doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why areTop Ribs on Vintage English Doubles smooth

Now I know 2holer. I have a very sad Ithaca parts gun that has the same rib design as the one on gunbroker.

PA24:
What you describe as an English rib is a typical English game rib. In contrast there were many thousands of English guns made with "file cut ribs" that were really mostly roll matted. You could get either type -- and/or a few other variations -- by simply specifying the rib you wanted. I have a host of examples in my collection right now.

While I think the need for anti-glare matting is not high, it does have advantages as I found out in a trap shoot with a sxs that had no matting. The shooting had to arranged so we faced the sun, although it was high in the sky. Still, I got the worst glare I've ever seen off the rib and it cost me some birds. That experience could very well be replicated in hunting conditions with that gun. I favor a good matting on the rib. But, honestly, this is where a sxs has a distinct disadvantage to a O/U or single barrel gun with a matted rib. My recollection is that the glare on the barrels themselves was significant too.

The Sterlingworth "swamped as much as possible" sounds beyond English and more like some French doubles. The bead does "float" out there--still not sure if I like it, but shoot it well. I like some of the ribs (i.e. on one Elsie) that have a herringbone effect down the sides, which leads my eye to the center. Probably takes more work to do them that way. I do not favor the polished ribs on Ayas I have handled.

Steve

My own amateur observation from my own small sample is that game guns tended to have smooth, concave, swamped ribs; pigeon guns flat, matted/file cut, straight ribs...
RG

It actually turned out about like most of my British guns so it's really not very deep.

I never had any formal coaching in shotgun shooting, I'm just a ND farm boy. When I aim/point my doubles all I see is my bird and the bead. I don't see any rib. Is this the way it's supposed to be? Seems to be working for me, I eat pheasant every year. All of my shooting shotguns have some sort of texturing on a flat rib and I like it just because of the looks. Although it isn't fun when I wax the barrels to get the wax residue out.

I don't see any rib either, just the bead and the target ....I think that's all you're supposed to see............eye focal point is the target and sighting bead is an unfocused reference........



Tony, Ballistix999, was nice enough to ask a Price Street maker for me about this issue and the maker responded as follows: -------

"We used to file cut and engrave ribs by machine. The main reason we don't do it now is, no more machines, all sold off abroad. By machine you could do a concave rib, but obviously you can can only file cut a flat rib. Boss does this, but it is a pain to get it to look good."....(London gun maker)....

Best,

what bead? I only see the bird.

What sort of "Parts gun" is the Ithaca/ I might be interested. I looked at the Flues shown- it has ejectors. Has anyone here owned a Flues with ejectors? Are they fairly reliable? Wondered about the two small round "bumps" on the watertable flats?