Bushveld, Reading your description of the proper laying of ribs leads to the thought "why do all this for bits that provide no functional benefit".
The top rib has a function, as Bluestem notes. Plus, top ribs do not provide hidden rust places and if they come loose there is only one rib to relay, in a gun that has no side ribs that is. As for the handling gains, they could be had, in a Boss or other OU, by omitting the side ribs and keeping the top rib. That would merit the title ribless more than the removal of the top rib alone.
I wish I could post comments made by gunsmiths when they relay ribs, they involve the mother and sisters of the guy who invented ribs, in English, Italian and Spanish. The comments are as inventive as the contraptions gunsmiths make to hold ribs while soldering.
I can understand your disappointment in not have the knowledge and ability to post comments by gunsmiths. It takes a long time to learn the trade and in this regard and for example it took me considerable time to learn how to make barrel sets and several years to learn the basics of engraving. But do not despair. Not everyone has the technical ability and mechanical skills to be a gunsmith and that is OK, the same person may have the artistic talent to be an outstanding engraver. I do not have this artistic ability and will only ever be at best a craftsman engraver. I have found that to my way of thinking it is more important for me to understand my inabilities and focus on reinforcing them than otherwise. However, there is one ability that I have that has helped me greatly it is that I know that I do not know what I do not know.
As to the discussion of whether guns should have ribs, I have little to no interest in that. My interest lies in proper making and installation of barrel ribs. For example few gunsmiths understand that the smaller the gap between the rib and barrel in its fitting and soldering the greater the strength. It seems counter intuitive that a .001" gap between the barrel and the rib is greatly stronger after soldering than a .003"-.004" gap, but it is.
Kindest Regards;
Stephen Howell
