The more I read about relaying ribs the more I admire ribless guns, from the first Alex Martins to current work like the totally ribless Chapuis OU.Even the ugly duckling Baby Bretton has managed to solve the regulation problem with its plastic muzzle yoke (hand detachable too!).

Makers who tout their million dollar/pound investment in high precision CNC, EDM, CAD still employ 14th century tin smithing techniques to fix ribs that have no functional role in the final product.