[quote=Shotgunlover]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".
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
'The Master said, Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to recognize that you do not know it. That is knowledge."
Confucius, 551-479 BC, from Analects
i know very little, but i would ask for opinions regarding French guns (such as the Manufrance Ideal) which utilize an I beam type rib, that is one piece and centrally located between the tubes. this seems inherently superior, as is claimed by MF. it is held in "tension" between the tubes and it's monolithic nature would seem to be much less likely to permit separation than the usual two piece rib, which is fundamentally wedged between the diverging tube radius, and depends entirely upon precise fitting and careful soldiering skills.
best regards,
tom
