doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Swamped Rib

Hallowell's Firearm Dictionary definition of a swamped rib ...............

Swamped Rib - A minimalist, smooth, concave, practically hidden, top rib on a side-by-side gun that connects the two barrels together, but provides no obvious extra aid to pointing---leaving the whole silhouette of the barrels themselves as the shooter's frame of reference. Photo


The photo shows a full length, concave rib.

I agree, but not sure if it�s the rib, or the barrel, or muzzle awareness. Certainly, we prefer one rib over another. But, still best to focus ONLY on the target.

I have run across 3 definitions of swamped rib in the last year or so, but I believe Ted's definition is the most useful, but Darnes have another rather unique way of being "swamped" according to some dealers - that is the bead is below the top of the barrels.

Concave from front to rear would be my definition, regardless of concavity from port to starboard or in respect to the height of the bead relative to the tops of the barrel.

Hallowell is usually my go-to for firearm definitions, but in this case the example seems to be simply a concave rib that may or may not be swamped.

Brent, The muzzle bead (rib) is ordinarily below the most superior aspect of the barrels on most side by sides, no matter if swamped or otherwise, unless they have an elevated rib.

I just did a quick check of 5 handy doubles and not one of them had a bead that is below the top of the barrels. All were concave, left to right. 3 were swamped, two were flat.

Hmmmm, are they cheaply made guns, Brent? Sounds like it. They do that to compensate for the tendency for SxS shotguns to shoot low, I think.

I am sure you would think so. Two are Cashmores (a Paragon and a hammer gun), one a Merkel (cheap and cold too), and two were Ithaca SKBs (definitely cheap junk, one flat, one swamped, both 100s). I'd bet money that every double I own or ever have owned (Darne excepted) are similar (Lang, Evans, Scott, Greener, and others). I only own cheap junk.

Only one of those can I remember had a flat - left to right - rib. That was the Lang.

Gotta say, I have never noticed any tendency to shoot low. Care to explain that?

What in the world is �left to right� in terms of these guns??????? SxS shotguns have a tendency to shoot low as compared to other guns. Go study Professor.

buzz, I understand you have to disparage me at every opportunity, but all my doubles shoot center elevation wise when their LOP is reasonable and the drops are close to a decent fit, just like any other gun. No, doubles do not tend to shoot low for me at all.

Left to right - is sort of complicated. Left is on the side where you find the barrel that usually fires with the back trigger. Right is on the side that usually fires with the front trigger. Now, front to back may be complicated too, but we can work that out if necessary.

I put a straight edge on all 5 and none have the bead below the barrels. The Darne I had was close to below the barrels, very close, but not quite. Some Darnes are well below the barrels but I can't google up a photo for you. I think these are better referred to as swamped muzzles, not swamped ribs, but some sellers call them swamped ribs so I learned to ask for certain photos.

What uncheap guns do you have with beads below the barrels? I'd be interested, since I have only junkers to study.

More insults? I'm game.

I�m sorry if you feel disparaged, Brent. I think I meant to say the rib at the muzzle will be lower than the most superior aspect of the barrels (since the beads are really only superfluous anyway....competition shooters sometimes throw the beads away so their eyes won�t be temped to look there instead of at the target). Look again at your English guns and you may likely notice the rib is lower at the muzzle. I�m sorry if I confused you but I think this is right (although I�m certainly capable of being wrong at times). If I�m wrong on this, someone will be by in short order to correct me, just like you attempted to do.