Underrib and effect on accuracy

[flatsguide]

Planning on building a English half stock sporting rifle,58, 60 or 62 caliber with the barrel length of around32” long. I imagine I can sweat solder or screw the under rib in place. How were they fixed in place on the originals? What effect on accuracy do they have? On the originals, were they solid or folded sheet metal or both? Any other info is appreciated.
Thank you, Richard

[Bob Roller]

The target rifles had no rib and there must be a reason for it.How wide ATF with the barrel be.The last thing needed is a hole into the bore.
I made one "Hawken"with a 1 and 1/8" Bill Large barrel and used 6x48 screws counter bored like a lock bridle screw.On another 40 caliber
BPCR that was also 1 and 1/8" GM barrel and was a representation of a Carlos Gove owned by Scott Sibley (I think)and it got the fine thread counter bored screws as well.Maybe Taylor can tell us about the rivets he used on the bag grip Hawken he made a few year ago.That Gove copy looked like a muzzle loader and it is here in Huntington WVa The soft rivets would be easier and no danger of a tap broken in a blind hole .The effect on accuracy is zero as far as I could see but I was not a serious competitor anywhere,not even at Ralph Marcums BPCR shoots.If I won that was fine but I didn't get my shirt in a knot.
Bob Roller

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Underribs on original rifles and guns are made of folded sheet iron/steel - not cold rolled or machined solid metal.  They are attached by a number of means, including soft solder, rivets and small machine screws.  For best accuracy, be sure there is clearance between the aft end of the rib and the fore end of the nose cap.  In my experience, rifles with ribs are capable of superlative accuracy - I see no detraction from accuracy caused by an under rib.  One tip though...be sure to return your ramrod to the rifle before each shot.  Failing to do so will create inconsistency shot to shot, and could affect your bullet impact.

[Goo]

Taylor is correct about the hollow under ribs I have not repaired a great number of original half stock gins with under ribs but all of the ones I have repaired have hollow under ribs and were lead soldered in place.

[smylee grouch]

I used a solid steel rib on my half stock 62 flint rifle. I SKELITONIZED it on the inside to reduce weight with a series of 1/4 inch shallow holes IIRC and mounted it with 4 6x48 screws.

[flatsguide]

Thank you for the information. Have been thinking now about how to go about making a few from sheet metal maybe 1018. I find myself often making jigs or fixtures that take, at times, hours to make for just a fifteen minute job. Looks like this might be one of those times.Maybe make form dies or turn some male/female dies and roll the metal to form it. Smylee’s idea, though not original, sure would be easier to mill it hollow.
Thanks again,
Richard

[smylee grouch]

I think Muzzleloader Builders Supply sells the sheet metal style. I made mine as such because I had one on hand.

[Bob Roller]

One of the best I have seen is no rib and the bottom flat with a concave radius to match the OD od the thimbles and this was
on a rifle made by George Farris of Utica,NY.It was a high quality rifle owned by one of the NMLRA founders,E.M.Farris who lived
in Portsmouth,Ohio.I used it in indoor shoots at the National Guard Armory and won several baskets of groceries with it.It was a
38 caliber round ball rifle and the match was limited to 40 caliber.On my 58 caliber rifle I soldered the thimbles to the bottom flat.
Bob Roller

[sdilts]

The one that MBS sells is not a sheet metal rib. It's a solid rib that has been milled out. I just used one on a swamped barrel halfstock I just completed. These are really nice ribs.

[flatsguide]

Stilts, Smylee,thanks for the info,I’ll check that out.
Bob, that sounds like an elegant solution, sounds like a nice rifle. Cheers Richard 

[stuart cee dub]

On half stock rifles , I always sweat soldered solid ribs on to the barrel  with the thought that it dampened barrel harmonics and that it would have no screws to come loose over time .Also no rust would build up between the metal during clean up sessions with water as on those rifles I always pulled the barrel out of the stock and swabbed it out in a bucket.  All my good target rifles were done this way.

I also used a slender ramrod which though less durable allows me to slenderize the stock simply for aesthetic reasons.

On a target rifle there really is no need for a ramrod anyway as one would typically use a range rod with a muzzle protector.

Did it make any difference ? Who knows. They all were more accurate than I could hold.

Years ago I looked for a sheet rib stock for an English sporting rifle project and was told by Jim Westburg that these just weren't around anymore and that back in the day British gunmakers actually formed these using specialized matched dies on a rolling mill . I didnt feel like searching the local scrap yards for some usable steel channel that might be modified to work so I moved on .

[Dphariss]

Ribs tend to warp when rod pipes are soldered on. I use screws.  Once a load is found i would not worry about accuracy. What I would not do is mill a groove in the bottom flat. I have not soldered a rib in over 50 years don’t like putting that much heat on a barrel and I prefer a mechanical attachment. Dedicated target rifles did not need a rod so why bother with attachments for one.