That's a late serial number for damascus barrels isn't it? It's uncommon for sure, and I like it.

Note the hand engraved barrel logo. Could not run it through the roll stamp, as the pressure would crush the rib between the posts. That is one neat gun.

I believe ordinarily, the rib was roll stamped prior to going on the gun.

There is a great deal of information In George Madis' about Winchester roll stamps. They employed several engravers whose only job was engraving the roll dies. That had to have been a tedious job, since the letters, in reverse, were the high points and the balance was removed.

Look at stock number 1057 at www.pugsguns.com a DH 12 damascuss on a #2 frame with the vent rib. I'm sure this is the same gun I saw several years ago as the price was $9500 now reduced to $7450. Mfg in 1895. When was the vent rib first offered? I thank my pocketbook it's a 12 not a 16:)

Beautiful gun. The dealer's pictures of it did it no justice. I think I recall their description stating the gun as "loose" or off-face. Is/was it? Looks good in the pictures.

That would have been impossible on this vented rib as the rib was drilled for the posts and this required hand engraving as evidenced by the tops of two of the posts having been engraved with the rib logo.

That's why I said 'ordinarily' i.e. conventional rib.

The gun at Puglisi looks like a swamped rib.

According to TPS the vent rib was first offered on an AH gun in 1923, there was a prototype in 1922. If this is indeed the case wouldn't the rib on the Pugs gun have been installed post production as it was made in 1895? The gun mentioned here falls into the correct time table for the vent rib but why the posts?

Wasn't John Dunkle's Great-Grandfather's fabulous trap gun the very first vent rib gun made by Parker Bros.?

I believe TPS lists the serial number of the AH gun that had the rib. I didn't write it down however.