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

I also would be remiss and not mentioning all of the German Austrian Polish Ukrainian Russian Italian, and many others from around the world that work there as gunsmiths virtually all of them were formally trained in Europe and Tony immigrated them here on work visas and then got them green cards. You have no idea of the skill pool that works there but look at their guns or have you seen Guns compete like that in the US or anywhere you don’t realize the technical expertise they have and you would be surprised to see how many gun companies come there and get things done

Gunsmith Jim;

How many craftsmen work at Tony's shop now?

Kind Regards;
Stephen Howell

GJ, asking questions is what happens when you’re on a forum like this. It’s how we gather facts and gain useful knowledge. Over the last couple of decades there’s been a number of myths, stories, etc. that have been busted by people asking simple questions. I know folks that have worked at H&H and W&S. In fact, they would’ve been there at the same time as he was. I’ll ask them if they know Mr. Wilkes. I’m not trying to disprove what you say, I’m simply interested in gaining more factual knowledge on the subject.
I fully understand and realize the technical expertise that a classically Trained gunmaker has and what it takes to get to that point. I’m friends with a few of them and am constantly picking their brains, asking for advice for my own projects and learning any skill they’re willing to share with me.
I think what you add to this conversation is valuable and enlightening. Try not to get offended when someone is questioning your statements or stories, it’s going to happen here, a lot.

no I understand and no offense taken I am just reporting what I saw first hand not what I heard and I workedthere and I found it to be very enlightening. I don’t know how many people work there now I haven’t been up there in quite some time, but I understand they’re making, quite a few guns from another mutual friend I think if you call and ask Tony he would talk to you. I know he got close to all the gun shows and shoots him is pretty open about his business know if there’s anything else I can help you with, but I haven’t worked there in quite some time . Jim

Maybe he'd build another one, Bill. If so I'd like to have one too. It's be nice to have one for steel shot.

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GJ,
Check out this old post🙂
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=415844&page=1

Wow you’re good. I can’t believe you found that yeah dave was a very nice guy. Funny I saw the post right after that was John Foster. He was a very good friend of Mr. Galazan when he was alive he used to come over there all the time. Jim

I looked and you can still get one built the way you described, Bill, but with a vent rib. Like you I'd rather have a relatively high, flat top rib (ala L C Smith). Next time I see Lou I'll ask him about it.

Gunsmith Jim, in your opinion is the RBL stout enough to handle 3" magnum loads of steel (1 1/4 oz. at 1350 fps)? If so, what would you foresee the life expectancy of it to be with these loads, in terms of number of shells used through it? Reason I ask is that I'm using a BSS 3" with 30" barrels now as a go to steel shot duck gun. I've shot it enough with these heavy loads that I've shot it off face on the right barrel (it always shoots the right barrel first) and have to keep a shim on the hook to keep using it. I'd need a high degree of confidence in it's strength to spend $6K+ on a new duck gun.

I’ll be very honest with you. I don’t have a lot of experience with the 12 gauge RBL. I can tell you when they build those target guns I think they call them the super bird. They are very heavy guns certainly the barrels can take it at the time I worked there they didn’t build very many of those, so I don’t really know, but I wouldn’t be too worried about it because little known fact everything they sell a new or used gun comes with a lifetime warranty to the person that purchases it and anything that’s wrong mechanically even on the finish many times they repair it and I know when a repair comes in. We had an order in 24 hours. It had to be shipped back out , I can tell you they are very robust Guns but I don’t know firsthand shooting 3 inch steel out of them what it would do but they sure are big enough. I can tell you the engineer that works. There is a very average shooter and anything that will not hold up more than likely would never go into production , but as I said, I am not very experienced with those when I was there jim