Walnut underrib questions

[P.Bigham]

I am working on a 3/4 stock rifle. Maple stock with a walnut underrib. The rib will be 16 inches long. Mounted pinned through 2 underlugs. Considering using wood glue to adhere it to the maple stock then slotting the underlugs. Or should it be free from the stock and not slotted?   Thanks in advance

[2 shots]

  all i have seen are not connected . if its a hooked breech i cant be.

[okawbow]

Should have a little space for expansion.

[P.Bigham]

No hook breech.  Simple mountain rifle.

[JPK]

Still not attached to the stock.

[P.Bigham]

No asking for opinions.  I realize this is a small fragile piece of wood.  Not sure why it was done. But a friend requested it and it documented in Jim Webbs Observations and notes.  Trying to figure out the best option.    ?   

[rich pierce]

I’ve mostly seen it on New England guns and never attached to the fore-end.

[P.Bigham]

Thanks Rich. Evidently it was Southern mountain thing also.  Page 160 and 161 on Jim Webb booklet. Trying to get advice before I jump in head long.  I believe your correct seems a odd addition to me though.

[tpr-tru]

A thought:  underrib about 1/2" inlet into front of stock (think tang inlet), attached to barrel.  Strong as attached to barrel. 

[whetrock]

I have only seen in person a couple of original mountain rifles with wood ribs. They had a pinned rib and the rib did not tuck into the stock. (Seen in person as contrasted with seeing in photos.)

There's one you might want to see in photos:

https://www.coltforum.com/threads/southern-mountain-squirrel-rifle-found.392162/

Images were posted on another forum by AZshot. Perhaps that same AZshot that is here on the ALR? If so, perhaps he can give you a description.

[AZshot]

Thanks Whetrock, yes that is me and it's my rifle. I say it's a possible Johnathan Gross. Or a S. Glover, or several others in TN. Very light, it's a .32 caliber with a 38" swamped barrel.  It's about 7 lbs I'd say. A lot of drop.  Wooden rib, small thimbles.    Holston cheek rest. The nose cap is iron, not pewter.  Thin buttplate, riveted. 

I can answer any questions.



Found the original thread about it here:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=70806.0

[whetrock]

Thanks, AZshot. Great photos in that ALR thread you linked to.

Here's a enlarged photo of the detail that OP is asking about. Looks to me like the wooden tip is not attached to the stock and is not tucked into the stock. Just a small gap between to allow for expansion. And it is pinned onto the barrel. Is that correct?
If so, it's consistent with the techniques I've seen on other rifles in the region.





upload image website

[whetrock]

It also looks to me like the pins are only holding the barrel, and that the pipes/thimbles may not be pinned. If that's the case, then I'd guess that they are just put up through a slot and then the ends are folded over into a small mortise, which is of course hidden by the barrel.  I own an antique iron mounted "poorboy" fowler that used that technique. Do you have any thoughts on that AZshot?

[AZshot]

Good questions.  I'll get the rifle down sometime today and take a close look to answer you. It's a light rifle, compared to most.

[whetrock]

What wood do you think the rib is made of?  Hickory?

[AZshot]

I've relooked at the rifle.  The wooden rib could be hickory, it's grain is similar.  Could be another wood like oak or maybe chestnut or ash. 
The rear of the rib stops about 1/16 or 1/8" in front fo the nosecap.  There is a gap.  The rib is pinned to the barrel, 2 pins by one thimble, perhaps 1 pin on the other.  The thimbles look like thin sheet metal, folded over.  One is kind of loose, making me suspect the folds form a "T" at the part against the barrel - held in place by the wood and their inletting only.  Some new pics.

[whetrock]

Here are a couple of photos of how the pipes were done on the poorboy fowler I own.
Walnut. Iron mounted. There are two of them still on this fowler (originally were three). Both are loose and can move forward and back a little. The barrel was pinned, but the pipes were not pinned. Notice that the tabs were cut into triangles, and the corners of the triangles were pressed down into the wood of the stock.

[P.Bigham]

Thank you for the excellent photos.  Helps a lot.