doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Measuring drops - variation???

None of my SxS's have a swamped rib.

Somewhere, I saw a picture of how to measure drop with a string. The basic method involved standing the gun vertical (unloaded of course) elevated off the floor a few inches on a couple books or blocks, tie a small weight (large nut or other weight) on a string, hold the string against the rib at the muzzles, adjust the angle of the gun until the string just bears against the rib at the breach end, and measure distance from string at comb and heel.

Sounds a bit difficult to me. I have a long straightedge that will do the job.

I have a Paul Hodgins drop gauge (he's a stock maker in Utah and apprenticed at H&H). His gauge is similar to others you see advertised for sale - a long vertical flat bar of aluminum with drop down scales at the stock end for measuring drop.

On the underside of the gauge, along the length that would generally fit against the rib, there is a grove into which the beads would go, allowing the gauge to fit flat on the rib.

Regardless of whether or not the barrels are swamped, you measure drop from the surface of the rib.

As it turns out, the Cabelas in Ft Worth, TX has one of his gauges in the Gun Room and it may be that others do too, for anyone close by a Cabelas that might like to see one.