Under ribs and round barrels?

[Scota4570]

I'm brainstorming a build.  A 1/2 round tapered and flaired barrel would be interesting to be.  So is a half stock sort of like the KUNZ rifle being auctioned at Julia right now. 

The under ribs I am seeing apper to have the radius cut for a larger diameter than the barrel I want to use.  I see two possible work arounds.  Hog out the rib, seems tedious.  Or, change the diameter of the barrel, under the rib only, to match the rib.  That seems doable. 

My plan:  Stick the rib in place with double stick scotch tape, mark the barrel with sharpie, file between the lines, to match the rib radius. Solder rib the the barrel?

[Daryl]

I have toyed with the idea of having a matching .54 cal. rifled barrel made for this gun by Bobby Hoyt.

[Scota4570]

Nice gun.  Did you match the rib to the barrel or the barrel to the rib?

[Ed Wenger]

I think I'm tracking what you're asking, but not entirely sure....  Would it not be a little easier to use a hollow rib?  (From your description, it sounds like a solid rib)  That way you could easily change the rib to fit the barrel by spreading it apart, or compressing it.


          Ed

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Yes, use a hollow rib - either a sheet metal one like Dixon's shop sells as does Rice Barrels, or a machined hollow rib like from Muzzle loader Builder's Supply.

[Clark Badgett]

Rice sells hollow ribs? Haven't noticed them listed on their site.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I bought one in '09 from Jason at Dixon's Fayre.  Maybe they don't carry them as a stock item...

[FALout]

You can search MBS's site for "rib-hollow", in their catalog it's on "section 5b,page 1

[Scota4570]

Thanks, I was not aware of where to get a sheet metal rib.  IT would be prefreable from a weight stand point too. 

MBS has a milled hollow one for octagon barrels, ie Hawkin.  Searching "RIB-HOLLOW" come up with no matches.  The on-line catalog does not have sections or pages. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The milled hollow rib will work fine for round barrels, not just octagonal ones.  I recommend you polish the rib by gluing it to a 1/2" steel rod first, before attaching it to the barrel.  The machine marks are deep and require some energy to remove.

[Scota4570]

OK.

Should I make the ramrod channel in the rib straight by pinching, expanding, or working down the rib to follow the swamped contour?

Scot

[Daryl]

Nice gun.  Did you match the rib to the barrel or the barrel to the rib?

I bought this gun from Taylor, made by and marked Hunkeler. I do not know where the parts came from.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Scot:  when you lay the rib on the round barrel, it will not need to be crushed, bent or otherwise altered, unless the rib has a curve to it.  Then, simply clamping the rib to the barrel will make it contact along its entire surface (edges).