Pretty sure that Warne made the original rings for Kimber and then Talley copied the design- at least the vertical split rings. The early horizontal split rings were made by Leupold IIRC....
LOL, it's harder to remember every year. Kimber made the KOO rings in house. They're a Leonard Brownell design they acquired. KOO ceased operation in 1991, the same year Jack started Warne Rings. Greg (and Jack) started Kimber of America in '94, inside Jack' s ring shop in the same Clackamas industrial park KOO had previously used. It was said that Jack liked the vertical split rings because the design necessitates one less part than a comparable horizontal. Rather than a separate clamp, the vertical 's clamp function is integral to one side of the vertical ringmount.
There were KOO rings with and without the radius. The flat made for 84 and 89 Super Americas with the lovely integral-base receivers, KOO bases (for 84 and 89 Classics), and also fit the later Warne Premier bases. The round exclusively for 82s. Last I checked, Talley still manufactures specific 1" and 30mm rings that'll fit the (flat) KOO receivers, bases and Premier bases. I have a 30mm fixed set on my 89 BGR Super. They're very well-crafted.
I will leave the Talley vs Brownell vs Kimber discussion to others as I wasn't privy to that... It was an interesting experience to be a tiny part of and a joy in every sense to have known Jack. In my view, he'd be well-considered a GoodGuy around here. The 82s and 84s are of his design.
