I have observed the removal and relaying of ribs by many gunsmiths. There is a certain entertainment value in seeing the ingenuity of rib holding jigs and the heating methods employed in the process. Most impressive is the one where the rib holders are slices of drain pipe with wing nuts top and bottom to hold the ribs, while long electric heating elements are in the barrels heating them so solder will flow.
There is also disappointment in seeing how an otherwise good double needs rebarreling or sleeving because rust has worked for years unseen in the space between ribs.
Seeing a rare but dramatic total barrel blowout when a weakened barrel bursts on the inside, venting gases to the space between the ribs causing the whole kaboodle to end up in a twisted mess is educational. I have a photo but posting pics is problematic here.
The French swamped rib is a partial prevention for the above as it is an "I" sectioned piece that incorporates top and bottom flats that replace ribs. That is how it is done in the Ideal.
Overall, soldered ribs are an anachronistic remnant from muzzle loading and the best illustration of what the late Gough Thomas called "mental inertia" in gunmaking.
Last edited by Shotgunlover; 02/22/17 08:21 AM.
