What's the word on the AGC Diablo?

TTv2

TTv2

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Mar 31, 2016
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With Cheddite 209's starting to come back and stay in stock, I figure now's a good time to ask about the Diablo 12ga. I got my first true muzzlestuffer last year with the Lyman GPP in .54, but I'm not really seeing the benefit of the rifled barrel when I don't shoot it further than 25 yds, so at those ranges I don't see why a smoothbore with a ball or buck and ball load is worse and two barrels beats one.

Lot of people got excited for this when it was announced, but nobody has talked about it much since and the lead times are now less than a month from purchase to shipping. Did these wind up just being a novelty or are they a forgotten gem?
 
TTv2 said:
With Cheddite 209's starting to come back and stay in stock, I figure now's a good time to ask about the Diablo 12ga. I got my first true muzzlestuffer last year with the Lyman GPP in .54, but I'm not really seeing the benefit of the rifled barrel when I don't shoot it further than 25 yds, so at those ranges I don't see why a smoothbore with a ball or buck and ball load is worse and two barrels beats one.

Lot of people got excited for this when it was announced, but nobody has talked about it much since and the lead times are now less than a month from purchase to shipping. Did these wind up just being a novelty or are they a forgotten gem?
Click to expand...

They fill a limited niche for those who want 12 gauge power in a compact size. I think they’re cool as heck, I just can’t find a place for one in my current load out. Maybe as a truck gun someday.
 
I can't remember anybody getting excited about them. It's not something I would want. If I wanted a sawed off shotgun I'd get a Howdah.
 
A sawed-off shotgun with a stout load is very unpleasant to shoot. A shotgun pistol is a wrist-breaker with a decent load. These guns are just another "toy" for those who like 'em.
 
Huh, the vibe I'm getting here is unless it's a replica of a historical arm there is no interest among most blackpowder shooters.
 
The only reason to own one is to have a short barreled shotgun that is legal to own without NFA paperwork. Might be cool to cosplay Mad Max, but the only realistic use I can think of for one is a super powered anti snake gun tramping in the woods during muzzleloader only hunting season.
Having said that, if you want one just because you want one, heck, buy it and have fun, but I might suggest a good wrist brace,
 
TTv2 said:
Huh, the vibe I'm getting here is unless it's a replica of a historical arm there is no interest among most blackpowder shooters.
Click to expand...

Not really. I like traditional and inline muzzleloaders, and I'm even a bit of a muzzleloader shotgun fanatic. Have three side by side percussion and one single shot flintlock. That said, the Diablo just doesn't interest me. Not sure why.
 
noelf2 said:
Not really. I like traditional and inline muzzleloaders, and I'm even a bit of a muzzleloader shotgun fanatic. Have three side by side percussion and one single shot flintlock. That said, the Diablo just doesn't interest me. Not sure why.
Click to expand...

Maybe because it's fugly?:D
 
I’m with the Howdah crowd. If I wanted a short barreled shotgun the Howdahs make more sense. Longer barrels, more velocity and efficiency. And they’re a lot nicer to look at.
 
I knew absolutely nothing about the Diablo 12ga.
A quick internet image search soon revealed why all the negative Diablo feedback.

Diablo Spanish for “devil.”

Looks like a hand full of hell on the trigger.

I can see its appeal to some with a fetish for big hand guns.

I cant but respect the guy that owns and shoots a Diablo as a pleasureable experence.

This looks like something thats ment for targets a vietnam tunnel rat might carry or targets a poker table span away.
 
Rex in OTZ said:
I knew absolutely nothing about the Diablo 12ga.
A quick internet image search soon revealed why all the negative Diablo feedback.

Diablo Spanish for “devil.”

Looks like a hand full of hell on the trigger.

I can see its appeal to some with a fetish for big hand guns.

I cant but respect the guy that owns and shoots a Diablo as a pleasureable experence.

This looks like something thats ment for targets a vietnam tunnel rat might carry or targets a poker table span away.
Click to expand...
Tunnel rats had 1911’s, and 12 gauge Ithaca and Winchester pumps. I know a guy who chopped an M79 and used it for conversational range purposes. Those flechette rounds are just crazy good for that stuff.

I do think the Diablo is selling well enough among an “other than traditional” blackpowder crowd. In my mind, it’s purely a novelty item much like a large bore military single shot pistol like the Model 1805 Harpers Ferry pistol except it has none of the cache’ of such an iconoclastic weapon.

I’m guessing that it’s intended market is people who, for one reason or another, are not allowed to own modern firearms. I’m fully down with that cause. “No free man should be disbarred the use of arms.” A pretty smart guy said that years ago and I’ve seen nor heard anything which contradicts his wisdom. The Czech firm, Detonics manufacturers a twice barreled “safe action” .50 caliber blackpowder pistol specifically for that market and it’s a much superior design as well.

Hawg will really hate this one but… Not available here until either Detonics begin to export it to our shores or some enterprising fellas decide to make something based on it’s design here. There are reasons why it might be a successful seller here. Rifle the barrels, provide a few versions with barrels up to 5”. And it would be capable of serious power factors with reliable 209 primer ignition, BH209 powder behind a 225-250 grain .45 or .50 caliber bullet. Anything you hit with that will stay hit. Recoil would be noticeable if you’re plinking but it’s not really designed as a plinker anyway.

DAAD8D93-F022-40AA-BE74-51A51DE5D5C6.jpeg
 
It's better than the Diablo thing. People that can't own weapons here in MS are screwed all the way around because MS doesn't recognize muzzleloaders as non weapons. If it fires a projectile under combustion it's a real weapon.
 
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