doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Model 21 keel rib fell off

If you are looking for an easy fix try this. I'm assuming that the area of contact is not contaminated with rust. Get yourself a spray can of brake cleaner from your local auto parts store. Also get a bottle of Loctite Black Max # 380 adhesive. Use the brake cleaner to degrease the points of contact. Give it 15 minutes to completely dry. Apply the Black Max sparingly to all contact points. Press the rib section into position, wipe away all excess Black Max, and clamp the rib in position for 24 hours. Chances are, if done properly, this repair will outlast you! This adhesive is fortified with powdered rubber and has excellent adhesive and filling properties.

PS: Make sure that you have some acetone handy to clean the Black Max off your hands once you're finished, else you'll need to let it wear off!!!

I had a keel rib fall out of a Simson. Shot it for several years that way with no ill effects. The barrels still retain >95% original blue and I didn't want to reblue them. Had a good 'smith check out the barrels and he soldered the keel back in and cold blued it. You can't tell it's been repaired and I've shot this gun a lot since then. Several thousand rounds and it looks good and the barrels ring like church bells.
Jeff

I had the keel rib fall off my fox about 15 years ago. Soldered it back on with a non-acid flux and have had no issues since.

Why make a simple repair a big deal?

If the metal on this rib is straight and not concave, I would think it would be a type of re-enforcing rib. Again I don't know much about other manufacturers, but L.C. Smith called it just what I stated. This type was on the early L.C.'s and later it was a curved heavier duty piece of metal that was soldered and the curve was near the loop. It was found on Trap grade shotguns and Trap option shotguns and on some Longrange guns.
Here is an example on a Trap Grade that has an extra set of barrels and an extra for-end stamped 2


This is the early style (pre-1902 gun shown) re-enforcing rib or re-enforced loop.

to paraphrase cassius clay:

"no keel rib neva fell off my stevens 311"...

Well, tonight I noticed an area on the bottom rib in front of the forearm lug is loose too. When I bought this gun, the barrels rang like chimes. A gunsmith checked the gun and said it was fine. I have shot quite a bit of sporting with this gun. I wonder if the barrels got so hot that the solder melted??? Well, my decision is made for me.......no choice but to have all ribs relaid. Since I'm going through all this, maybe I will have Paulene upgrade it to a grade III, or a IV, or maybe a V since the barrels will have to be redone? Lots to ponder......

Impossible for that to happen from shooting. Maybe, if it has been exposed to some high heat source. IMO, it's usually the recoil/vibration that does it.

Sorry for your bad luck.

SRH

Hmmmm......maybe so Stan. Thanks for commiserating with me. I'm a bit upside down on this particular gun now, but it is what it is. I was planning on having a new stock made anyway. I think I'm going to go for an upgrade with nice, traditional Winchester engraving and 'A' carved wood. I'm pretty fond of Grade V engraving on a 21. We'll see......

buzz, Were these Winchester Model 21 barrels ever re-blued??? If these barrels were re-blued using the incorrect technique for SXS barrels then this would explain what has happened to these barrels.......If these barrels were re-blued incorrectly then you will need to remove and relay all of the ribs and shims, if there are any shims between the barrels......Good Shooting To You, Jent

Howdy Jent, My gunsmith didn't think the barrels had been re-blued, but after this fiasco,I'm betting they have been. This is a pre-war gun that looked pretty darn good. Made in 1938, so about 80 years old. For not being a closet queen, and looking as pristine as it did, I bet it's been redone. And......now it's going to get redone again!