Sunken rib?

[wildfowler.250]

Looking at a sbs online,(breaking my golden rule of try and check fit first) and it’s a sbs with a sunken rib? Does anyone know the reasoning for this or if it has any affect on the rough point of impact/aim?
 

cheers!

Edited December 10, 2020 by wildfowler.250

[JohnfromUK]

A guess - but weight saving?

Personally I'm not really concious of the rib or 'pip' when shooting as my focus is on the target.  Mount a gun in a shop and the rib 'dominates', but in the field I really don'y notice it.

Not a very helpful reply I'm afraid other than to suggest for me - it's not a major issue.

[Walker570]

Almost all side by sides had the rib like that as they where not for AIMING up just to keep the barrels together. These days with all the gismos you can buy to stick on a rib the shooting of a shotgun correctly has gone out of the window.  I never see the rib so it would not matter to me if it was sunken or two inches high.

[DUNKS]

17 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Almost all side by sides had the rib like that as they where not for AIMING up just to keep the barrels together. These days with all the gismos you can buy to stick on a rib the shooting of a shotgun correctly has gone out of the window.  I never see the rib so it would not matter to me if it was sunken or two inches high.

Nail and head!

[London Best]

26 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Almost all side by sides had the rib like that as they where not for AIMING up just to keep the barrels together. These days with all the gismos you can buy to stick on a rib the shooting of a shotgun correctly has gone out of the window.  I never see the rib so it would not matter to me if it was sunken or two inches high.

Neville gets it right again. 
See the rib and you have missed.

[Gunman]

Its just one of those things some makers did . You mainly see them on light weight guns with short barrels . Like all ribs it makes no difference at all to the shooting .

[old'un]

the rib is always there in your peripheral vision, the rib is part of the whole sight picture, you dont actually sight the rib like a rifle, its a bit like roost shooting, you are not looking at the trees, but you know they are there.

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers gents. Most of the shooting I do is half black for ducks anyway so appreciate it makes no difference. Just wondered if there was any scientific or style reason for it. Looks a bit different anyway!

[Walker570]

The slightly different one of course was The Churchill rib which was a bit of both. 

[wildfowler.250]

12 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

The slightly different one of course was The Churchill rib which was a bit of both. 

So are these purely cosmetic?

[Walker570]

I really do not know , but the slightly raised almost pointed Churchil rib was unusual but again for me made little or no difference in the way i shot.   The only time I have ever been aware of a rib was back in the 70s when i shot a LOT of DTL and the initial set up was gun mounted on the trap house.   I did have the loan of a 25 Churchil for a few weeks but never did enjoy it.  I am a long barrel man and a 30 inch barrel works best for me.

[JohnfromUK]

I have s/s guns with various different ribs;

1. Fully sunken (on a Darne) - which I suspect was done that way for weight saving and is really just to hold the barrells (there is no lower rib on a Darne).
2. 'Normal' English concave polished - which is supposed to assist by being 'seen' but not consciously - and assist in 'pointablility'.
3. Pigeon - a slightly raised 'file cut' matt flat rib

All have 'supposed advantages' as does the Churchill which is supposed to make the barrels appear less short I believe.  Like many things - it may work for some people, simply because it gives them confidence, but I never notice when handling a gun in the field.

Edited December 11, 2020 by JohnfromUK

[London Best]

1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said:

I have s/s guns with various different ribs;

1. Fully sunken (on a Darne) - which I suspect was done that way for weight saving and is really just to hold the barrells (there is no lower rib on a Darne).
2. 'Normal' English concave polished - which is supposed to assist by being 'seen' but not consciously - and assist in 'pointablility'.
3. Pigeon - a slightly raised 'file cut' flat rib

All have 'supposed advantages' as dies the Churchill which is supposed to make the barrels appear less short I believe.  Like many things - it may work for some people, simply because it gives them confidence, but I never notice when handling a gun in the field.

It should be noted that No.3, Pigeon rib was designed for  live pigeon shooting and is effectively a ‘trap’ rib and nothing to do with pigeon shooting as practiced in the field.

[JohnfromUK]

4 minutes ago, London Best said:

It should be noted that No.3, Pigeon rib was designed for  live pigeon shooting and is effectively a ‘trap’ rib and nothing to do with pigeon shooting as practiced in the field.

