VHE Rib

[Russ Jackson]

Picked up a VHE 12 Ga. today with a little bump in the rib ,right where the Barrels are attached to the Bloc.,I have tried to take pics. to show ,very hard to get a good visual ,there is about a 1/32 rise where the rib is attached ,the Barrels ring like church bells their entire length ,If you look close you will see there is a little rust on each side of the raised spot , what do you guys think ,an entire relay ,or do you think it is safe to shoot the way it is ?there is nothing loose on the barrel and the bores are excellent !!Also someone or possibly factory but I doubt filled in the lettering with gold ,has any one ever seen this before ? Would like to hear all opinions ! Thanks , Russ

[Dave Suponski]

Russ,In the top picture it looks to me that there is a solder line along the dolls head section of rib. I believe that there is a screw that helps to hold that section of rib on.

[Russ Jackson]

Dave; I know what you are describing and I have seen that before ,although I hadn't given it any thought ,but is is the long piece of rib that has lifted not the short ! Also even with a magnifying glass I can't see the tiny screw !

[Dave Suponski]

Russ,I see that the main rib looks lifted.I was just making an observation.I have had barrels ring even with a rib with loose spots.

[Russ Jackson]

I have never had a problem with a rib, did you shoot the gun or have the rib relayed or what do you think ,everything is tight !

[Dean Romig]

Russ, the rib or ribs need to be relayed. Not inexpensive - usually between $400 - $600. It is probably okay to shoot - heck, some people shoot guns with loose or lifting ribs all the time without a care. A friend has a 16 ga. Ithaca with ribs so loose that you could slide a dollar bill under them that he shoots all the time.
Those barrels have been reblued... but you knew that. The rib probably or possibly lifted during that process. Is there a hole drilled in the bottom rib between the barrel flats and the forend loop?
Dean

[Russ Jackson]

Dean ; Yes I was aware of the reblue ,but it appears to have been one of those rub on bluing deals ,no hole between lugs and loop ! The gun has really nice wood but was fooled with by a real amateur smith or possibly the last owner ,trying to " Doll " it up !

[Dave Suponski]

Russ,If it were my gun I would have the rib relayed.Get yourself a piece of .001 feeler gauge and run it along the rib. The feeler stock will find the loose section for ya.You sould be able to buy it at any industrial supply house and an auto machine shop might have some also.

[Jim Williams]

Another possibility, given that they have been re-blued, is that the ribs may have already been re-laid by someone who didn't get the alignment quite right. Getting the two sections of top rib to line up perfectly is one of the most challenging parts of the job, and an inexperienced hand may have trouble getting it right. If that is the case, it is still theoretically possible that the rib is solidly attached, just a little misaligned - which of itself wouldn't hurt anything.

If close inspection with a magnifying glass doesn't reveal any gaps between the ribs and barrels, and a .001 feeler gauge won't slip in anywhere, another way to find a loose rib is to submerge it in a shallow tank of near-boiling water (just like when you are rust-blueing). The air inside the space between the ribs and barrels gets heated quickly and expands. If there is a leak, the air will come streaming out in a trail of bubbles where the leak or loose section is. This only lasts a few seconds because as soon as the air is well heated it stops expanding and the bubbles stop. If you see bubbles coming out from the rib, remove the barrels from the tank quickly because when the air stops coming out, water starts going in (which is not a major problem, but best to avoid if possible). If water gets in, you can dry them out in an oven on low heat.

Jim

[Russ Jackson]

Jim ;I thought of the possibility of a poor repair also ,I didn't know about the water ,If I can find something long enough to submerge the barrels in ,I will give this a try . Thank You !! Russ