Ricol Brand Shotguns

Ricol isn't really a brand like how mossberg or remington are a brand. they were some turkish shotguns that martin from Corwin Arms brought in. He gets them from a factory in Turkey, and like most turkish manufacturers they'll put whatever name you want on them. Most of his stuff has been under the warrior, ricol or sinsinati name.

They're usually brought in in small batches and he is always getting different new things, so once they're gone that's pretty much it unless he gets the same thing in again at some point.

In terms of quality i put his stuff above the typical run of the mill turkish stuff. I don't know if he gets a better finished product on purpose, or if he does a better job at inspecting them before they ship and weeding out any issues that way, but from what i've seen his stuff tends to have fewer issues than many other turkish lower end brands.

The bonus is he doesn't go through a middle man importer/distributer but straight from the factory, so his prices are usually quite good. The downside is that since he gets small batches at a time i'm willing to bet he gets lower priority than the big importers, so it's hit and miss when/if they get new stuff in.
 
You can try talking to Martin, sometimes he has stuff that's not on the website, a few he has for gun show tables, stock held back for warranty issues, 1's and 2's that were factory samples, etc.
 
Martin had a couple of the 20 gauge ones at the Calgary Gun Show, but that was early on Friday, so a decent chance he sold them by the end of the show.

The 12 gauge ones are pretty much long gone, although they show up on the EE from time to time.
 
grelmar said:
Martin had a couple of the 20 gauge ones at the Calgary Gun Show, but that was early on Friday, so a decent chance he sold them by the end of the show.

The 12 gauge ones are pretty much long gone, although they show up on the EE from time to time.
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I have the 12G model, my buddy was asking about it. I didn't know they were a special run gun so I was telling him that he could just get one if he googled it.
 
Glock4ever said:
I have the 12G model, my buddy was asking about it. I didn't know they were a special run gun so I was telling him that he could just get one if he googled it.
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Yah, I have the 12G version too... The initial run of those sold in a couple of days, and I don't recall another run ever being made.
 
They are a great hunting tool. I use mine for coyote all the time. Many people ask me about it and where can they get one. I tell them "you can't" because realistically they really can't anymore. Kinda too bad.
 
I was under the impression that the 12g Recol was a very small run as far as the 14 inch barrels were concerned. Like less than 100 units.
 
Glock4ever said:
I am a bit surprised that this isn't still being made. I would have thought based on how many people want one, it would be a regularly stocked gun...
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Economics make this hard.

To bring them in at a price people are willing to pay, the importer has to commit to a minimum order, and pay for the whole thing on the nose. Then between production time, import paperwork and shenanigans, waiting for the Horse Police to give it an FRT# (pretty much every fresh run is going to get reviewed by the lab, regardless of how straightforward it seems to people with more than 2 functioning brain cells to rub together). Between dropping the cash, and having something in stock, the importer is looking at 6 months to a year. Plus all kinds of "hidden" costs. If CBSA decides they want to break bulk and inspect the shipment, then the importer is on the hook for the storage fees while it sits on the dock waiting to be inspected, and pays by the day. If CBSA is being squirrely, the sipment can sit on the docks for weeks or months waiting for an "expert" to show up and say "Yah, they're guns, so what?" which drives up the cost a LOT (this happened with the short 12gauge Ricols, and represented about 1/3 of the cost by the time all was said and done - talked about it with Martin at a gun show shortly after).

The demand for these is high within a certain segment, but it isn't a mass market gun, so they'll only ever be made in batches - no dedicated factory line for them, so all the above mentioned problems will apply in perpetuity.

When Martin did that initial run, the Canadian Peso was trading a LOT higher vs. the Turkish Lira. Since then, the cost of Turkish made guns is up 50%-75% across the board. On a small batch of shotguns like the Ricol shorties, this moves the end retail price from about $600 (IIRC) to the $900+ range, at which price, the market for them runs for the hills.

Add to this the political instability in Turkey, and it makes the smaller importers really hesitant to deal in Turkey. They could be throwing tens of thousands at a production run, that by the time it's ready for shipment, might very well end up getting locked out of Canada for any number of political reasons (heads up - a lot of the smaller importers are already completely abandoning Turkish imports for this, and a lot of other reasons).
 
A bit of Ricol pron:

ricol.JPG


ricol_open.JPG


ricol_measure.JPG


The last pic is interesting. The shortie pump has a 12.5" barrel. Even with 14" barrels, the Ricol ended up being almost 2" shorter overall, because the receiver is so much smaller.
 
grelmar said:
Economics make this hard.