You are 100% right.  I should have included the word 'live'.  These ribs are found on some AyA guns (both file cut and smooth) and must add weight as they are quite thick.  On English guns, they tend only to be found on the heavier 'live pigeon' guns that were also typically 2 3/4" chambered (unlike the more usual English 2 1/2".)

Edited December 11, 2020 by JohnfromUK

[figgy]

Which one is called the Churchill rib? The raised file cut rib ? 

I have two sxs one a cheap one with raised rib the other hand built sidelock with only the jointing rib with pip on end.

I prefer the no rib or sunken rib. Looks more elegant and I oy use it to check my mount a few times before the birds start breaking cover.

[JohnfromUK]

8 minutes ago, figgy said:

Which one is called the Churchill rib? The raised file cut rib ?

The Churchill rib is slightly raised, and narrower at the top.  I think they are usually file cut.  Picture from the web of an AyA 25 with Churchill rib

[Old farrier]

13 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

The Churchill rib is slightly raised, and narrower at the top.  I think they are usually file cut.  Picture from the web of an AyA 25 with Churchill rib

And here’s one on a English gun 

[theshootist]

8 hours ago, Gunman said:

Its just one of those things some makers did . You mainly see them on light weight guns with short barrels . Like all ribs it makes no difference at all to the shooting .

I love a Churchill rib. Whether the claim that they make a short barrelled gun look like it has a longer sighting plane is true I'm not sure, but I certainly shoot well with one. 

[figgy]

Thought it was the raised file cut rib, I prefer the low rib, it drops away from the action and only appears again where the brass pip is. All I see is two barrels in my peripheral vision when I shoot. 

What ever works for y and keeps us enjoying our sxs guns.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

4 hours ago, figgy said:

Thought it was the raised file cut rib, I prefer the low rib, it drops away from the action and only appears again where the brass pip is. All I see is two barrels in my peripheral vision when I shoot. 

What ever works for y and keeps us enjoying our sxs guns.

I don't even see that much, all of my guns just present a dull black base to my sight picture, whether they are O/U, SxS, Semi-Auto or Pump.

[Gunman]

The Churchill tapered rib was to draw the eye and to give the impression of a longer rib on short barrelled guns .It was raised so that the point reference which you do look at as a reference but not as a sight ,Americans take note . As most  S x S game configured shotguns will shoot high if you do "sight down the ribs "the raised rib automaticaly brought this point of reference down .

It does not matter what rib your gun if fitted with , or how long the barrels are you need to LEARN to shoot it as all guns will differ as to where they actually put the shot .Unfortunately some folk do not believe this .

[wildfowler.250]

5 minutes ago, Gunman said:

The Churchill tapered rib was to draw the eye and to give the impression of a longer rib on short barrelled guns .It was raised so that the point reference which you do look at as a reference but not as a sight ,Americans take note . As most  S x S game configured shotguns will shoot high if you do "sight down the ribs "the raised rib automaticaly brought this point of reference down .

It does not matter what rib your gun if fitted with , or how long the barrels are you need to LEARN to shoot it as all guns will differ as to where they actually put the shot .Unfortunately some folk do not believe this .

Very interesting. I have to say that I’ve never checked point of impact on a shotgun. Might actually give me a complex if I found it ‘shot high’. Never had any issues with anything previously though.

 

 

Cheers for the interesting replies guys!

[welshwarrior]

The rib makes a massive difference in my opinion especially on a sbs.  
 

fully sunken ribs look nasty and nicely concave polished rib nicely engraved looks so much nicer in the gun racks. 

[JohnfromUK]

I thought I would try and add some photos of different ribs;

First, a sunken rib on a Darne;

 

Second, a standard London game rib;

 

Third, a raised 'Live Pigeon' style rib, in this case, smooth, though they are often matt 'file cut'.

 

Finally, to show it isn't a new idea, Joseph Manton's Patent Elevating Rib;

[London Best]

11 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I don't even see that much, all of my guns just present a dull black base to my sight picture, whether they are O/U, SxS, Semi-Auto or Pump.

Yep, plus one.