib was right for what I wanted for clay targets. I did call and talk to Lou and he told me that the production of the RBL has stopped although they do have some in stock to sell. He then told me they are going to make a limited run of RBL sporting clay guns through their custom shop that will have a high rib for the clay target shooters. Price will be high- starts at $6995. It will have a high vent rib similar to a Model 21. He has a gun to show that he will be taking to shows in January and if I understood him correctly they would be taking orders for limited production in a couple of months. Sounds like what I want but for that money I might as well look for a 21. In the meantime I have a friend with a pristine LC Smith specialty grade with a vent rib I might look at.