FAMARS USA Rombo
Four Barrels? Yep, It’s A Thing!
Rather than create a four-barrel shotgun by stacking two barrels
on top of each other, FAMARS opted for a diamond shape to
improve balance and handling.
It’s easy to see how the diamond barrel configuration
contributes to a sleek design of the Rombo.
Every now and then, we gun collectors, shooters and hunters get a difficult-to-scratch itch for a new shotgun. We visit gun shops and shows, search online, talk with friends, and speak with gun experts. Most of the time, these searches bear fruit in the form of high-quality collectibles and commissioned custom guns. Occasionally even those efforts fail and when they do, a bespoke gun is the answer. Not just any bespoke gun will satisfy the discerning palate, what is needed is a make and model so entirely unique it will turn everyone’s heads.
A straight English stock made from highly figured
Grade 5 Turkish walnut is stunning.
Quad Runner
Designers of custom shotguns usually begin with action, gauge and barrel configurations. Standard options included both single and double barrels, with the latter choice falling in the realm of side-by-sides or over/unders. Others may consider a Triplet, which is also known by its Germanic name of “drilling.” But if you really want to up the ante, there is a four-barrel shotgun known by its Germanic name of Vierling.
Four-barrel shotguns are uncommon but not so much as one might think. In fact, they’ve been around for quite a while. If you’re ever near the Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., swing by the NRA Museum. On display is a four-barrel Lancaster .440 bore (28-gauge) built in the mid-19th Century by the legendary British barrel-maker-turned-gunmaker Charles Lancaster. He stacked two barrels on top of two barrels so the result is two side-by-sides or you’ve got two over/unders. Take your pick.
Over the years, many Belgian, French and German manufacturers have built Vierlings, with some chambers holding shotshells while others carrying bullets. Heck, in 2016, Winchester launched their own Vierling. It’s different from the classic scrolling, exquisite fit and finish and gorgeous stocks found on a bespoke gun, mind you. The Liberator series is a down-and-dirty model designed for use by someone who previously had never used a firearm.
But if you’re looking for a bespoke shotgun today then you might consider a trip to Rhode Island. The FAMARS Shooting Grounds is located at The Preserve at Boulder Hills and you can see the Rombo by FAMARS di Abbiatico & Salvinelli.
Sabatti deep-relief engraved scrolls can be customized to
each owner’s tastes and preferences.
R&D
The four-barrel shotgun was developed in conjunction with Paul Mihailides, the owner of FAMARS USA. The lifelong shooter was interested in a modern masterpiece, but rather than simply stack barrels, Mihailides opted for a classic diamond shape. Balance is frequently lost in multi-barreled shotguns and the diamond shape offers more than just good looks. Its innovative design lends itself to a lower-profile and contributes to a nimble feeling in hand and better handling. Accompanying this interesting look is a fit and finish impeccable as one would hope.
With so much fluid steel comes added weight. To create a nimble shotgun, which feels alive and responsive in the hand, Mihailides focused only on small bores. The Rombo is designed in either a 28-gauge or a .410 bore. Top and bottom barrels are choked full while the right and left barrels are a corresponding IC/Modified.
The Rombo’s exquisite fit and finish (below) contributes to the unique shotgun’s aesthetics.
Banging Away
Shooting sequence follows the choke constrictions, with the right barrel (IC) shooting first followed by the left barrel (Modified) followed by the top barrel (Full) and ending with the bottom barrel (Full). The chrome-lined barrels are 28″ and cold-blued. They’re matched to an elaborate Anson & Deeley sidelock and the total weight is 7.5 lbs. This might sound heavy but it lands in the realm of an average American-made 12-gauge side-by-side.
FAMARS bespoke shotguns are made to order and take between 12 and 18 months to complete. Each FAMARS bespoke shotgun is made with over 2,200 man-hours, more with the Rombo. The accompanying pictures are of a Rombo made for a customer who favored the Sabatti deep-relief engraved scroll complete with a game scene with gold accents. Grade 5 Turkish walnut delivered on a straight English stock with a 14 ⅞” length of pull completed the classic design. This bespoke Rombo cost $150,000 to build, and it landed in a private collection. Something tells me it’d be uniquely at home in a bobwhite quail field or an alder run for woodcock. A hunter would need to check with law enforcement if a plug would be needed for one barrel and the matter would be handled.
The FAMARS USA Shooting Grounds at Rhode Island’s Preserve at Boulder Hills is worth a visit because the gun shop is close to the clays courses, five stand and other shooting games.
FAMARS.com
Photos courtesy of FAMARS USA