To bring them in at a price people are willing to pay, the importer has to commit to a minimum order, and pay for the whole thing on the nose. Then between production time, import paperwork and shenanigans, waiting for the Horse Police to give it an FRT# (pretty much every fresh run is going to get reviewed by the lab, regardless of how straightforward it seems to people with more than 2 functioning brain cells to rub together). Between dropping the cash, and having something in stock, the importer is looking at 6 months to a year. Plus all kinds of "hidden" costs. If CBSA decides they want to break bulk and inspect the shipment, then the importer is on the hook for the storage fees while it sits on the dock waiting to be inspected, and pays by the day. If CBSA is being squirrely, the sipment can sit on the docks for weeks or months waiting for an "expert" to show up and say "Yah, they're guns, so what?" which drives up the cost a LOT (this happened with the short 12gauge Ricols, and represented about 1/3 of the cost by the time all was said and done - talked about it with Martin at a gun show shortly after).

The demand for these is high within a certain segment, but it isn't a mass market gun, so they'll only ever be made in batches - no dedicated factory line for them, so all the above mentioned problems will apply in perpetuity.

When Martin did that initial run, the Canadian Peso was trading a LOT higher vs. the Turkish Lira. Since then, the cost of Turkish made guns is up 50%-75% across the board. On a small batch of shotguns like the Ricol shorties, this moves the end retail price from about $600 (IIRC) to the $900+ range, at which price, the market for them runs for the hills.

Add to this the political instability in Turkey, and it makes the smaller importers really hesitant to deal in Turkey. They could be throwing tens of thousands at a production run, that by the time it's ready for shipment, might very well end up getting locked out of Canada for any number of political reasons (heads up - a lot of the smaller importers are already completely abandoning Turkish imports for this, and a lot of other reasons).
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Well that is too bad. I know of a few folks that would jump all over these guns as long as the price point wasn't ridiculous (i.e.>$600) Given how much fun these guns are and how practical they are for hunting, I am surprised that they are not just a reg item. Maybe I am looking at it with Rose Coloured glasses but I wouldn't think these would need much to get sold. The interchangeable chokes, slings mounts (granted in a weird size), decent iron sights and nice wood make these such a good deal. I think I paid around $350 for mine and I love walking around with it. Last Summer I had it slung over my shoulder with my Marlin Papoose out shooting gophers. I was using the 7.5 Shot 2 3/4" Wally World shells to blast gophers when they were in closer than 20 yds. It was pretty hilarious to watch them fly... I still haven't taken a large animal with it but I was hitting manhole covers easily at 50-75 yds with the slugs offhand. BTW I have the exact same one you do pictured, I have a leather side saddle to hold 5 shells on the stock and a leather Ruger Sling I got from Wally World carry it around. I had to change the sling loops out to make it fit which was easy-peasy.
 
hunterhenderson said:
like the new Seraphim armory PALE RIDER a lot more than my ricol. Its very well made and 27 inches over all with ejectors and mechanical triggers

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Can you tell me more ? I can't find a price ? Do the ejectors actually work ? How is the trigger ? Fit and finish ? Does it shoot slugs and buck to the point of aim at say , 20 to 25 yards or fire them way high like many of these guns ? Are the barrel walls at the muzzle thick enough to be threaded ? Made in Turkey , maybe China ? Thank You .
 
ht tps://internationalshootingsupplies.com/product/seraphim-armoury-pale-rider-break-action-over-under-shotgun-12-ga-3-chamber-12-barrel/

Just google pale rider shotgun Canada. Marstar also sells them but they are out of stock.
 
windage said:
ht tps://internationalshootingsupplies.com/product/seraphim-armoury-pale-rider-break-action-over-under-shotgun-12-ga-3-chamber-12-barrel/

Just google pale rider shotgun Canada. Marstar also sells them but they are out of stock.
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No chokes on this one..... :(
 
LMAO... That SA gun is out of the same factory as the Ricol was. It's the single trigger variant, with a slightly shorter barrel they didn't bother to thread for chokes. And costs more.

For $700, that gun should be threaded for chokes. Especially on short barrel guns, a choke can make a huge difference.

Single or double trigger is a matter of preference, really, if well made. I like the double trigger on mine. Lets me load slug top (rear trigger) and bird bottom (front trigger) if I'm scaring up grouse during the day when I'm deer hunting, in case I scare up a doe from her day bed.

But yah, that SA gun is from the same factory. Not threading it for chokes is how they're keeping the cost at the $700 price point. If it came threaded from the factory, you'd be looking at another $150-$200 retail, by the time all was said and done.
 
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