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Tell us about your Kolars

24K views 42 replies 23 participants last post by  rcmbronc 
#1 ·
What do you have?
 
#2 ·
I bought my Kolar in the fall about 4 years ago , it came to me as an 34" unsingle with a #1 RH stock.
The next spring I brought it to the factory to buy a 30" O/U barrel they had in stock.
They fitted the new barrel, match it to my SN, installed a flatter shooting rib and gave me a tour of the factory. You could not find better people.
That summer I found a nice LH stock for the gun and started to shoot some pretty good scores.
Next winter while down at the Southern Grand I found a better LH #3 stock and swapped it out.
Gun never felt better.
Third summer I found someone looking for 30" O/U barrels and would trade even up for 32", both barrels fit our guns so trade was made. That fall I wanted to trade my unsingle for a top single barrel and found a gentleman down in GA. He sent me his barrel to try before I sent mine to him.
I really liked the feel of a top single so my unsingle went south.
Even though both barrels worked I wanted them fitted by the company so off they went to Racine to get fitted and have both barrels SN numbers changed to match the receiver.
I then attended a few classes with Leo and Nora and found I could us a taller rib. Contacted Keen-Sight and installed one early last summer.
So my Kolar was a work in progress, everything said and done I could have bought a new one and had it fitted to me at the factory, but half the fun of owning a great shotgun is going through the stages of making it better.
I now have a gun I feel is custom made to me and my shooting conditions, have run 5 different 100 straights so far and feel a well fitted gun had helped immensely.
I've owned trap guns from Brownings, Remington, Kieghoffs and Ljutic but found I really like my Kolar the best of them all.
 
#3 ·
I bought my Kolar Skeet from Paxton Arms and have never looked back. It had a mostly nuetral stock that was ok for me. Had the adjustable comb and butt pad. I recently found a Left hand stock that is perfect for me. I couldn't be happier with Paxton or Kolar. The support from these folks is second to none. Shot my first 75 straight last weekend and I'm feeling in the groove. Some folks talk about the weight of the gun being a issue. I Love the weight. It is all in you hand and not barrel weight. I have the Carrier barrel with Kolar tubeset and 12 ga barrels that are all matched weight. Awesome! The only problem now is, I don't have any more gun excuses... These will last your grandchildrens lifetime.



 
#4 ·
I bought mine last year. I was not looking to buy another trap gun. I was shooting a Browning Cynergy. It was a fine gun. A friend of mine started looking at new guns and brought a Kolar to the club. He asked if I wanted to shoot it. I did. I shot it for the next 3 weeks. I was ready to head back to the factory to be fitted. The dealer, Dan Lewis, said to hold off. He got a bunch of different stocks and started replacing stocks on the gun I had beed shooting. We found a stock that worked well and the rest is history.

I am very pleased with the Kolar. I have the high ribbed model I think it's called the T/A Max. I had the stock upgraded a little and had Kolar add little off-set to the stock as well as the butt. It's not a Kolar custom stock, but it fits me very well.

Just for kicks I broke out the old Cynergy and shot it. I shot about 10 rounds and went reaching for my Kolar. The Cynergy just didn't fit.

The Kolar is a fine gun and great people to work with.

Andy P.
 
#5 ·
I bought my 1st. (30 inch .742 bore Sporter with Briley tubes) 4 years ago !!!

I love the guns ... love the people and service ..... granted not for everyone .... but for me nothing else !!!!

I buy and sell sporting Kolar's on a regular basis ..... currently have 4 including my gun ... 2 .750 bore 32 inch for sale ... one with tubes, one with carrier and tubes (will sell minus carrier)

Just had a 34 inch .742 bore ramp tappered rib barrel cut this past year .... fixed choke .35 over .30 ....... best damn shotgun and patterns I've ever shot !!!

This forum will be a great place for new and potential owners to learn about the guns ... so much misinforamtion out there about them !!!

Be Safe All, Jimmy B.
NSCA #604279
 
#9 ·
I started shooting almost two years ago. I started with Browning Citori O/Us. Then I used John Shima's ramp rib Kolar when I took lessons from him. Last March John fitted me for a Kolar Skeet Combo Gold Elite with ramp rib and custom stock. I started shooting the gun in June and love it.

In October I purchased a Kolar Max Skeet Combo from Paxton Arms and like that one too, but prefer shooting the ramp rib for now.

It's tough to beat the quality, pointability and service built into a Kolar shotgun.

George Wessberg
Honolulu, HI
 
#10 ·
I own a pair of 90Ts... a low rib and HPAR. They may say Remington , but we all know better!

It took me a while to find a clean unmolested low rib and then within 9 months got the opportunity to buy a clean adjustable model - but couldn't bring myself to part with the fixed gun...

