Kibler Southern Mtn. Half Stock Conversion

[dogsbreath]

As someone with a damaged left shoulder this creates options for me "down the road". I have a Kibler SMR in .45. and still am able to hold and shoot reasonable well. Yeah, that reasonably well part is subjective. Anyhow BEAUTIFUL JOB  Just curious did you weigh the modified barrel.

[alacran]

Wow you did a beautiful job. I take it the amount of barrel you cut off, made up for the weight of the under rib.
So far that is my favorite Kibler SMR adaptation.

[flinchrocket]

That was an exceptional job, but I was wondering, did you consider a wood rib without cutting the barrel?

[axelp]

I like the idea of trying a wood rib...

[skratch]

Excellent transformation, looks like it was born that way.

[Scota4570]

That is very nice.  A tempting project indeed. 

Kibler sells carving practice stocks.  I got one and was temped to make a halfstock.  The forend was cut off just a hair too short.  I bet he could sell them for halfstock projects. 

The wood rib sounds like a great idea.  In addition to the loops and pins it could be secured with epoxy.   I have not seen any sheet metal folded ribs lately.  One can hollow out a solid rib with a milling machine and save a lot of weight.   

Are the wood ribs best made with a shooting board and router planes? 

[P.W.Berkuta]

OK -- now you did it! Another rifle on the list . Everything about that rifle is spot on. I'm not a big fan of the SMR but this one is absolutely gorgeous. I have a full stock flinter that I started 10 or more years ago that I lost interested in finishing now I know what to do with it .

[alacran]

That is very nice.  A tempting project indeed. 

Kibler sells carving practice stocks.  I got one and was temped to make a halfstock.  The forend was cut off just a hair too short.  I bet he could sell them for halfstock projects. 

The wood rib sounds like a great idea.  In addition to the loops and pins it could be secured with epoxy.   I have not seen any sheet metal folded ribs lately.  One can hollow out a solid rib with a milling machine and save a lot of weight.   

Are the wood ribs best made with a shooting board and router planes?

Taylor Sapergia has a Hawken tutorial. In it he shows how to file the MBS hollow under ribs to make them look like swaged sheet metal.
Soldering on an under rib is way easier than making a wooden under rib and using tenons to keep it in place.
Soldering an under rib is also much faster than riveting them on or screwing them on.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... An original Tennessee rifle made in the Holston Valley style that I once had,.. a thin, graceful rifle with a wood rib made of hickory,.. it had once been a fullstock, but probably broken, nosecap moved back and wood rib attached  to the existing barrel staples with pins, and rammer pipes pinned to rib,..... I have only seen two original Tennessee rifles with wood ribs,... they are unique,.... I like your idea, and you built a nice looking rifle,.. regards,.. CCF
 

[Daryl]

Here is my clubby nonPC full stock rifle to 1/2 stock with a curly maple under rib, converted from FS by Taylor.

[diamante]

This looks like a wood ribbed rifle with a long barrel.