doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com RBL Reserve Launch ........

Here is what I can say. When many years ago Tony Galazan showed me the prototype of the RBl, at the Vegas gun show, there was no wood on it. He just handed me the action. At that time I recognized it as an SKB action. That was before it came to market. I am not sure if and what changes were made or if he went a different route.

JOhn Boyd
Quality ARms

Tony made a 12 gauge 32" very high solid rib RBL, the only one I've ever seen. I have been looking for that gun for years but can't find it. Does anyone know where it is?

Im with Researcher. I bought 4 RBL’s. I will be hunting with my 20 gauge for Gamble and Scale quail for the next two days. I have had great service. I also have no complaints.

When I visited there last there was two men that flew in from some hunting lodge. I don’t even think it was in the US and they said they use those guns as house guns and they ordered six more when I was there. they said they shoot shells through the guns and they really love them when I read on their website once that the reserve guns are no longer built in the production phase. They’re using the parts and they build them one by one to individual specifications in graving, etc. but I’m not sure that I’ve been looking for it I think it’s in one of their old catalog, hope this helps

Just a little known fact the SKB is an Anson and Deely action and when they started to make that gun, they paid Webley and Scott to go there and send their men for one month for a lesson and how to put the gun together, SKB mechanism is an improved Webleyand SCOTT design not a modern mouse trap

I’d argue that the early Miroku SxS’s were in fact direct copies of a Webley 700 action….much more so than the SKB. Are you sure Miroku didn’t have a collaboration with W&S rather than SKB?

And yes, a good 95% of boxlocks are a copy of the A&D. Lancasters, Greener FP, and some American & continental guns being the exception.

It’s been known that the RBL is virtually a direct copy of the SKB for literally a decade and a half now……well, since its public introduction anyways.

Exactly my point SKB went to Webley to make the gun as close as possible, and I know they discussed adding some redundant features are used to work with an English gunsmith at CSMC. That was there when SKb paid and went to Webley to learn how to make it and he was instrumental in working on the RBL so no I meant what I said and I know that firsthand and it’s not a direct copy because the machine that is on the RBL is more complicated because they did it out of one block without any inserts I believe the Marocco was a fine gun also and of course the Webley

Interesting. What was the English gunsmiths name that worked at CSMC? What was his back story?
Theres a member here called “gunman” who worked building the 700 series guns back in the 60’s & 70’s, I think he would remember any training at the factory to some Japanese gunmakers back in the day….would be kind of hard to forget that. Not something that happens everyday. Hopefully he sees this and chimes in. Gunman might even know this English gunsmiths name. That would be cool.

I wonder if there’s any documentation that states that SKB paid W&S for the training? That would be helpful.

It seems to me if SKB paid W&S to learn how to make the 700 series shotgun…that their gun would very closely resemble a W&S 700 (kind of like how the Miroku sxs are nearly identical to the 700 series). Not have a thru-bolt, or
mono-bloc barrels, proprietary single trigger, etc.

What do you mean when you talk about the machining being more complicated on the RBL vs the SKB when you say “inserts”?
Are you saying that the SKB action wasn’t machined out of a single block of steel?

What is a “Marocco”?

Whatever the pedigree, I owned a Launch edition 20 and still own a launch (first run) 28 gauge. I sold the 20 simply because it was like any number of 20 doubles I own/owned. They are the benchmark upland double, but I and joined at the hip with 16ga/28ga guns. They seem to fill almost all the niches for me. That said, my 28 is a great gun with 30" skeet barrels. It is almost the perfect quail gun. The long barrel seems to help steady the gun and with a combination of spreader loads/hard shot buffered loads it is the best covey gun I have ever used. Deadly on the first bird and almost no range limit on the second.

I found it interesting that Ross Seyfreid wrote several articles on his experience with a duplicate gun for decoyed ducks. He was totally taken with the gun for that use.

One final note is that the light weight makes it an ideal gun for a light woman.

There were three of them, but the one that was trained at Webley and SCOTT was named Dave Wilkes he also worked at Holland‘s and apprenticed at Webley. If I’m correct from memory he’s pretty well-known. I think he worked at CSM for 12 years or so. I don’t know where you would find documentation I was told that by two people one of them being Dave !!!questioning me so heavily and your doubt with skepticism I don’t think you realize the level of skill that works at CSN I was low on the totem pole and I was one of the head gunsmith for the model 21 @US repeating ARMS, I am telling you the way that I was there firsthand and the RBL on the action is double bridged box lock guns. They do not have a Have an insert joining the top sides together. I know how to do a PowerPoint. I would hope this helps. Thank you, Jim .