doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Full Lenght Ribs

Gentlemens:

I am in need of pictures of full length ribs on single barrel rifles. Ideally British single shots, and particularly the Fraser falling block. Howsomever, images of any full length ribs would be welcome.

I am most interested in the details of the ribs, such as how the rib blends into the front sight lump. How the barrel sight and scope bases, if any, are incorporated into the rib. Any details that would be helpful in recreated the rib.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. There are lots of pictures in the books, but they all feature the action and show little detail of the barrels.

Best to all,

Glenn

Glenn, the very few UK rifles with ribs I've examined all had what appeared to be variations of typical shotgun solid ribs, that is, somewhat hollow inside and soft-soldered to the round barrel's top and then polished to blend in. These were all on straight-taper barrels, though, without a larger stepped chamber area and of course no Nock's Forms either. The straight or straight-taper ribs didn't have a ramp for the front bead, and the full lengths of the tops were patterned by what I assume were roller stamps of some sort. I've also seen a few, usually rook rifles, with their round barrels filed into what I suppose could loosely be called a rib, by simply filing flats into the 10:30 and 1:30 areas of the full length of the barrel thereby creating the illusion of a raised rib portion down the sight centerline.

OTOH, several Continental ribs I've seen were also soldered on but did have a ramp front and an enlarged area at the rear for the open barrel sight. These were usually on less-expensive and largely nondescriptly unsigned sporters of the 'Guild' sort since the more expensive rifles frequently had integral ribs.

Sorry, not a lot of help here.
Regards, Joe

Here are some closeups of a M98 sporter I have, German or Belgian, not sure which.

JD, I believe this falls in to your class of "Guild" guns, does this rib look soldered on to you?

Thanks for the picture and yes, actually, it does. I'd say this was an excellent example of a somewhat higher grade of the early-20th century Guild-type guns; most of the round-barrel examples I've examined had similar soldered ribs, albeit many not as well-done as this one. I remember the first one I ever saw up close & personal, in my first year of smithing school. A fellow student had allowed his barrel vise to slip, tearing the rib loose at the rear end. Bill Prator showed the student how to straighten the rib and then re-solder it back into place. I remember being amazed at how closely the rib was fitted along the undamaged portion, at first glance it seemed as though it was integral with the barrel. The very few that I've examined closely had a pronounced concavity along the bottom side, allowing the rib's edges to closely conform to the barrel and thus minimize the visible solder joint. I don't recall ever seeing a full-round barrel with an integral rib on any Continental rifle although I'm sure they exist; all integral ribs I've seen thus far on Continental rifles have been on part- or full-octagon barrels. It seems fairly obvious to me at least that either the Continental smiths had access to inexpensive pre-formed rib stock or else they were gluttons for extra work!

I emphasize that I'm certainly not any sort of expert on these rifles or these ribs, merely an interested enthusiast who's been studying classic gunsmithing in a small way for many years. I sure wish these older ribbed barrels were still as relatively common & inexpensive as they were in my youth!
Regards, Joe

Wal Winfer in his books on the Britishs Single shots touches on what he calls ovate barrels. He is not referring to the bore. The barrel has an ovate form; the rib being formed like a nocks form by forging.

DoubleD, that sounds a lot like a few rook rifle barrels I've seen, although I thought the ovate shape was formed by filing. I wish I could learn something new like this every day! I also wish I could afford those nice books....
Thanks and regards, Joe

Glen,

Run up to Mequon and see Peter Mouca. He has a bunch of rifle barrels in the shop with ribs.

Gentlemens:

Thanks for the information and pictures.

I too was unaware that the ovate barrel form and Nock form was forged. One would assume that the shape was forged before drilling.

Toby:
Thanks for the idea. I have examined Mr. Mouca's work and it certainly complex and impressive. Howsomever, I am really looking for something British and of the late 19th century.

Thanks to all.

Glenn

Glenn-

Don't know if you remember you and I talking about voate barrels a couple of years ago, but I have learned soem more since then. DOn't know about forging to shape in the old days, but have talked to 2 gunamkers who have worked on them and can recreate them.

One was Nate and he worked on some when he was at G&H. He and I talked about set-ups and methods for making them.

Also talked to Ralph Martini about this and 1/2oct 1/2 rnd bbls. He was VERY helpful and taought me a lot. I also got to handle a barrel Ralph made when I was visiting a certain gunmaker in Waukegan one day this past May. The barrel was not a true ovate, but was even more complex than that.

I also know that Ralph and Martin restored an old H&H SS with an ovate barrel last year or the year before, so he deifnitely studied at least one up close and personal.

I still have that huge Kreiger blank for my project but just can't get over the latest injury.

I have an old German 1/2 oct 1/2 rnd bbl here if you want more pics of anything in particular.

Check the Martini and Hagn site for a most interesting barrel he made for one of those strange Gibbs falling block actions.....looks sweet!