Does anyone know why the very wide 15-16mm rib on vintage trap guns like the Browning B25 B1, Miroku 800 / 3800 SW, Winchester 101, Nikko 5000 fell out of fashion? Some people might think they're distracting but I find they give you a superb sighting plane, and almost a feeling of greater margin for error - you just point the gun and pull the trigger when you sense the 'platform' passing under the bird. I'm just curious because I grew up on these guns and prefer them but now 10mm, 12mm tops seems to be the norm and they don't feel the same.
Browning 'broadway' and wide rib trap guns
- Thread starter Jjames247
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Paul120
Well-known member
I don't know why they fell out of fashion. But fads come and go. There's nothing new on modern guns that hasn't been tried before.
Apparently a wide rib was to disperse heat haze. If it was for that then the benefit was probably pretty limited. However I also saw a pamphlet from browning saying it was to give a heavier barrel which was more suitable for american trap and DTL. compared to a narrow ribbed gun that was more suitable for game and faster trap disciplines.
So who knows??
I had hold of a Shadow Indy trap gun at the weekend. Now the rib on those was pretty special if you like wide ribs.
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I didn't set out to like them but I got first gun - Winchester Pigeon Grade Trap with a 15mm rib not knowing that by today's standards it's basically classed as a landing strip. All those 70s/80s trap guns from the Kodensha factory seem to have the same wide rib, and they handle just beautifully with 30" barrels and fixed chokes (albeit the formidable recoil). They are also packing quite a bit of weight (~8.5lbs) which you don't really see these days until you pay +£2-3k for a competition gun like a 725 Pro.
