purpose of under rib on barrel of half stock

[ewan]

hi, i've been looking at a picture of an english sporting rife (percussion) from the 1850's.
it's octagon at the breech and then round barrelled. -it's like the Veisey & Son on squire robins website http://www.flintlocks.co.uk

i am wondering about the under rib on it.
what is the purpose of an under rib ?
to add strength? help keep it straight? hold the rod in position? etc

also,were under ribs ever surrounded with a thin strip of wood to match the stock?

regards ewan

 

[mikelange]

Ewan, the basic purpose of the underrib was to continue the web of wood between the barrel and ramrod channels, so as to provide a continuous line for the ramrod and its thimbles to follow. In other words, yes, it was basically to hold the ramrod pipe(s) in more-or-less a straight line with the ramrod hole.

A number of longer-barrelled halfstocks, particularly those cut down from military muskets or fowlers, simply mounted the ramrod pipe to the underside of the barrel itself -- the length of the ramrod was such that it would flex enough to make the underrib unnecessary, and it was a cheaper/easier/faster process for someone modifying a fullstock.

I've never seen what you describe, wood running along the sides of the underrib. This would seem to be a fragile and unnecessary arrangement -- if you're going to have wood running to the muzzle of the gun, just have a solid full-length stock with the ramrod thimbles inletted directly into the forend wood.

 

[MikeChapin]

I second what Mongrel said about the under rib. I've never seen a rifle with wood running beside the under rib and as Mongrel mentioned it would be fragile.

Have a friend of mine who just built a .45 with a wooden under rib. The rifle actually felt light in the nose. I was suprised by how it changed the feel of the rifle. He ended up giving it away to a couple who were getting into ML but could not afford a rifle for the wife.

 

[musketman]

i am wondering about the under rib on it.
what is the purpose of an under rib ?
to add strength? help keep it straight? hold the rod in position? etc

It is my belief that the under rib is there to provide the clearance needed for the tapered tip of a rammer to clear the bottom of the barrel, so it doesn't scrape the finish off...

Without it, the ramrod pipes would fit flush against the barrel and the rod would have to bow as the head passed under the rigid barrel...

 

[marmot]

As far as wood on an underrib goes, I've never seen metal covered by wood, but there was a style of rifle in New England that used an all-wood underrib, pinned to the barrel just like a full stock wood have been. MuzzleBlasts had an article on them about 10 years ago called "New England Kentuckies", and I've seen a few mentioned since then. Keeps the ramrod straight, and these were actually very elegant looking pieces.

M

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The under-rib is just a spacer. There were some guns made using wood for the rib itself, but I'd guess that they were in the minority.

 

[mikelange]

Just an interesting sidenote --

Flayderman's Guide To Antique American Firearms states that the Model 1814 fullstock rifle, designed by M.T. Wickham, was a modified 1803 Harper's Ferry, and that the stock was made full length because the iron underrib of the 1803 had been criticized as "heavy and of no value other than to support a ramrod" (the quotes are taken directly from Flayderman; I don't know their source).