Four pounds-fifteen ounces!?!
Now that I've stopped drooling, I printed the best picture of this device and am taking it to my father-in-law today to see if he knows what it is and how it attaches and what not. He's 85 years old and has held, shot, and owned more shotguns than the law allows. He is a wealth of information with no access to the internet or such things.
I tend to think it is for trap shooting, raise the rear sight or rear of the sighting plane and the front has to rise, right? It would be neat if that is removable, off for hunting and on for trap.

PopPop

I've never seen that rib add-on, but the concept of an adjustable bead was out there. This is a "Bev-L-Block" sight (possibly with the bead broken off) which is shown on p. 210 of Brophy's "Plans and Specifications"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../401017785.jpg

Raise the front bead = lower the POI

Raise the rear of the rib = raise your head = raise the POI

And the (purposeless) 'Celebrated Aubrey Disappearing Rear Sight' http://www.meridenfirearms.com/patent.html

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../392187853.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../392187852.jpg

I have a little 4 pound 12 ounce Francotte 28. It is very uncomfortable to shoot with factory loads. I load my standard target load with a filler in the shot cup and just a tad over 1/2 ounce of shot. This is a very comfortable shooting load in a less than five pound 28. I believe I used a .410 card wad in the shot cup the last time I loaded for this gun.

This gun will never see factory loads again.
I do load some 5/8 oz. 28's.
Do you use Unique for the 1/2 oz load?
I will be putting Spred-r inserts into the shells that go through this, as I believe it is choked full/full.

Hey Deanno,

Here's one of my trap-shooting buddies from Ft. Dodge. This guy owned a lot of "iron" and in his day produced more diesel smoke than Cummins. Notice anything unusual on the breech end of that rib? My guess is this was an after-market piece designed in the basement by some tweaker/tinkerer much like the "K-Man" himself. I agree with Brian that it's a false rib, emitting a similar sight picture as a full vent version.
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/...ash%201937.jpg

Agree Tool Man. It's probably an aid to sighting similar in function to the V found at the breach end of a Parker vent rib. But again, if your eye height above the stock is not changed up or down, and the muzzle end of the rib or front sight is not moved up or down, then your POI will not change no matter what device you add to the rib. This assumes that the height of that device still allows you to see the front bead. If you can't see it and have to lift your head (eye), then the gun will shoot a higher POI.

BTW, you haven't aged a bit!

Your Eminence,

I can't disagree with you but perception is still nine tenths of the law. There is no doubt in my mind that an item as odd, mysterious, clunky and unbecoming as this, was conceived by none other than a trap shooter! :rotf:

Jury's out.

Walt Snyder just messaged me after having looked at all of the photos that we have to date of this "device".

I quote,

" There is no mention of anything special about the rib or anything so I think it is post factory. I have never seen anything like this before. At first I thought it might be a swamp rib affair but that is not the case. So-I don;t know--keep it or leave it????".

I then sent him the photo that Steve posted. His reply,

"May have been a fad at the time??"


I'll have to put more thought into it and won't hurry to take it off. I expect I will try to shoot it some with the "device" in place. But I would guess it won't end up staying on. The gun will look much smoother without that sitting on top.

i would not doubt it comes from the mind of a trap shooter

but who the heck was shooting trap with a 4 lb 15 oz. 28 ga. with original 24" barrels???

I've been known to try just about all the devices that a trapshooter could try at one time or another. I guess I resemble those remarks!