Doug Braker has been my go-to guy and I had him recently refinish the HPAR in his black teflon finish... looks great and even though both guns are 15 years+, Kolar mfg comes through... never an operational issue.
 
#13 ·
All I can say is , wish they were around when I could hold my own, In have a Max 32" and a std flat rib Elite never let me down, they are simply well I cant say the best but right up there been too many articles/postings lately about K80 v Kolar, as I said many times I have them all but the Kolar is Special,,, wish I could do the old girl justice, she broke my only ever 100 and I love her for that,,, guess old age and old injuries catches up with most of us, well with me anyway,,, go get em Kolar.... to us in Aussie they are new and we love them
 
#14 ·
In June of last year, I was lucky enough to go to Racine and have a new Max T/A fitted and built for me. Here are a few photos of the gun before it came a gun -- and the finished product.

The rough-cut blank in the Fadal CNC machine:


Beginning to cut -- you can see the chips flying off to the right:


It's like opening a present -- you don't know the figure or grain under the surface:


The CNC gets you much of the way there, but Jeff still spent hours and hours sanding, filing, fitting, etc.


Once out of the CNC, still some sawing to do:


But you can see it taking shape:


More rough sanding:


Filing:


Coated in alcohol to bring out what the grain will look like when finished. Fitted to a shop gun so I can shoot it, later and then they can make final fitting adjustments:


The finished product after what seemed like the longest 12 weeks:








And how do I like it? I had more 25's in 3 weeks after getting the gun than in the previous 6 months. I went from a 92 avg, plus or minus to a 96 avg, shooting a 99 at an ATA shoot. Each week seemed to bring a personal best. Yeah, I love it.
 
#16 ·
The 90Ts were commissioned by Remington and manufactured by Kolar in Racine. The first time I borrowed a buddy's 90T, I knew that was the SBT for me!

Meeting Jeff and taking a tour of Kolar when my buddy's gun needed a tuneup... I heard the history and was impressed by the operation... Early buyers paid upwards of $3K for "T" and an HPAR was another few hundred more... but a $3K Remington and a change at the helm of Remington's leadership, commitment and production of the "T" ended. My guns are later manufactured serial numbers...

About 3500 +/- 90Ts were made, with 500+/- being made as a High Post Adjustable Rib (HPAR) model. The guns are built like a tank... the attention to quality is amazing and I consider the 90T a tremendous value. Kolar will still work on the "T".

Prices bottomed out in the late 90s when Jaquas clearanced out remaining inventory and today, a clean low rib gun can still be found under $2K with an HPAR in the low to mid- $2Ks.

Buddies who shoot Kolars, treat me like a stepbrother... Long Live the "T".
 
#18 ·
Headhunter, amazing wood.

I did an extensive comparison last summer, shooting demo guns of the K-80 and Kolar Max side by side for 4 weeks. Ultimately, I chose the Kolar Max. I went with a 2-barrel carrier set, and a wood upgrade. Beautiful gun, and I love the way it shoots. I put an adjustable Butt Pad on it to raise it to my head more.

The wood you can get for a level one upgrade from Kolar ($600) will blow away most Bavaria grade K-80's. The wood on headhunters gun would be about a $4000 upgrade on K-80. I've seen Crown Grade guns which didn't have as nice of wood as his has!!
 
#20 ·
Thank you Mike for helping out, my model is a 2006 build Elite with dual barrels , 28: flat rib and a 30" Stepped rib, my photography skills is poor and the whole outfit looks much better in real live, she is a beauty and I love her, if only I could get the work done sonner than later though Kolar.

Thanks again Mike for taking the trouble, owe you a beer at the world.
 
#21 ·
I bought my Kolar max skeet about 5 months ago and haven't looked back the gun fits me so well have posted my best score with it. To give u an idea I have shot 200 straight in reg. skeet and haven't missed a target with it yet. I have shot another 100 in the 12g which is my 2nd. I'm very happy with it. I was shooting a k80 before hand and never shot it as well as this Kolar. It took me a few months to get use to the feel of it but it has really come through with the goods..... Would love to do a factory tour.
 
#24 ·
Had a k80 super scroll trap special. Shot it well but for some reason wanted to try something new. Got talked into buying a Kolar max t/a mid height rim trap combo with some really nice wood. Received the gun on Thursday and the first time I shot it was in a ATA shoot on the following Saturday. Guess what? a 100 straight. I have since added a release trigger and Soft Touch. I love the gun to say the least. It's as close to cheating as it gets. GO KOLAR!
 
#25 ·
Just bought a new to me Kolar. 32" sporter, ramped tapered rib. 2005 model. Love shooting it. Pretty sure my Blaser Super Sport will be leaving now.

Anyone get the upgraded trigger? Is it nice. I will say that the triggers on the Blaser are better than the Kolar but not much.
 
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